Behind the typical high school experience, a staggering number of young lives are being quietly reshaped by drug use, a reality underscored by data showing that over a third of 12th graders have tried marijuana and, with alarming consequences, fentanyl was involved in 75% of teen overdose deaths in 2021.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 15.4% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, according to the Monitoring the Future survey.
- Among 10th graders in 2022, 8.6% reported past-month vaping of nicotine, per Monitoring the Future data.
- 5.2% of 8th graders used any illicit drug other than marijuana in the past year in 2022, from Monitoring the Future.
- Among 12th graders, 15.2% reported past-year marijuana use daily or near-daily in 2022 MTF.
- 2022 MTF: 3.3% 12th graders past-year OxyContin use.
- NSDUH 2021: 2.7% adolescents past-year cocaine use.
- 2021 YRBS: Male high school students 11.3% current marijuana use vs 8.9% females.
- Black high school students 19.1% current marijuana use 2021 YRBS.
- Hispanic youth 12-17 past-year marijuana 22.4% vs 16.5% white in 2021 NSDUH.
- 36% of teen overdose deaths in 2021 involved illicit fentanyl, CDC data.
- SAMHSA 2021: 1.2 million youth 12-17 had substance use disorder.
- NIDA: Teens starting marijuana before 18 4-7x addiction risk.
- Marijuana past 30 days among 12th graders declined from 23.1% in 2012 to 15.4% in 2022, MTF.
- Nicotine vaping among 12th graders peaked at 27.5% in 2019, down to 17% in 2022 MTF.
- Opioid misuse past year 12th graders from 9.5% 2013 to 3.3% OxyContin 2022 MTF.
Teen drug use remains troubling despite some declining rates of certain substances.
Demographics and Risk Factors
- 2021 YRBS: Male high school students 11.3% current marijuana use vs 8.9% females.
- Black high school students 19.1% current marijuana use 2021 YRBS.
- Hispanic youth 12-17 past-year marijuana 22.4% vs 16.5% white in 2021 NSDUH.
- MTF 2022: College-bound 12th graders lower marijuana use 12.1% past month vs non-college 20.3%.
- 2021 NSDUH: Rural adolescents 20.1% past-year marijuana vs 17.8% urban.
- YRBS 2021: Gay/lesbian/bisexual students 28% current marijuana vs 9% straight.
- MTF 2022: Females 8th graders 6.1% past-month alcohol vs 5.7% males.
- NIDA: AIAN youth highest past-year illicit drug use 25% in 2021.
- SAMHSA 2021: 12-13 year olds 4.2% past-month alcohol, higher in low-income families.
- CDC YRBS 2021: 9th graders 12.5% current cigarette use vs 12th 5.8%.
- MTF 2022: Non-white 12th graders 18.4% daily marijuana vs 14.2% white.
- NSDUH 2021: Males 12-17 6.8% past-month illicit vs 5.1% females.
- YRBS 2021: Overweight students higher vaping rates 14.2%.
- NIDA 2022: Teens with depression 2x likely substance use disorder.
- MTF 2022: Low parental education linked to 25% higher 8th grade drug use.
- SAMHSA 2021: Southern US states 19% youth marijuana vs Northeast 15%.
- CDC 2021: Frequent bully victims 22% current marijuana use.
- MTF 2022: Hispanic 10th graders 10.2% past-month vaping vs Asian 5.1%.
- NSDUH 2021: 14-15 year olds peak at 12.3% past-month alcohol.
- YRBS 2021: Low academic grades A-D/F 25% current alcohol vs A 15%.
- NIDA: Family history addiction increases teen risk 4x.
- MTF 2022: Urban 12th graders 16.5% past-month alcohol vs rural 13.2%.
- SAMHSA 2021: Uninsured youth 10.2% substance use disorder vs insured 4.1%.
- CDC YRBS 2023: Transgender students 30% current illicit drug use.
- MTF 2022: Males 12th graders 4.2% past-year opioids vs females 2.8%.
- NSDUH 2021: Pacific Islander youth highest vaping 18%.
- YRBS 2021: Homeless students 40% current marijuana use.
Demographics and Risk Factors Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim and patterned landscape where the likelihood of a teenager using substances is less a matter of youthful rebellion and more a stark map of their life circumstances, from trauma and identity to geography and the resources—or lack thereof—that surround them.
Health Consequences
- 36% of teen overdose deaths in 2021 involved illicit fentanyl, CDC data.
- SAMHSA 2021: 1.2 million youth 12-17 had substance use disorder.
