Illicit drug use reaches 39 percent among 12th graders in the past year. Daily marijuana use stands at 6.3 percent for that group. The figures differ sharply by substance, grade level, and demographic category.
Key Takeaways
- Teens using marijuana report 2.5x higher depression rates, MTF analysis
- Among 12th-grade males, past-year marijuana use was 23.1% compared to 18.2% for females in 2022, MTF data
- In 2022, 15.4% of 8th-grade students reported using any illicit drug in the past year, according to Monitoring the Future survey data
- In 2022, daily marijuana use among 12th graders reached 6.3%, a record high per MTF
- From 2012 to 2022, 12th-grade marijuana past-year use increased from 15.4% to 20.6%, MTF trend
Nearly one in ten teens reported using drugs in the past year, highlighting an urgent prevention need.
Related reading
01 · Category
Associated Risks and Consequences21 stats
01
Teens using marijuana report 2.5x higher depression rates, MTF analysis
02
Past-year opioid misusers 12-17: 3.3% had substance use disorder vs. 1.1% non-users, NSDUH 2021
03
High school marijuana users 1.8x more likely to attempt suicide, YRBS 2021
04
Vapers past month: 25% experienced anxiety symptoms vs. 15% non-vapers, CDC data
05
Binge drinking teens: 40% higher risk of motor vehicle crashes, CDC
06
Daily cannabis use linked to 2x cannabis use disorder in teens, NIDA
07
Prescription drug misusers 12th graders: 15.2% met SUD criteria vs. 4.8%, MTF
08
35% of teen alcohol users report family conflict increase, SAMHSA
09
Nicotine vaping associated with 3.2x odds of future cigarette smoking, JAMA Pediatrics
10
Illicit drug use correlates with 28% higher school dropout risk, CDC YRBS
11
Teens misusing opioids: 12x higher overdose risk than adults per volume, CDC
12
Marijuana use past year: 4.1x odds of poor academic performance, MTF
13
Vaping teens 1.5x more likely to use marijuana within year, MTF longitudinal
14
22% of binge drinking high schoolers report sexual assault victimization, YRBS
15
Hallucinogen users: 18% emergency room visits related to psych effects, DAWN data
16
Inhalant abuse in teens leads to 20% sudden death risk per use episode, NIDA
17
Cocaine-using teens 5x higher cardiovascular issues early onset, NIH
18
47% of teen SUD cases involve polysubstance use, NSDUH
19
Alcohol use before 15: 4x addiction risk by adulthood, NIAAA
20
Frequent vapers: 30% impaired lung function vs. 8% non-users, CDC
21
Drug-using teens 3.7x more violent behavior incidents, YRBS
Interpretation
Associated Risks and Consequences Interpretation
The statistics paint a starkly unfunny picture: teen drug use isn't a rite of passage but a Russian roulette of depression, disorder, and derailed futures.
02 · Category
Demographic Breakdowns23 stats
01
Among 12th-grade males, past-year marijuana use was 23.1% compared to 18.2% for females in 2022, MTF data
02
Hispanic high school students reported 25.4% past-30-day marijuana use vs. 18.9% White students, YRBS 2021
03
Urban teens aged 12-17 had 32.1% illicit drug use past year vs. 26.4% rural, NSDUH 2021
04
Female 8th graders vaping nicotine past month: 5.8% vs. 4.6% males, 2022 MTF
05
Black high school students: 12.3% past-month alcohol use vs. 22.1% White, YRBS 2021
06
10th-grade females binge drinking past two weeks: 7.2% vs. 10.5% males, 2022 MTF
07
LGBTQ+ high school students: 41.2% past-year marijuana use vs. 21.8% straight peers, YRBS 2021
08
Low-income teens (family poverty level): 35.7% illicit drug use past year vs. 24.3% high-income, NSDUH 2021
09
Asian American high schoolers: 9.4% past-month vaping vs. 14.2% overall, YRBS 2021
10
12th-grade males prescription opioid misuse: 5.1% vs. 3.5% females, 2022 MTF
11
Native American teens 12-17: 22.8% past-year marijuana vs. 15.9% national avg, NSDUH 2021
12
8th-grade girls alcohol past year: 13.2% vs. 11.8% boys, 2022 MTF
13
Students with poor grades (D/F avg): 48.3% past-year drug use vs. 22.1% A students, MTF 2022
14
Non-college-bound 12th graders: 45.6% illicit drug use vs. 32.4% college-bound, MTF 2022
15
Southern U.S. high schoolers: 16.2% binge drinking vs. 11.8% Northeast, YRBS 2021
16
10th-grade Hispanic students: 18.4% past-month alcohol vs. 14.2% non-Hispanic White, MTF 2022
17
Teens in two-parent households: 24.7% drug use vs. 38.5% other households, NSDUH 2021
18
Male high school athletes: 28.6% past-year marijuana vs. 19.3% non-athletes, YRBS 2021
19
12th-grade Black students: 2.1% cocaine past year vs. 3.4% White, MTF 2022
20
Obese teens more likely: 31.2% vaping vs. 22.4% normal weight, YRBS 2021
21
Immigrant teens: 14.6% illicit drug use vs. 28.3% U.S.-born, NSDUH 2021
22
8th-grade religious teens: 18.2% lifetime drug use vs. 25.7% non-religious, MTF 2022
23
10th-grade females hallucinogen use: 3.2% vs. 2.8% males, 2022 MTF
Interpretation
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
While the specifics vary—from gender to geography to grades—these statistics paint a consistent, unsettling portrait: a teenager's likelihood of using substances often mirrors the specific pressures, disparities, and systemic inequities they navigate, rather than any simple, universal "teenage rebellion."
