The 2025 Monitoring the Future results show that, for the fifth straight year, adolescent use of most substances remains near the low-water mark reached in 2021. Investigators attribute the large decline between 2020 and 2021 largely to pandemic-related disruptions in drug availability and to changes in teens' social lives. Richard Miech, team lead of the study, notes that use "has not rebounded" after that decline, and NIH official Nora Volkow called it encouraging that so many teens choose not to use drugs.
The annual survey from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research collected 23,726 questionnaires from students in 270 public and private schools between February and June 2025. Students self-reported use over the past 30 days, the past 12 months and lifetime, and they reported perceptions of harm, disapproval and availability. The data were weighted to produce national estimates, and the full 2025 results are available online from the university.
The study reports specific figures: abstaining from marijuana, alcohol and nicotine in the past 30 days was 91% of eighth graders, 82% of tenth graders and 66% of twelfth graders. Past-12-month alcohol use was 11% (eighth), 24% (tenth) and 41% (twelfth); cannabis was 8%, 16% and 26%, with hemp-based products at 2%, 6% and 9% respectively. Nicotine vaping in the past year was 9%, 14% and 20%, and nicotine pouch use was 1%, 3% and 7%.
- Daily energy drink use (past 30 days): 18% of eighth graders, 20% of tenth graders (up from 17% in 2024), 23% of twelfth graders.
- Heroin in the past 12 months rose to 0.5% of eighth graders (0.2% in 2024), 0.5% of tenth graders (0.1% in 2024), and 0.9% of twelfth graders (0.2% in 2024).
- Cocaine in the past 12 months was stable for tenth graders at 0.7%, but increased for eighth graders to 0.6% (0.2% in 2024) and for twelfth graders to 1.4% (0.9% in 2024).
Researchers say the small but significant increases in heroin and cocaine use deserve close monitoring, even though current levels remain far below those of decades ago. Continued surveillance can help target interventions and support healthy choices among adolescents.
Difficult words
- investigator — person who conducts formal research or a studyInvestigators
- attribute — say that one thing is caused by another
- self-report — give information about your own behaviour or experienceself-reported
- weight — adjust numbers so they represent a larger populationweighted
- abstain — choose not to take part or use somethingabstaining
- surveillance — continuous observation to monitor behaviour or trends
- availability — how easy something is to get or obtain
- intervention — action or program intended to improve a situationinterventions
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Which factors mentioned in the article could explain why many teens choose not to use drugs?
- How could continued surveillance help target interventions and support healthy choices among adolescents?
- Even though current heroin and cocaine levels are low, what concerns do the reported increases raise for communities and schools?
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