WASHINGTON – The percentage of American teenagers reporting daily marijuana use increased significantly from 2009 to 2010, according to findings from the 2010 Monitoring the Future survey. The results were presented at a press conference Dec. 14.
"We are seeing a decrease in the number of teenagers perceiving marijuana use as harmful," said Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The survey is conducted for NIDA by the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
The percentage of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders reporting daily marijuana use increased from 1.0% to 1.2%, 2.8% to 3.3%, and 5.2% to 6.1%, respectively. In keeping with a gradual increase in use over the past 3 years, an increase was seen in all three grade levels measured in the survey. However, past-year and past-month reported use increased among 8th graders only.
In addition, Ecstasy appears to be gaining popularity after almost a decade of decline, said Lloyd D. Johnston, Ph.D., a research scientist at the University of Michigan and the principal investigator on the Monitoring the Future survey. In 2010, 2.4% of 8th graders and 4.7% of 10th graders reported past-year Ecstasy use, up from 1.3% and 3.7%, respectively, in the 2009 survey.
The decline in cigarette smoking appears to have stalled across all three grade levels, and nonmedical use of many prescription drugs, including OxyContin and Adderall, remained similar to last year’s levels among 12th graders.
On the positive side, past-year reports of alcohol consumption among 12th graders declined, from 43.5% to 41.2%, and binge drinking dropped from 25.2% to 23.2%, Dr. Johnston said. In addition, non-medical use of the prescription painkiller Vicodin decreased among 12th graders, he noted.
The changes in drug, cigarette, and alcohol use reflect changes in teens’ perceptions of the risks associated with these products, Dr. Volkow said. The 2010 results show a decline in the numbers of 8th graders who disapproved of marijuana use, and declines in the numbers of 10th and 12th graders who said they perceived a "great risk" of harm associated with smoking marijuana regularly. The mixed messages about the legalization of marijuana and its use as medicine might be contributing to the trend, Dr. Volkow noted.
It is important for doctors who treat teenagers to identify psychiatric problems, such as depression or anxiety, which could lead to the abuse of drugs if left untreated, Dr. Volkow said. In addition, physicians are in a unique position to help parents and teenagers understand the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and cigarette use, because they are neutral third parties, Dr. Johnston said. "I suspect that their advice would carry weight [with teens]," he said.
Monitoring the Future is an ongoing study of the opinions and beliefs of American adolescents. The 2010 survey included approximately 46,000 students in grades 8, 10, and 12. Monitoring the Future is funded by the National Institutes of Health. More detailed study results are available online.