It looks like drinking, smoking and getting high aren’t considered as cool as they used to be among teenagers these days. Every year since 2017, researchers with the Monitoring the Future project have tracked the number of eighth, 10th and 12th graders abstaining from alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use.
It found 2024 saw the lowest use of these substances since tracking began.
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This year, 67% of 12th graders said they hadn’t used any of these substances in the last 30 days, a sizable jump from 53% in 2017. The percentage of 10th graders abstaining rose from 69% in 2017 to 80% this year. Meanwhile, among 8th graders, the news was even better — going from 87% to 90%.
However, researchers did see a concerning rise in the use of nicotine pouches with about 6% of 12th graders saying they have used them. That’s double last year’s findings when 3% said they did.
The study’s authors say that since substance use among teens dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not rebounded.
