Since many people focus on adult drug addiction problems, they might miss that it can start during adolescence. However, the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan collects teen drug abuse statistics. It does so via the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey. As a result, it discovered some interesting figures among thousands of eighth graders, sophomores and seniors in 2018.
2018 Teen Drug Abuse Statistics
The annual MTF found that teens used fewer drugs overall during 2018. However, there was an increase in vaping. Keep reading to learn more of the details, starting with the good news.
Alcohol Use Decreased
Over the previous five years, fewer students have participated in drinking, and this trend continued in 2018. In 2013, past-month alcohol use was 10.2 percent for eighth graders and 25.7 percent for sophomores. Among seniors, it was 39.2 percent. However, these figures dropped to 8.2 percent, 18.6 percent, and 30.2 percent respectively in 2018.
There were also significant declines in daily, past-month and lifetime binge drinking among all of the surveyed students. In addition, the percentage of teens who reported ever drinking fell more than 50 percent compared to peak years.
Illicit Drug Use Remained Low
The 2018 MTF found that illicit drug use, except for cannabis, remained at the lowest levels in over 20 years. Only about 6 percent of eighth-grade students and 9.6 percent of sophomores reported using illegal substances. Among seniors, 12.4 percent reported illicit drug use.
For prescription opioid abuse, the statistics stayed down after dropping over the past five years. Part of the reason could be that more teens think that it’s harder to get prescription opioids than before. Also, fewer high school students continue to report past-year synthetic weed use.
Smoking natural weed, however, had mixed but encouraging results. While fewer eighth graders used marijuana, the results remained unchanged for sophomores and seniors. At the same time, fewer students believed that regular weed use poses a risk. Many of them also disapproved of adults who smoke the herb.
Vaping Increased a Lot
On the other hand, MTF teen drug abuse statistics show a substantial increase in vaping. Second only to alcohol use, 17.6 percent of eighth graders reported vaping in the past year. In addition, 32.3 percent of sophomores and 37.3 percent of seniors vaped during that period. These results include nicotine, marijuana oil and flavor vaping.
Don’t Hesitate to Get Help for Substance Abuse
Many teens experiment with drugs during school, but it puts them at risk of developing bigger problems in adulthood. For that reason, Pillars Recovery offers rehab for young adults. When you visit us for treatment, we’ll create a customized plan that might include:
- Gender-specific treatment locations
- Drug detox center
- Residential treatment
- Medication assisted treatment
- Transitional living program
- Dual diagnosis treatment
Don’t wait to get treatment if you’ve continued to use drugs since you were a teen. Learn more about teen drug abuse statistics at our facility. Call 866-782-0247 to find out how we can help you recover.