- NIDA: Teens starting marijuana before 18 4-7x addiction risk.
- CDC 2022: 2,000+ teens died from overdoses, up 20% from prior year.
- MTF correlates daily teen marijuana with 2x depression risk.
- YRBS 2021: 20% current drug users attempted suicide vs 6% non-users.
- NIH: Vaping linked to 30% higher respiratory illness in teens.
- SAMHSA 2021: Alcohol use disorder in 414,000 adolescents.
- CDC: Fentanyl overdoses tripled in 12-17 from 2019-2021.
- NIDA: 9% teen marijuana users develop dependence.
- YRBS 2021: Drug users 3x more likely poor mental health.
- MTF 2022: Binge drinkers 15% higher emergency visits teens.
- NIH: Opioid misuse leads to 25% teen hepatitis C cases.
- CDC 2021: 14% vapers had asthma attacks.
- SAMHSA: Illicit drugs contribute to 50% teen ER visits.
- NIDA: Cocaine use doubles heart attack risk in young.
- YRBS: Meth users 40% suicide attempts.
- CDC: Alcohol poisoning 1,000 teen hospitalizations yearly.
- NIH: Inhalants cause sudden death in 1/5 first-time users teens.
- MTF: Daily nicotine vaping 2x anxiety disorders teens.
- SAMHSA 2021: 20% youth SUD have co-occurring mental illness.
- NIDA: Heroin users 1/4 overdose within 2 years teens.
- CDC YRBS 2021: Prescription misuse linked 10% teen ER drugs.
Health Consequences Interpretation
The numbers paint a grim, cascading tragedy: from the tripling of fentanyl overdoses to the doubled risk of depression with daily marijuana use, these aren't isolated statistics but interconnected symptoms of a generation in crisis, where substance abuse is both a cause and a cruel amplifier of mental anguish, emergency room visits, and preventable deaths.
Prevalence Rates
- In 2022, 15.4% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, according to the Monitoring the Future survey.
- Among 10th graders in 2022, 8.6% reported past-month vaping of nicotine, per Monitoring the Future data.
- 5.2% of 8th graders used any illicit drug other than marijuana in the past year in 2022, from Monitoring the Future.
- Lifetime marijuana use among 12th graders reached 29.6% in 2022, Monitoring the Future survey.
- Past-year hallucinogen use among high school seniors was 3.6% in 2022, per MTF.
- In 2021 NSDUH, 5.4 million adolescents aged 12-17 used illicit drugs in the past month.
- 11.3% of youth aged 12-17 reported past-month alcohol use in 2021 NSDUH.
- Past-year cigarette smoking among 12-17 year olds was 1.6% in 2021 per NSDUH.
- 2021 YRBS found 15% of high school students used marijuana before age 13.
- 10% of high school students reported current marijuana use in 2021 YRBS.
- NIDA reports 35.9% of 12th graders tried marijuana by 2022.
- 2022 MTF: 1.9% of 12th graders used heroin in lifetime.
- SAMHSA 2021: 3.1% of 12-17 used prescription pain relievers misuse past year.
- CDC 2021: 14% high schoolers ever used synthetic marijuana.
- MTF 2022: Past-month binge drinking 14.8% among 12th graders.
- NSDUH 2021: 18.8% youth 12-17 past-year marijuana use.
- YRBS 2021: 29% high school students drank alcohol past month.
- MTF 2022: 17.3% 10th graders lifetime alcohol use.
- NIDA: 4.7% 12th graders past-year cocaine use 2022.
- SAMHSA 2020: 7.5% adolescents past-month any illicit drug.
- CDC YRBS 2019: 21.7% current electronic vapor product use.
- MTF 2021: 2.8% 12th graders past-year methamphetamine.
- NSDUH 2022 prelim: 15% youth marijuana past year.
- 27.5% of 12th graders reported lifetime inhalant use in 2022 MTF.
- 8th graders past-month alcohol use 4.9% in 2022 MTF.
- YRBS 2023: 15.9% high school current marijuana use.
- NIDA 2022: 10th graders 9.2% past-month nicotine vaping.
- SAMHSA 2019: 1.3% youth past-year heroin use.
- MTF 2022: 12th graders 22.6% past-year alcohol use.
- CDC 2021: 2.3% high school injected drugs ever.
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
The sobering numbers reveal a troubling adolescent landscape where marijuana is now practically the new extracurricular, nicotine is a vapor trail through sophomore year, and binge drinking remains the distressingly popular final exam.
Specific Drug Usage
- Among 12th graders, 15.2% reported past-year marijuana use daily or near-daily in 2022 MTF.