03 · Category
Prevalence Rates30 stats
01
In 2022, 15.4% of 8th-grade students reported using any illicit drug in the past year, according to Monitoring the Future survey data
02
Among 10th graders in 2022, past-year illicit drug use reached 29.8%, a slight increase from prior years per MTF
03
12th graders showed 39.1% past-year illicit drug use in 2022, the highest among secondary school levels, MTF data
04
The 2021 NSDUH reported that 29.6% of youth aged 12-17 used illicit drugs in the past year
05
CDC's YRBS 2021 found 22.5% of high school students used marijuana in the past 30 days
06
8.1% of 8th graders used marijuana in the past year in 2022, per MTF
07
Past-month marijuana use among 10th graders was 15.6% in 2022, MTF survey
08
20.6% of 12th graders reported past-year marijuana use in 2022, highest recorded level, MTF
09
NSDUH 2020: 15.5% of adolescents aged 12-17 initiated marijuana use in the past year
10
Lifetime marijuana use among high school students was 36.8% in YRBS 2021
11
5.2% of 8th graders vaped nicotine in past 30 days in 2022, MTF
12
12.3% of 10th graders reported past-month vaping in 2022, MTF data
13
13.5% of 12th graders vaped in past 30 days, 2022 MTF
14
Alcohol use past year for 12-17 year olds was 45.3% in NSDUH 2021
15
Binge drinking among high schoolers was 14.8% past month, YRBS 2021
16
2.7% of 8th graders used alcohol in past 30 days in 2022, lowest in decades, MTF
17
16.4% of 10th graders past-month alcohol use, 2022 MTF
18
27.6% of 12th graders drank alcohol past month in 2022, MTF
19
Prescription opioid misuse past year among 12th graders: 4.3% in 2022, MTF
20
Any prescription drug misuse by high school students: 12.4% lifetime, YRBS data
21
Inhalant use past year for 8th graders: 3.9% in 2022, MTF
22
Hallucinogen use past year among 12th graders: 5.6% in 2022, MTF
23
Cocaine use past year 12th graders: 2.4%, 2022 MTF
24
Heroin use lifetime among teens 12-17: 0.6%, NSDUH 2021
25
Methamphetamine past year use: 0.3% for high schoolers, YRBS
26
21.2% of high school students reported current cigarette use or vaping, YRBS 2021
27
NSDUH 2021: 10.2% of 12-17 year olds used tobacco products past month
28
MTF 2022: 1.8% of 12th graders used synthetic marijuana past year
29
4.1% of 10th graders used cough medicine to get high past year, 2022 MTF
30
Lifetime illicit drug use among 8th graders: 20.5% in 2022, MTF
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
While the numbers show a clear and alarming graduation from experimentation to habit as teens progress through school, the slight silver lining is that today's eighth-graders seem marginally wiser than their older peers, though that's a bit like praising a sinking ship for having a slow leak.
