Monitoring the Future is a yearly survey administered to 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students by researchers at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
The study is funded through a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
Since 1975, the survey has tracked 12th graders’ self-reported drug and alcohol use, along with their attitudes toward substance use.
In 1991, the study was expanded to include 8th and 10th graders.
A total of 44,482 students from 392 public and private schools took part in the 2018 survey.
Figure 1: Record-High Teen Vaping Device Usage
Nearly 40% of 12th-grade students report vaping in the past year, raising concerns about its effects on brain health and the risk of addiction.
In 2018, the percentage of students who vaped in the past year for each grade was:
- 8th grade: 17.6%
- 10th grade: 32.3%
- 12th grade: 37.3%
The survey also inquired about what students believed they were vaping.
Here are their responses:
Nicotine:
- 8th grade: 10.9%
- 10th grade: 24.7%
- 12th grade: 29.7%
Marijuana or hash oil:
- 8th grade: 4.4%
- 10th grade: 12.4%
- 12th grade: 13.1%
Just flavoring:
- 8th grade: 15.1%
- 10th grade: 24.7%
- 12th grade: 25.7%
Figure 3: Daily Marijuana Consumption Remains Largely Unchanged
From 2008 to 2018, daily marijuana use remained largely consistent among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders.
In 2018, the percentage of students using marijuana daily in each grade was:
- 8th grade: 0.7%
- 10th grade: 3.4%
- 12th grade: 5.8%
Over the past five years, daily marijuana use has remained stable among 10th and 12th graders but has declined among 8th graders.
Figure 4: Teenagers Are More Likely to Use Marijuana Than Cigarettes
Since 1993, monthly cigarette use among 12th graders has dropped significantly, while monthly marijuana use has risen.
At its highest point in 1997, 36.5% of 12th graders reported smoking cigarettes monthly, but this rate had fallen to 7.6% by 2018.
In contrast, the percentage of 12th graders using marijuana monthly increased from 15.5% in 1993 to 22.2% in 2018.
The number of teens vaping nicotine or marijuana has gone up in all grade levels.
Nicotine and marijuana vaping increased across all grade levels in the past month, while past-month marijuana use remained steady and cigarette use continued to decline.
In 2017 and 2018, the percentage of students in each grade who used nicotine or marijuana through vaping on a monthly basis was:
2017 Vaping Nicotine
- 8th grade: 3.5%
- 10th grade: 8.2%
- 12th grade: 11.0%
2018 Vaping Nicotine
- 8th grade: 6.1%
- 10th grade: 16.1%
- 12th grade: 20.9%
2017 Vaping Marijuana
- 8th grade: 1.6%
- 10th grade: 4.3%
- 12th grade: 4.9%
2018 Vaping Marijuana
- 8th grade: 2.6%
- 10th grade: 7.0%
- 12th grade: 7.5%
Figure 5: Declining Trend in Binge Drinking Rates Persists
Binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks in a row within the past two weeks) has significantly decreased over the past five years among all grade levels.
The highest years for binge drinking in each grade were:
- 8th grade: 1996 (13.3%)
- 10th grade: 2000 (24.1%)
- 12th grade 1998 (31.5%)
In 2018, the binge drinking rates for each grade were as follows:
- 8th grade: 3.7%
- 10th grade: 8.7%
- 12th graders: 13.8%
Figure 6: Past-year Misuse of Prescription/Over-the-Counter vs. Illicit Drugs
The misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs among 12th graders in the past year of 2018 was:
- Sedatives/Tranquilizers: 5.0%
- Adderall®: 4.6%
- Opioids: 3.4%
- Cough/cold medicine: 3.4%
- Ritalin®: 0.9%
The percentage of 12th graders who used illicit drugs in the past year in 2018 was:
- Marijuana/hashish: 35.9%
- Synthetic cannabinoids: 3.5%
- LSD: 3.2%
- Cocaine: 2.3%
- MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly): 2.2%
- Inhalants: 1.6%
- Heroin: 0.4%
The past-year misuse of Vicodin® and OxyContin® among 12th graders has significantly declined over the last 15 years. In 2003, 10.5 percent of 12th graders misused Vicodin®, but this dropped to 1.7 percent by 2018. Similarly, OxyContin® misuse decreased from 4.5 percent in 2003 to 2.3 percent in 2018.