Drug Use Among Youth: Facts & Statistics

November 11, 2022

Key Findings

61% = How much drug use went up among 8th graders between 2016 and 2020.
62% = Of teenagers in 12th grade have abused alcohol.
50% = Of teenagers have misused a drug at least once.

Substance Abuse Among Youth

Early drug abuse corelates with substance abuse problems later in life, and the most significant increases in destructive behavior appear to take place among older teens and young adults.

  • 2.08 million or 8.33% of 12- to 17-year-olds nationwide report using drugs in the last month.
  • Among them, 83.88% report using marijuana in the last month.
  • 591,000 teenagers aged 12- to 17-years-old used an illicit drug other than marijuana in the last month.
  • 8.7% of 8th graders have used illicit drugs in the last month.
  • 21.3% of 8th graders have tried illicit drugs at least once.
  • By the time they’re in 12th grade, 46.6% of teens have tried illicit drugs.
  • 11.89 million 18- to 25-year-olds used drugs in the last month.
  • 4,777 Americans aged 15 to 24 years old died of an overdose of illicit drugs in one year.
  • 11.2% of overdose deaths are aged 15 to 24 years.

Youth Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol is by far the most commonly abused substance among teens and young adults.

  • 1.19 million 12- to 17-year-olds report binge drinking in the last month.
  • 11.72 million 18- to 25-year-olds report binge drinking in the last month.
  • 7.10 million 12- to 20-year-olds report drinking in the last month.
  • Among them, 60.2% report binge drinking during that period.
  • 25.6% of 8th graders have abused alcohol at least once.
  • 61.5% of teens have abused alcohol by 12th grade.
  • 9.15% of all 12- to 17-year-olds used alcohol in the last month.
  • 2.7% of 12th graders drink daily.
  • 16.8% of 12th graders have 5+ drinks in a row when consuming alcohol.
  • 0.4% of 8th graders drink daily; by 10th grade, 1.0% drink daily.
  • 407,000 teenagers aged 12- to 17-years-old met the criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the last year.

Youth Drug Abuse

Youth drug abuse trends may provide clues about the future public health as well as the efficacy of educational initiatives.

  • 12.78% of all 12- to 17-year-olds report using marijuana in the last year.
  • 0.42% of all 12- to 17-year-olds report using cocaine in the last year.
  • 0.17% report using methamphetamines.
  • 0.02% used heroin.
  • 2.52% report misusing pain relievers.
  • 788,000 teenagers aged 12- to 17-years-old met the criteria for Illicit Drug Use Disorder (IDUD).
  • This age group is nearly twice as likely to suffer from IDUD than they are to meet the criteria for AUD.
  • 7.0% of 12th graders have abused tranquilizers.
  • 7.5% have abused hallucinogens.
  • 5.9% have used LSD.

Marijuana Abuse

Marijuana is one of the most commonly used illicit substances among youth.

  • 6.9% of 12th graders use marijuana daily.
  • 43.7% have tried marijuana in their lifetime.
  • 35.2% consumed marijuana in the last year.
  • 2.4% used synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or Spice, in the last year.
  • 62.8% of 12th graders who used marijuana in the last year consumed marijuana via vaping.
  • 12th graders are 82.1% more likely to use marijuana in their lifetime than they are to smoke a cigarette.

Opioid Abuse

Opioid abuse is considered a national public health emergency.

  • Overdose deaths due to opioids have increased 500% among 15- to 24-year-olds since 1999.
  • In the 21st Century, opioid-related OD deaths among this age group increased by as much as 30.7% annually.
  • High school students who legitimately use prescription opioids are 33% more likely to misuse opioids after high school.
  • 5.3% of 12th graders have abused opioids other than heroin at least once.
  • 0.4% of 12th graders have abused heroin.
  • In the past year, 2.4% of 12th graders abused OxyContin while 1.2% abused Vicodin.

For more information about opioids and overdose deaths, see our reports on Fentanyl Abuse and Drug Overdose Death Rates.

Stimulant Abuse

Youth are more likely to abuse prescription stimulants than they are to abuse cocaine or amphetamines.

  • 5.0% of 12- to 17-year-olds report using cocaine in the last year.
  • 8.9% of 8th graders have tried amphetamines in their lifetime.
  • 1.1% have tried methamphetamine.
  • 8th graders in 2020 are 56.1% more likely than 2017’s 8th graders to have tried amphetamines.
  • 1.6% of 12th graders have used crack cocaine at least once.
  • In the past year, 4.4% of 12th graders have used Adderall while 4.3% have used amphetamine.
  • 1.7% have used Ritalin while 1.4% used methamphetamine.

Youth Drug Abuse by State

Alcohol and marijuana are the substances most commonly used among youth; note that data regarding less popular drugs may be limited.

  • Youth living in western states and New England are the most likely to have abused drugs in the last four weeks.
  • 12- to 17-year-olds in the District of Columbia are the most lkely to use harder drugs and to suffer from IDUD.
  • 12- to 17-year-olds in D.C. are also the most likely to suffer from AUD.
  • Among states, Montana youth are the most likely to suffer from AUD; Vermont youth are the most likely to meet the criteria for IDUD.
  • 18- to 25-year-olds in Vermont are 60.1% more likely to abuse alcohol than the nationwide average for that age group.
  • Youth in Nevada are 175% more likely to meet the criteria for IDUD than they are to suffer from AUD.

Nebraska

8.17% = Teens Who Use Drugs (% of teens who report drug use in the last month)
10.06% = Teens Who Drink (% of teens who report alcohol use in the last year)

Teenagers in Nebraska are 1.89% less likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen.

  • 13,000 or 8.17% of 12- to 17-year-olds report using drugs in the last month.
  • Among them, 84.62% report using marijuana in the last month.
  • 13.83% of all 12- to 17-year-olds report using marijuana in the last year.
  • 0.63% report using cocaine in the last year.
  • Up to 0.31% report using methamphetamines (data is limited).
  • Up to 0.31% used heroin.
  • 3.14% report misusing pain relievers.
  • 10.06% of all 12- to 17-year-olds used alcohol in the last month.
  • They’re 9.93% more likely to use alcohol than the average American in their age group.
  • 73,000 adults aged 18- to 25-years-old used drugs in the last month.
  • 18- to 25-year-olds in Nebraska are 7.42% more likely to use drugs than the average American in the same age group.
  • 2.51% of all 12- to 17-year-olds met the criteria for IDUD in the last year.
  • 1.89% of all 12- to 17-year-olds met the criteria for AUD in the last year.

Go to originally published article: https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/

Teenagers in Nebraska are 1.89% less likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen.

  • 13,000 or 8.17% of 12- to 17-year-olds report using drugs in the last month.
  • Among them, 84.62% report using marijuana in the last month.
  • 13.83% of all 12- to 17-year-olds report using marijuana in the last year.
  • 0.63% report using cocaine in the last year.
  • Up to 0.31% report using methamphetamines (data is limited).
  • Up to 0.31% used heroin.
  • 3.14% report misusing pain relievers.
  • 10.06% of all 12- to 17-year-olds used alcohol in the last month.
  • They’re 9.93% more likely to use alcohol than the average American in their age group.
  • 73,000 adults aged 18- to 25-years-old used drugs in the last month.
  • 18- to 25-year-olds in Nebraska are 7.42% more likely to use drugs than the average American in the same age group.
  • 2.51% of all 12- to 17-year-olds met the criteria for IDUD in the last year.
  • 1.89% of all 12- to 17-year-olds met the criteria for AUD in the last year.

Go to originally published article: https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/