Teen marijuana use is still higher among some groups, with YRBS 2021 showing 28% of gay lesbian and bisexual students reporting current use compared with 9% of straight students. At the same time, the overdose threat keeps rising as CDC data finds 36% of teen overdose deaths in 2021 involved illicit fentanyl. This post puts those and dozens of other measures side by side to show where risk is climbing, where it is easing, and what the contrasts actually look like.
Key Takeaways
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
In 2021 and 2022, marijuana and opioids remain the most concerning teen substance use issues.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics and Risk Factors27 stats
01
2021 YRBS: Male high school students 11.3% current marijuana use vs 8.9% females.
02
Black high school students 19.1% current marijuana use 2021 YRBS.
03
Hispanic youth 12-17 past-year marijuana 22.4% vs 16.5% white in 2021 NSDUH.
04
MTF 2022: College-bound 12th graders lower marijuana use 12.1% past month vs non-college 20.3%.
05
2021 NSDUH: Rural adolescents 20.1% past-year marijuana vs 17.8% urban.
06
YRBS 2021: Gay/lesbian/bisexual students 28% current marijuana vs 9% straight.
07
MTF 2022: Females 8th graders 6.1% past-month alcohol vs 5.7% males.
08
NIDA: AIAN youth highest past-year illicit drug use 25% in 2021.
09
SAMHSA 2021: 12-13 year olds 4.2% past-month alcohol, higher in low-income families.
10
CDC YRBS 2021: 9th graders 12.5% current cigarette use vs 12th 5.8%.
11
MTF 2022: Non-white 12th graders 18.4% daily marijuana vs 14.2% white.
12
NSDUH 2021: Males 12-17 6.8% past-month illicit vs 5.1% females.
13
YRBS 2021: Overweight students higher vaping rates 14.2%.
14
NIDA 2022: Teens with depression 2x likely substance use disorder.
15
MTF 2022: Low parental education linked to 25% higher 8th grade drug use.
16
SAMHSA 2021: Southern US states 19% youth marijuana vs Northeast 15%.
17
CDC 2021: Frequent bully victims 22% current marijuana use.
18
MTF 2022: Hispanic 10th graders 10.2% past-month vaping vs Asian 5.1%.
19
NSDUH 2021: 14-15 year olds peak at 12.3% past-month alcohol.
20
YRBS 2021: Low academic grades A-D/F 25% current alcohol vs A 15%.
21
NIDA: Family history addiction increases teen risk 4x.
22
MTF 2022: Urban 12th graders 16.5% past-month alcohol vs rural 13.2%.
23
SAMHSA 2021: Uninsured youth 10.2% substance use disorder vs insured 4.1%.
24
CDC YRBS 2023: Transgender students 30% current illicit drug use.
25
MTF 2022: Males 12th graders 4.2% past-year opioids vs females 2.8%.
26
NSDUH 2021: Pacific Islander youth highest vaping 18%.
27
YRBS 2021: Homeless students 40% current marijuana use.
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Health Consequences23 stats
01
36% of teen overdose deaths in 2021 involved illicit fentanyl, CDC data.
02
SAMHSA 2021: 1.2 million youth 12-17 had substance use disorder.
03
NIDA: Teens starting marijuana before 18 4-7x addiction risk.
04
CDC 2022: 2,000+ teens died from overdoses, up 20% from prior year.
05
MTF correlates daily teen marijuana with 2x depression risk.
06
YRBS 2021: 20% current drug users attempted suicide vs 6% non-users.
07
NIH: Vaping linked to 30% higher respiratory illness in teens.
08
SAMHSA 2021: Alcohol use disorder in 414,000 adolescents.
09
CDC: Fentanyl overdoses tripled in 12-17 from 2019-2021.
10
NIDA: 9% teen marijuana users develop dependence.
11
YRBS 2021: Drug users 3x more likely poor mental health.
12
MTF 2022: Binge drinkers 15% higher emergency visits teens.
