A national survey released Wednesday shows teen use of alcohol, nicotine and marijuana at record lows, but energy drink consumption remains high and there are small rises in heroin and cocaine use.
Teen Substance Use Declines
- Two-thirds of 12th graders said they hadn’t used alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes or electronic cigarettes in the previous 30 days.
- 82 % of 10th graders and 91 % of 8th graders reported no recent use of those substances.
These percentages are the lowest ever recorded for their grades.
Energy Drinks Still Popular
Daily energy-drink consumption was reported by:
- 23 % of 12th graders
- 20 % of 10th graders
- 18 % of 8th graders
Rising Illicit Drug Use
The survey found modest increases in heroin and cocaine use:
- 12th graders: heroin 0.9 % (up from 0.2 %) and cocaine 1.4 % (steady from previous year)
- 10th graders: heroin 0.5 % (up from 0.1 %) and cocaine unchanged
- 8th graders: heroin 0.5 % (up from 0.2 %) and cocaine 0.6 % (up from 0.2 %)
Richard Miech, survey team lead at the University of Michigan, said, “Teen heroin and cocaine use are ‘leagues below what they were decades ago,’ but the increases warrant close monitoring.”
Context and Commentary
Laura Lindberg, a Rutgers University professor, noted that “Online connections don’t create the same opportunities for experimenting with sex, alcohol or marijuana as unsupervised time face-to-face.”
Douglas Smith, a University of Illinois researcher, added, “Now teenagers can be in constant communication with their friends and can live a life with their friends in virtual space – without using substances.”
Lindberg also emailed that “Adolescents’ lives are complicated, and these changes don’t have a single explanation.”
The Monitoring the Future survey, run by the University of Michigan, sampled about 24,000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12 from February to June 2025. It found no increases in alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes or nicotine vapes, and nicotine-pouch use held steady.
The overall decline may be linked to efforts to curb youth vaping, taxes on some substances, and lower rates of teen driving.
Key Takeaways
- Teen use of alcohol, nicotine and marijuana is at record lows.
- Energy-drink consumption remains high across all grades.
- Heroin and cocaine use have modestly risen, warranting monitoring.
These findings suggest that while teen substance use overall is decreasing, certain drug categories require continued attention.
