WASHINGTON—A new national study of teen-agers’ substance abuse and their attitudes toward drugs and drug use highlights some troubling trends that raise serious concerns, Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy, announced today.

The study, conducted by the University of Michigan for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is widely considered an important indicator of youth drug use, providing valuable insights into teen beliefs and attitudes about drugs and drug use.  Since 1975, the MTF study has provided one of the best continuous measures of the nation’s successes and challenges in addressing youth drug abuse.

Because of the study’s unbroken trajectory, it is possible to note when new drugs start to become a serious problem for youth, as the past few years have shown for the misuse of prescription medications.  As MTF shows prevalence numbers rising or falling over time, policymakers have an opportunity, based on these results, to assess how well drug policy interventions are working.

Youth use rates of some substances have declined. Among the positive trends:

• Both past-year and past 30-day use rates of hallucinogens among 12th graders declined.
• Use of cocaine among 12th graders also was down for both the past year and the past 30 days.
• Lifetime methamphetamine use among 8th graders dropped.
• The perceived availability of several types of drugs (including cocaine, sedatives, heroin, and crystal meth) declined among 8th and 10th graders.

Among the areas of concern in the study:

• Seven of the 10 drugs most abused by high school seniors are prescription drug or over-the-counter drugs acquired primarily from teens’ friends or relatives.
• The rate of use of inhalants in the last 30 days among 10th graders increased.
• Attitudes toward marijuana use are moving in the wrong direction.  Among 8th and 10th graders, the perception of “great risk” associated with marijuana use declined; perceived harmfulness of marijuana deteriorated among 8th graders; and peer disapproval of marijuana use has also declined.
• For some important drugs like marijuana, MTF shows that drug use has been essentially flat for roughly three years after declining in previous years.
• Although use of alcohol among teens has declined, it remains the most commonly abused substance. Attitudes toward alcohol have also changed: fewer 10th graders viewed weekend binge drinking as harmful, and fewer high school seniors disapproved of having one or two drinks daily.

Source: whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

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