Photo: Cottonbro Studio/Pexels
Teen drug use continued to fall in 2024, extending a dramatic decline spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Data shows the number of eighth, 10th, and 12th graders who collectively abstained from using alcohol, marijuana, or nicotine hit a new high this year. Use of illicit drugs also fell on the whole and use of Vicodin, OxyContin, and Percocet hit an all-time low. "Many experts … had anticipated that drug use would resurge as the pandemic receded and social distancing restrictions were lifted," said Richard Miech, team lead of the Monitoring the Future survey at the University of Michigan. "As it turns out, the declines have not only lasted but have dropped further." For 50 years, the study has surveyed a nationally representative group of teens each year on their involvement with drugs. This year, it collected data from over 24,000 students at more than 270 public and private schools.
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