More than half of 12th graders reported drinking alcohol in the past month. Meanwhile, nicotine vaping has become alarmingly common, with over 40% of seniors reporting use. These data points reveal how adolescent substance use concentrates by age and shifts across substances.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022 MTF, 29.6% of 10th graders vaped nicotine past year
- NSDUH 2021 reported higher marijuana use among males aged 12-17 at 18.2% past year vs 14.9% females
- Lifetime marijuana use among 8th graders 16.6% in 2023 MTF
- Lifetime prescription opioid misuse among 8th graders 1.9% 2022 MTF
- In 2022, 15.8% of 8th-grade students reported lifetime use of marijuana, according to the Monitoring the Future survey
- Lifetime marijuana use declined from 21.4% in 2012 to 15.8% in 2022 for 8th graders MTF
Adolescents are most likely to start using drugs during early teen years, making prevention during this period crucial.
Related reading
01 · Category
Alcohol and Tobacco24 stats
01
In 2022 MTF, 29.6% of 10th graders vaped nicotine past year
02
12th graders past year nicotine vaping: 40.6% in 2022 MTF
03
Past month alcohol use 8th graders: 8.4% 2022 MTF
04
10th graders past month alcohol: 29.1% 2022 MTF
05
12th graders past month alcohol: 52.0% 2022 MTF
06
NSDUH 2021: 4.7 million adolescents drank alcohol past month
07
13.4% of 12-17 past month alcohol use 2021 NSDUH
08
YRBS 2021: 29.2% high school students drank alcohol past 30 days
09
14.8% high schoolers binge drank past 30 days 2021 YRBS
10
MTF 2023: Past month cigarette use 8th graders 1.4%
11
10th graders past month cigs: 1.9% 2023 MTF
12
12th graders past month cigs: 4.4% 2023 MTF
13
NSDUH 2022: 1.8 million adolescents used tobacco past month
14
5.1% of 12-17 past month tobacco 2022 NSDUH
15
YRBS 2021: 32.7% lifetime cigarette use high school students
16
6.0% currently smoke cigarettes past 30 days 2021 YRBS
17
MTF 2022: Past year smokeless tobacco 8th graders 2.1%
18
10th graders past year smokeless: 4.3% 2022 MTF
19
12th graders past year smokeless tobacco: 7.9% 2022 MTF
20
NSDUH 2021: 1.2 million adolescents used cigars past year
21
Past 30 day vaping high school: 27.5% 2021 YRBS
22
MTF 2023: Lifetime alcohol use 8th graders 19.8%
23
10th graders lifetime alcohol: 46.9% 2023 MTF
24
12th graders lifetime alcohol: 79.7% 2023 MTF
Interpretation
Alcohol and Tobacco Interpretation
While cigarette use is finally taking a deserved nosedive, our high schools are clearly facing a volatile trade deal where vaping nicotine has become the concerning new currency and alcohol remains the distressingly ratified treaty.
02 · Category
Demographics26 stats
01
NSDUH 2021 reported higher marijuana use among males aged 12-17 at 18.2% past year vs 14.9% females
02
MTF 2022: White 8th graders lifetime marijuana 17.5%, Black 13.2%, Hispanic 15.1%
03
Among 10th graders 2022 MTF, college-bound had lower illicit drug use (18.4%) vs non-college (25.6%)
04
NSDUH 2022: Urban adolescents past year illicit drugs 16.8%, rural 13.2%
05
YRBS 2021: Hispanic high school students marijuana past 30 days 14.1%, White 11.0%, Black 9.5%
06
MTF 2023: Females 8th graders past month alcohol 7.9% vs males 8.9%
07
Lifetime cigarette use higher in low SES 12th graders at 45.2% vs high SES 35.1% 2022 MTF
08
NSDUH 2021: 12-13 year olds past year illicit drugs 9.1%, 14-15: 17.3%, 16-17: 22.4%
09
YRBS 2021: Gay/lesbian/bisexual students alcohol past 30 days 42.5% vs straight 27.1%
10
MTF 2022: Non-college bound 12th graders binge drinking past month 32.4% vs college 25.2%
11
NSDUH 2022: Black adolescents alcohol use disorder 3.8%, White 5.2%
12
Higher vaping rates among male high schoolers 29.8% vs females 25.2% 2021 YRBS
13
MTF 2023: Region Northeast 8th graders lifetime marijuana 14.2%, West 18.9%
14
Lifetime illicit drug use higher in large metro 12th graders 42.3% vs small metro 37.8% 2022 MTF
15
NSDUH 2021: Adolescents in large metro past month tobacco 5.8%, non-metro 4.2%
16
YRBS 2021: 10th graders marijuana lifetime 30.5%, 9th 24.1%, 11th 32.7%, 12th 35.2%
17
MTF 2022: Higher SES 10th graders lower cocaine use 2.1% vs lower SES 3.5%
18
Female 12th graders prescription misuse higher at 7.1% vs males 5.7% 2023 MTF
19
NSDUH 2022: Hispanic youth past year marijuana 20.4%, Asian 8.6%
20
Lifetime alcohol use among bisexual high schoolers 85.2% vs heterosexual 58.3% 2021 YRBS
21
MTF 2023: 8th grade males vaping past year 11.2% vs females 9.8%
22
NSDUH 2021: Past year illicit drug use peaks at age 17 with 25.6%
23
YRBS 2021 shows rural high schoolers cigarette use 8.2% vs urban 5.1% past 30 days
24
NSDUH 2022: Native American adolescents highest alcohol past month 18.4%
25
MTF 2022: College plans correlate with lower heroin use across grades
26
Adolescent marijuana users more likely from disrupted families per MTF 2022 analysis
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
It seems the adolescent experience comes with a factory-installed set of risk factors, where your demographic, geography, and future plans can statistically predict your proximity to substances as reliably as a weather forecast.
