, with the exception of marijuana, according to results of the 2016 Monitoring the Future survey released on Dec. 13 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Overall, 14% of 12th graders reported using an illicit drug (other than marijuana), compared with 18% in 2013 (the highest rate in the history of the survey).
Dr. Nora D. Volkow
The Monitoring the Future survey is a national analysis of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders about drug use and attitudes. The 2016 survey included 45,473 students in 372 schools nationwide. The survey has been conducted since 1975.
The 2016 results showed the lowest levels of use of heroin, methamphetamines, inhalants, and ecstasy across all age groups since the inception of the survey, Dr. Volkow said. The next step is “to try to understand what is driving the decreases so we can strengthen them and sustain them,” she said.
Marijuana use remains high among 12th graders (6%), making it a continuing area of concern, and the notion that marijuana is harmless is becoming more common, she added.
Past-year marijuana use among 8th graders dropped significantly from 12% in 2015 to 9% in 2016. However, past-year marijuana use was stable from last year for 10th and 12th graders, at 24% and 36%, respectively. Daily marijuana use for 10th and 12th graders also remained stable, at 3% and 6%, respectively.
Use of synthetic cannabinoids dropped significantly from last year among 12th graders, according to the survey; from 5% in 2015 to 4% in 2016, and a significant drop from a peak of 11% in 2011. Use of synthetic marijuana declined among 10th graders as well.
Nonmedical use of opioid pain relievers such as Vicodin continued to drop (from 10% to 3% among 12th graders over the past 10 years) and the rate of Vicodin misuse is now lower than that of Oxycontin. Nonmedical use of Adderall remained stable at approximately 6% among 12th graders but misuse of other ADHD medications and tranquilizers declined.
“We all have a role to play in the community” to continue to reduce availability and access of illicit substances for teenagers, said National Drug Control Policy Director Michael Botticelli.
Healthcare providers in particular can drive down the overprescribing of pain medication that can contribute to opioid abuse through excess medicine and the diversion of unused medicine, he said. According to the survey results, most teens say they get their prescription opioids from friends and family.
All physicians should have some education about appropriate opioid prescribing, and should themselves educate patients and families about removing unused medicine from the home, Mr. Botticelli emphasized. In addition, healthcare providers continue to play an important role in identifying teens at increased risk for substance abuse, such as those with diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health issues, to help prevent problems before they start, Dr. Volkow noted.
Factors driving the downward trend in illicit drug use likely include the declines in alcohol and tobacco use, said Lloyd D. Johnston, PhD, principal investigator at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who was involved in the creation of the Monitoring the Future survey in 1975.
Alcohol and tobacco use “are at the lowest levels we have ever recorded,” he said. “What we are seeing is a real decline” that is contributing to fewer teens moving on to other substances; “there’s a connection,” he noted.
Approximately 56% of 12th graders reported past-year alcohol use, compared with a peak of 75% in 1997. Past-year alcohol use was 38% in 10th graders and 18% of 8th graders, also down from past peaks of 65% and 47%, respectively.
Binge drinking continued to decrease among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders, and 37%, 21%, and 6% of 12th, 10th, and 8th graders respectively reported having been drunk, all significant declines.
Smoking both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes declined across all three age groups, continuing a long-term decrease from peak use 2 decades ago, according to the report. Past-month rates were 12% for e-cigarettes and 11% for regular cigarettes. Approximately 60% of those surveyed said they use e-cigarettes for flavor rather than nicotine, Dr. Volkow noted in a video interview discussing the findings.
Find more details about the 2016 Monitoring the Future survey at the NIDA website, drugabuse.gov.