More related reading
04 · Category
Substance-Specific Usage25 stats
01
In 2022, daily marijuana use among 12th graders reached 6.3%, a record high per MTF
02
Past-year marijuana use for 10th graders was 29.2% in 2022, MTF data
03
8th-grade marijuana past-month use: 3.3% in 2022, MTF
04
NSDUH 2021: 18.7% of youth 12-17 used marijuana past year
05
YRBS 2021: 30.7% of high school students ever used marijuana
06
Frequent marijuana use (20+ occasions past year) among 12th graders: 10.9% in 2022, MTF
07
Edibles use past year among 12th graders: 11.2% in 2022, MTF
08
Vaping marijuana past year 12th graders: 14.8% in 2022, MTF survey
09
Alcohol initiation before age 15 among teens: 24.6% lifetime, CDC data
10
Past-month heavy alcohol use (5+ days) 12th graders: 3.8% in 2022, MTF
11
Binge drinking (5+ drinks) past two weeks for 10th graders: 8.9%, 2022 MTF
12
NSDUH 2021: 7.4% of 12-17 year olds binge drank past month
13
Nicotine vaping past year among high schoolers: 27.5% in YRBS 2021
14
Frequent nicotine vaping (20+ days past month) high school: 7.1%, YRBS 2021
15
Prescription stimulants misused past year 12th graders: 5.3% in 2022, MTF
16
Opioid misuse (narcotics other than heroin) past year 12th: 3.3%, 2022 MTF
17
LSD use past year 12th graders: 3.5% in 2022, MTF
18
MDMA (ecstasy) past year 12th graders: 2.7%, 2022 MTF
19
Cocaine past month 12th graders: 0.7% in 2022, MTF data
20
Heroin past year use among 12th graders: 0.4%, stable low, 2022 MTF
21
Inhalants past year 8th graders: 4.0% in 2022, MTF
22
Misuse of Adderall past year 10th graders: 4.3%, 2022 MTF
23
Cough medicine misuse past year 8th graders: 2.1%, 2022 MTF
24
Synthetic cannabinoids past year 12th graders: 1.3% in 2022, MTF
25
Cigarette smoking past month high school students: 5.8% in YRBS 2021
Interpretation
Substance-Specific Usage Interpretation
While marijuana and nicotine vaping appear to be staging a mainstream coup in high school, the persistently low numbers for harder substances suggest that even rebellious teens still wisely draw the line at ruining their lives before they’ve even begun them.
05 · Category
Temporal Trends20 stats
01
From 2012 to 2022, 12th-grade marijuana past-year use increased from 15.4% to 20.6%, MTF trend
02
Nicotine vaping among 12th graders rose from 3.4% in 2017 to 13.5% past month in 2022, MTF
03
Alcohol past-month use 8th graders declined from 7.7% in 2012 to 2.7% in 2022, MTF
04
Lifetime cigarette smoking high schoolers dropped from 36.8% in 2011 to 18.9% in 2021 YRBS
05
NSDUH shows past-year illicit drug use 12-17 stable at ~29% from 2015-2021
06
Marijuana daily use 12th graders from 2.9% in 2012 to 6.3% in 2022, sharp rise MTF
07
Binge drinking high school past 30 days: 17.2% in 2011 to 14.8% 2021, YRBS decline
08
Prescription opioid misuse 12th graders fell from 9.5% in 2012 to 4.3% 2022, MTF
09
Vaping any substance past year 10th graders: 37.3% in 2018 peak to 25.2% 2022, MTF
10
Heroin use past year 12th graders stable low 0.3-0.4% 2012-2022, MTF
11
Inhalant use 8th graders down from 8.7% 2012 to 3.9% 2022 past year, MTF
12
LSD past year 12th graders fluctuated 2.6% 2012 to 3.5% 2022, MTF
13
Alcohol initiation age average dropped slightly to 14.3 years in recent NSDUH
14
Cocaine past year 10th graders from 2.2% 2012 to 1.5% 2022 decline, MTF
15
Marijuana past 30 days high school: 15.7% 2011 to 22.5% 2021 rise, YRBS
16
Nicotine pouch use emerging: 2.1% 12th graders 2022, new trend MTF
17
Fentanyl awareness: 45% 12th graders heard bad news 2022 vs. rising overdoses, MTF
18
Overall illicit drug use 12th graders stable ~39% past decade, MTF 2012-2022
19
Vaping THC past month 12th graders peaked 14.1% 2019 down to 8.2% 2022, MTF
20
Cigarette daily use 12th graders 1.2% 2022 vs. 10% 2012 dramatic decline, MTF
Interpretation
Temporal Trends Interpretation
The kids are swapping keg stands for vape pens and old-fashioned cigarettes for high-THC weed, trading one set of risks for another while dutifully avoiding most prescription pills and heroin.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Teen Drug Use Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teen-drug-use-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Teen Drug Use Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/teen-drug-use-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Teen Drug Use Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teen-drug-use-statistics.
Sources & references
6 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level