13
NIH: Opioid misuse leads to 25% teen hepatitis C cases.
14
CDC 2021: 14% vapers had asthma attacks.
15
SAMHSA: Illicit drugs contribute to 50% teen ER visits.
16
NIDA: Cocaine use doubles heart attack risk in young.
17
YRBS: Meth users 40% suicide attempts.
18
CDC: Alcohol poisoning 1,000 teen hospitalizations yearly.
19
NIH: Inhalants cause sudden death in 1/5 first-time users teens.
20
MTF: Daily nicotine vaping 2x anxiety disorders teens.
21
SAMHSA 2021: 20% youth SUD have co-occurring mental illness.
22
NIDA: Heroin users 1/4 overdose within 2 years teens.
23
CDC YRBS 2021: Prescription misuse linked 10% teen ER drugs.
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Prevalence Rates30 stats
01
In 2022, 15.4% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, according to the Monitoring the Future survey.
02
Among 10th graders in 2022, 8.6% reported past-month vaping of nicotine, per Monitoring the Future data.
03
5.2% of 8th graders used any illicit drug other than marijuana in the past year in 2022, from Monitoring the Future.
04
Lifetime marijuana use among 12th graders reached 29.6% in 2022, Monitoring the Future survey.
05
Past-year hallucinogen use among high school seniors was 3.6% in 2022, per MTF.
06
In 2021 NSDUH, 5.4 million adolescents aged 12-17 used illicit drugs in the past month.
07
11.3% of youth aged 12-17 reported past-month alcohol use in 2021 NSDUH.
08
Past-year cigarette smoking among 12-17 year olds was 1.6% in 2021 per NSDUH.
09
2021 YRBS found 15% of high school students used marijuana before age 13.
10
10% of high school students reported current marijuana use in 2021 YRBS.
11
NIDA reports 35.9% of 12th graders tried marijuana by 2022.
12
2022 MTF: 1.9% of 12th graders used heroin in lifetime.
13
SAMHSA 2021: 3.1% of 12-17 used prescription pain relievers misuse past year.
14
CDC 2021: 14% high schoolers ever used synthetic marijuana.
15
MTF 2022: Past-month binge drinking 14.8% among 12th graders.
16
NSDUH 2021: 18.8% youth 12-17 past-year marijuana use.
17
YRBS 2021: 29% high school students drank alcohol past month.
18
MTF 2022: 17.3% 10th graders lifetime alcohol use.
19
NIDA: 4.7% 12th graders past-year cocaine use 2022.
20
SAMHSA 2020: 7.5% adolescents past-month any illicit drug.
21
CDC YRBS 2019: 21.7% current electronic vapor product use.
22
MTF 2021: 2.8% 12th graders past-year methamphetamine.
23
NSDUH 2022 prelim: 15% youth marijuana past year.
24
27.5% of 12th graders reported lifetime inhalant use in 2022 MTF.
25
8th graders past-month alcohol use 4.9% in 2022 MTF.
26
YRBS 2023: 15.9% high school current marijuana use.
27
NIDA 2022: 10th graders 9.2% past-month nicotine vaping.
28
SAMHSA 2019: 1.3% youth past-year heroin use.
29
MTF 2022: 12th graders 22.6% past-year alcohol use.
30
CDC 2021: 2.3% high school injected drugs ever.
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Specific Drug Usage25 stats
01
Among 12th graders, 15.2% reported past-year marijuana use daily or near-daily in 2022 MTF.
02
2022 MTF: 3.3% 12th graders past-year OxyContin use.
03
NSDUH 2021: 2.7% adolescents past-year cocaine use.
04
YRBS 2021: 3.9% high school students misused prescription opioids.
05
NIDA: Fentanyl involved in 75% of teen overdose deaths 2021.
06
MTF 2022: 1.1% 12th graders past-month cocaine use.
07
SAMHSA 2021: 0.4% youth 12-17 past-month heroin use.
