Drug use past-year prevalence among students by drug U.S. 2021

In 2021, around 20 percent of all respondents in grades 8, 10, and 12 stated they had used any illicit drug within the past year. This survey shows the past-year prevalence of illicit drug use for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined as of 2021, by drug.

Percentage of U.S. students in grades 8, 10, and 12 who had used select illicit drugs in the past year as of 2021

Characteristic	Percentage of respondents
Any Illicit Drug	19.9%
Marijuana/Hashish (total)	17.9%
Synthetic marijuana	1.6%
Inhalants	2.9%
Hallucinogens (total)	2.4%
LSD	1.5%
Hallucinogens other than LSD	1.7%
Ecstasy (MDMA)	0.8%
Salvia	0.5%
Cocaine (total)	0.7%
Crack	0.4%
Heroin (total)	0.2%
Heroin (with a needle)	0.1%
Heroin (without a needle)	0.1%
OxyContin	0.9%
Vicodin	0.6%
Amphetamines (total)	2.7%
Ritalin	0.5%
Adderall	1.7%
Methamphetamine	0.2%
Tranquilizers	1.2%
OTC Cough/Cold Medicines	2.7%
Rohypnol	0.2%
Alcohol	36.3%

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Release date

January 2022

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

2021

Special properties

8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students

Supplementary notes

Monitoring the Future is an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults. Each year, a total of approximately 50,000 8th, 10th and 12th grade students are surveyed (12th graders since 1975, and 8th and 10th graders since 1991).

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