US Teens Are Abstaining Substance Abuse, Finds Survey

As per the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, in 2023, half of the people (50%) of age 12 and older, which makes it 138.543 million people, have used illicit drug at least once. Drug overdose deaths in the US since 2000 have neared 1 million, standing the number currently at 700K, and the federal budget for drug control in 2020 was $35 billion. The annual Monitoring the Future survey, a federally funded study conducted by the University of Michigan since 1975, has revealed significant findings about teen substance use in its latest release. It may be a hint towards hope this time. Based on responses from approximately 24,000 students in grades 8, 10, and 12 across the United States, the 2024 survey highlights that teen drug use has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The study shows a trend of abstaining drug abuse among the youth, as per the data 67% of 12th-graders reported not using alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, or e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. This marks the highest abstinence rate recorded since the survey began tracking such behaviors in 2017. Similarly, 80% of 10th-graders and 90% of 8th-graders reported abstaining from these substances, with the latter maintaining the same rate as last year’s findings.

As per the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol interferes with the brain's communication pathways and these disruptions can change mood behavior, and impair your cognitive skills. It can also cause heart diseases like cardiomyopathy - stretching and drooping of heart muscle, arrhythmias- irregular heart beat, a stroke or high blood pressure. Furthermore, heavy drinking can take a toll on your liver, can lead to fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis. It can damage your pancreas, cause cancer, and also weaken your immune systems.

Where there's smoke, there's harm. Smoking any product, including marijuana can damage your lungs, increase your risk of bronchitis, and scar small blood vessels. Smoking marijuana can also lead to dizziness, mood changes, impaired memory, disorientation, problem-solving issues, sleepiness, coordination issues, altered senses, dry mouth, nausea, an increased heart rate, and an increase in appetite.

While there is an overall decline in teen substance use, the survey also revealed an increase in the use of nicotine pouches. It increased by 6% within the past year among 12th-graders, whereas it has doubled from 3%.

The sustained decline in teen substance use is partly attributed to behavioral changes during the early COVID-19 pandemic. With schools closed, gatherings restricted, and increased parental supervision, opportunities for substance experimentation—often influenced by peer pressure—were significantly reduced. This period disrupted typical patterns of initiation, particularly among 9th-graders, who often start experimenting due to older peers. Experts suggest that this break in the cycle has had lasting effects, as these cohorts have not influenced younger students to adopt such behaviors.

Pandemic has indeed taken a toll on teens and their mental health. They have missed out a phase of their lives, whether it is college, or high school, which results in missing out in socialising at a certain age due to forced isolation. Reports of depression and anxiety among adolescents increased during this period, conditions often linked to substance use. However, some teens with anxiety may be less likely to experiment with drugs, fearing their effects. Additionally, social inhibition, common in anxious teens, could reduce opportunities for substance use. This complex relationship underscores the multifaceted nature of substance use behaviors among youth.