03 · Category
Illicit Drugs26 stats
01
Lifetime marijuana use among 8th graders 16.6% in 2023 MTF
02
10th graders lifetime marijuana 31.2% 2023 MTF
03
12th graders lifetime marijuana 44.0% 2023 MTF
04
Past year cocaine use 8th graders 1.2% 2022 MTF
05
10th graders past year cocaine 2.8% 2022 MTF
06
12th graders past year cocaine 3.4% 2022 MTF
07
NSDUH 2021: 422,000 adolescents used cocaine past year
08
1.5% of 12-17 past year cocaine 2021 NSDUH
09
Lifetime hallucinogens 8th graders 3.3% 2022 MTF
10
10th graders lifetime hallucinogens 6.9% 2022 MTF
11
12th graders lifetime hallucinogens 10.2% 2022 MTF
12
NSDUH 2022: 699,000 adolescents used hallucinogens past year
13
2.5% 12-17 past year hallucinogens 2022 NSDUH
14
MTF 2023: Past year heroin use 8th graders 0.3%
15
10th graders past year heroin 0.4% 2023 MTF
16
12th graders past year heroin 0.6% 2023 MTF
17
Lifetime inhalants 8th graders 9.7% 2023 MTF
18
10th graders lifetime inhalants 9.9% 2023 MTF
19
12th graders lifetime inhalants 10.8% 2023 MTF
20
YRBS 2021: 3.0% high school students injected illegal drugs lifetime
21
NSDUH 2021: 140,000 adolescents used heroin past year
22
0.5% 12-17 past year heroin 2021 NSDUH
23
MTF 2022: Lifetime LSD 8th graders 2.4%
24
10th graders lifetime LSD 4.7% 2022 MTF
25
12th graders lifetime LSD 7.9% 2022 MTF
26
Past year methamphetamine 8th graders 0.4% 2023 MTF
Interpretation
Illicit Drugs Interpretation
The data paints a sobering picture of adolescent risk, where marijuana use climbs like a predictable stair-step through high school, while the ominous but less traveled paths of cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin remind us that for a vulnerable minority, experimentation is a dangerous gamble with lifelong consequences.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prescription Drugs24 stats
01
Lifetime prescription opioid misuse among 8th graders 1.9% 2022 MTF
02
10th graders lifetime Rx opioid misuse 3.6% 2022 MTF
03
12th graders lifetime Rx opioid misuse 6.4% 2022 MTF
04
NSDUH 2021: 1.2 million adolescents misused prescription stimulants past year
05
4.3% of 12-17 misused stimulants past year 2021 NSDUH
06
Past year tranquilizer misuse 8th graders 1.0% 2022 MTF
07
10th graders past year tranquilizers 2.3% 2022 MTF
08
12th graders past year tranquilizers 4.1% 2022 MTF
09
NSDUH 2022: 852,000 adolescents misused prescription sedatives past year
10
3.0% 12-17 past year sedatives misuse 2022 NSDUH
11
MTF 2023: Lifetime OxyContin use 8th graders 0.8%
12
10th graders lifetime Oxy 1.7% 2023 MTF
13
12th graders lifetime Oxy 3.3% 2023 MTF
14
YRBS 2021: 14.4% high school students ever took prescription drugs to get high
15
NSDUH 2021: 2.7% adolescents had prescription pain reliever use disorder
16
MTF 2022: Past year Adderall misuse 8th graders 1.1%
17
10th graders past year Adderall 3.9% 2022 MTF
18
12th graders past year Adderall 5.6% 2022 MTF
19
Lifetime benzodiazepine misuse 8th graders 1.4% 2023 MTF
20
10th graders lifetime benzos 2.8% 2023 MTF
21
12th graders lifetime benzos 5.2% 2023 MTF
22
NSDUH 2022: 1.4 million 12-17 misused pain relievers past year
23
5.0% past year prescription opioid misuse among 12-17 2022 NSDUH
24
Past year narcotic misuse excluding heroin 8th graders 2.1% 2022 MTF
Interpretation
Prescription Drugs Interpretation
The sobering reality is that as our children climb the grade ladder, they appear to be accumulating not just knowledge for their future, but also a statistically significant and dangerous familiarity with prescription drugs meant for someone else's ailments.