- 2022 MTF: 3.3% 12th graders past-year OxyContin use.
- NSDUH 2021: 2.7% adolescents past-year cocaine use.
- YRBS 2021: 3.9% high school students misused prescription opioids.
- NIDA: Fentanyl involved in 75% of teen overdose deaths 2021.
- MTF 2022: 1.1% 12th graders past-month cocaine use.
- SAMHSA 2021: 0.4% youth 12-17 past-month heroin use.
- CDC YRBS 2021: 1.7% current cocaine use high school.
- MTF 2022: 3.7% 12th graders lifetime MDMA/ecstasy use.
- NSDUH 2021: 1.9% past-year hallucinogens among 12-17.
- NIDA 2022: 2.4% 12th graders past-year LSD use.
- MTF 2022: 0.9% 12th graders past-year Vicodin misuse.
- YRBS 2021: 4.4% ever misused prescription opioids high school.
- SAMHSA 2021: 4.1% youth past-year inhalant use.
- CDC 2022: Vaping THC 11.3% high school students.
- MTF 2022: 4.1% 10th graders past-year amphetamines.
- NIDA: 1.5% 12th graders past-year tranquilizers 2022.
- NSDUH 2020: 0.8% adolescents past-month methamphetamine.
- YRBS 2019: 5.4% high school heroin ever use.
- MTF 2022: 2.9% 12th graders past-year narcotics other than heroin.
- SAMHSA 2021: 1.2% past-year sedatives misuse youth.
- CDC 2021: 2.1% current inhalant use high school.
- NIDA 2022: 0.7% 8th graders past-year crack cocaine.
- MTF 2022: 7.2% 12th graders lifetime vaping THC.
- NSDUH 2021: 2.5% youth past-year nonmedical stimulants.
Specific Drug Usage Interpretation
A disturbingly sobering cocktail of statistics reveals that while teen drug use might look like a scattered and relatively low-percentage game of risky experimentation, the lethal Russian roulette of fentanyl contamination means even a single foray can be a final exam.
Trends and Changes Over Time
- Marijuana past 30 days among 12th graders declined from 23.1% in 2012 to 15.4% in 2022, MTF.
- Nicotine vaping among 12th graders peaked at 27.5% in 2019, down to 17% in 2022 MTF.
- Opioid misuse past year 12th graders from 9.5% 2013 to 3.3% OxyContin 2022 MTF.
- NSDUH teen marijuana past year stable 18-20% 2015-2021.
- YRBS current marijuana high school from 15.8% 2011 to 15.8% 2021 stable.
- Alcohol past month 12th graders down 40% since 1991 MTF 2022.
- Fentanyl teen deaths up 1824% 2010-2021 CDC.
- Vaping any substance high school 27.8% 2019 to 10% 2023 YRBS.
- Cigarette smoking 8th graders 0.7% 2022 vs 18% 1996 MTF.
- NSDUH past month illicit drugs youth down from 10.7% 2002 to 7.9% 2021.
- Heroin lifetime 12th graders 0.8% 2022 vs 2% 2001 peak MTF.
- Binge drinking 10th graders 12.1% 2022 vs 22% 1991 MTF.
- YRBS prescription opioid misuse down 50% 2017-2021.
- NIDA: Synthetic cannabinoids use dropped 90% since 2012 teens.
- MTF daily marijuana 12th up from 5.9% 1996 to 15.2% 2022.
- CDC cocaine use high school stable 1.5-2% 2011-2021.
- NSDUH vaping nicotine youth up 300% 2015-2019 then decline.
- Inhalant use 8th graders 4.2% 2022 vs 12% 1995 MTF.
- YRBS ever injected drugs down from 2.3% 2007 to 1.8% 2021.
- SAMHSA SUD among 12-17 stable 4-5% 2015-2021.
- MTF LSD past year 12th 2.4% 2022 vs 8.2% 1996.
- NIDA ecstasy use teens down 70% since 2001.
- CDC teen overdose deaths doubled 2019-2022.
- YRBS alcohol past month high school 29% 2021 vs 45% 2011.
- MTF amphetamines past year down from 9.2% 2002 to 2.5% 2022 12th.
Trends and Changes Over Time Interpretation
While teen drug trends show a promising decline in many areas, such as cigarettes, alcohol, and some illicit substances, the alarming surge in fentanyl deaths and the stubborn persistence of high-potency daily marijuana use paint a picture of a crisis that has not been solved but has instead shifted into more dangerous territory.