08
CDC YRBS 2021: 1.7% current cocaine use high school.
09
MTF 2022: 3.7% 12th graders lifetime MDMA/ecstasy use.
10
NSDUH 2021: 1.9% past-year hallucinogens among 12-17.
11
NIDA 2022: 2.4% 12th graders past-year LSD use.
12
MTF 2022: 0.9% 12th graders past-year Vicodin misuse.
13
YRBS 2021: 4.4% ever misused prescription opioids high school.
14
SAMHSA 2021: 4.1% youth past-year inhalant use.
15
CDC 2022: Vaping THC 11.3% high school students.
16
MTF 2022: 4.1% 10th graders past-year amphetamines.
17
NIDA: 1.5% 12th graders past-year tranquilizers 2022.
18
NSDUH 2020: 0.8% adolescents past-month methamphetamine.
19
YRBS 2019: 5.4% high school heroin ever use.
20
MTF 2022: 2.9% 12th graders past-year narcotics other than heroin.
21
SAMHSA 2021: 1.2% past-year sedatives misuse youth.
22
CDC 2021: 2.1% current inhalant use high school.
23
NIDA 2022: 0.7% 8th graders past-year crack cocaine.
24
MTF 2022: 7.2% 12th graders lifetime vaping THC.
25
NSDUH 2021: 2.5% youth past-year nonmedical stimulants.
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
Trends and Changes Over Time25 stats
01
Marijuana past 30 days among 12th graders declined from 23.1% in 2012 to 15.4% in 2022, MTF.
02
Nicotine vaping among 12th graders peaked at 27.5% in 2019, down to 17% in 2022 MTF.
03
Opioid misuse past year 12th graders from 9.5% 2013 to 3.3% OxyContin 2022 MTF.
04
NSDUH teen marijuana past year stable 18-20% 2015-2021.
05
YRBS current marijuana high school from 15.8% 2011 to 15.8% 2021 stable.
06
Alcohol past month 12th graders down 40% since 1991 MTF 2022.
07
Fentanyl teen deaths up 1824% 2010-2021 CDC.
08
Vaping any substance high school 27.8% 2019 to 10% 2023 YRBS.
09
Cigarette smoking 8th graders 0.7% 2022 vs 18% 1996 MTF.
10
NSDUH past month illicit drugs youth down from 10.7% 2002 to 7.9% 2021.
11
Heroin lifetime 12th graders 0.8% 2022 vs 2% 2001 peak MTF.
12
Binge drinking 10th graders 12.1% 2022 vs 22% 1991 MTF.
13
YRBS prescription opioid misuse down 50% 2017-2021.
14
NIDA: Synthetic cannabinoids use dropped 90% since 2012 teens.
15
MTF daily marijuana 12th up from 5.9% 1996 to 15.2% 2022.
16
CDC cocaine use high school stable 1.5-2% 2011-2021.
17
NSDUH vaping nicotine youth up 300% 2015-2019 then decline.
18
Inhalant use 8th graders 4.2% 2022 vs 12% 1995 MTF.
19
YRBS ever injected drugs down from 2.3% 2007 to 1.8% 2021.
20
SAMHSA SUD among 12-17 stable 4-5% 2015-2021.
21
MTF LSD past year 12th 2.4% 2022 vs 8.2% 1996.
22
NIDA ecstasy use teens down 70% since 2001.
23
CDC teen overdose deaths doubled 2019-2022.
24
YRBS alcohol past month high school 29% 2021 vs 45% 2011.
25
MTF amphetamines past year down from 9.2% 2002 to 2.5% 2022 12th.
Interpretation
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.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). Teenage Drug Use Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teenage-drug-use-statistics
MLA
Christopher Morgan. "Teenage Drug Use Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/teenage-drug-use-statistics.
Chicago
Christopher Morgan. 2026. "Teenage Drug Use Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teenage-drug-use-statistics.
Sources & references
5 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level