05 · Category
Prevalence Rates30 stats
01
In 2022, 15.8% of 8th-grade students reported lifetime use of marijuana, according to the Monitoring the Future survey
02
Among 10th graders in 2022, 29.6% had used marijuana at least once in their lifetime, per Monitoring the Future data
03
12th graders showed 42.3% lifetime marijuana use in 2022, from the same MTF survey
04
NSDUH 2021 reported 5.4 million adolescents aged 12-17 had used illicit drugs in the past year
05
10.1% of adolescents aged 12-17 used illicit drugs in the past month in 2021 per NSDUH
06
YRBS 2021 found 27.1% of high school students had used marijuana in their lifetime
07
11.3% of high school students used marijuana in the past 30 days in 2021, CDC YRBS
08
MTF 2023: Any illicit drug use past year for 8th graders at 10.9%
09
10th graders past year illicit drug use: 19.8% in 2023 MTF
10
12th graders: 39.1% past year any illicit drug in 2023, MTF
11
NSDUH 2022: 15.6% of 12-17 year olds used any illicit drug past year
12
Past month any illicit drug use among 12-17: 7.2% in 2022 NSDUH
13
2021 YRBS: 14.7% high school students used cocaine lifetime
14
Heroin lifetime use: 0.7% high school students 2021 YRBS
15
Methamphetamine lifetime: 1.2% in 2021 YRBS high schoolers
16
Inhalant lifetime use: 9.1% high school 2021 YRBS
17
MTF 2022: 3.3% 8th graders used synthetic marijuana lifetime
18
5.9% 10th graders synthetic marijuana lifetime 2022 MTF
19
7.2% 12th graders lifetime synthetic marijuana 2022
20
NSDUH 2021: 788,000 adolescents misused prescription pain relievers past year
21
2.7% of 12-17 misused opioids past year 2021 NSDUH
22
Lifetime cigarette use among 8th graders: 12.6% in 2022 MTF
23
10th graders lifetime cigs: 21.4% 2022 MTF
24
12th graders: 39.3% lifetime cigarettes 2022 MTF
25
Past month binge drinking 8th graders: 3.2% 2022 MTF
26
10th graders binge drinking past month: 12.5% 2022 MTF
27
12th graders: 27.8% past month binge drinking 2022 MTF
28
NSDUH 2022: 1.6 million adolescents aged 12-17 had alcohol use disorder
29
4.5% of high school students currently use smokeless tobacco per 2021 YRBS
30
10.0% lifetime electronic vapor product use among 8th graders 2022 MTF
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim, escalating portrait of adolescent experimentation, where each grade level marks not just academic advancement but a sobering increased risk of substance misuse.
06 · Category
Trends20 stats
01
Lifetime marijuana use declined from 21.4% in 2012 to 15.8% in 2022 for 8th graders MTF
02
10th grade past month marijuana from 16.0% 2012 to 15.3% 2022, slight decline MTF
03
12th grade lifetime marijuana stable around 44-45% from 2018-2023 MTF
04
NSDUH shows past year illicit drug use among 12-17 from 18.9% 2015 to 15.6% 2022
05
YRBS marijuana past 30 days high school from 19.8% 2011 to 11.3% 2021 decline
06
Nicotine vaping past year 12th graders rose from 11.3% 2017 to 40.6% 2022 MTF surge
07
Alcohol past month 8th graders declined from 13.5% 1991 to 8.4% 2022 MTF long-term drop
08
Cigarette past month all grades down dramatically since 1990s per MTF 2023
09
NSDUH prescription opioid misuse past year 12-17 from 6.4% 2015 to 5.0% 2022 decrease
10
YRBS binge drinking past 30 days from 25.6% 2007 to 14.8% 2021 halving
11
MTF hallucinogen use past year stable low <3% across decades for 12th graders
12
Vaping any substance past month 12th graders peaked 2021 at 31.2% then 25.4% 2023 MTF
13
NSDUH cocaine past year 12-17 steady around 1.5-2.0% 2015-2022
14
Synthetic marijuana use crashed from 9.5% 2012 to 3.3% 2022 8th graders MTF
15
Lifetime inhalant use 8th graders down from 17.6% 1991 to 9.7% 2023 MTF
16
NSDUH alcohol use disorder 12-17 from 5.8% 2015 to 4.5% 2022 decline
17
YRBS prescription drug misuse lifetime from 20.4% 2007 to 14.4% 2021 drop
18
MTF perceived risk of marijuana daily use up slightly post-2020 for 10th graders
19
Heroin past year use all grades <1% consistently since 2010 MTF
20
NSDUH past month binge drinking 12-17 from 15.7% 2015 to 13.9% 2022 stable
Interpretation
Trends Interpretation
The news is cautiously encouraging, as adolescents seem to be thoughtfully trading classic intoxicants for trendy but uncertain vape clouds, proving that while their vices are ever-evolving, the instinct to experiment is a stubbornly reliable constant.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Adolescent Drug Use Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/adolescent-drug-use-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Adolescent Drug Use Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/adolescent-drug-use-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Adolescent Drug Use Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/adolescent-drug-use-statistics.
Sources & references
3 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level