Teens and drugs

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

The 2014 nationwide Monitoring the Future survey on teen drug use indicates cigarette and alcohol use, and prescription opioid pain reliever abuse, has been falling, while marijuana use was stable.

Some examples: Nine percent of eighth graders, 23 percent of 10 ^th graders and 37 percent of 12 ^th graders had used alcohol. About 7 percent of eighth graders, 17 percent of 10 ^th graders and 21 percent of 12 ^th graders smoked marijuana.

The survey is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Nora Volkow is director of the institute:

"What is important to recognize is that we cannot be complacent – and also identify that these indicators going in the right direction reflect the fact that prevention works.”

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.