According to a recent report, the use of tobacco, e-cigarettes, alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescents in the United States is significantly declining. However, data points to an increase in the consumption of nicotine sachets. The authors of the report underline the need for increased vigilance with regard to these new consumptions.
The Monitoring the Future (MTF) report is a national survey, conducted annually, aimed at tracking substance use trends among adolescents and young adults in the United States. The study was carried out among a nationally representative sample of 24,000 adolescents, enrolled in fourth, second and final year of education.[1].
An overall decreasing trend, despite the COVID period
In 2024, the proportion of adolescents who have not consumed tobacco and nicotine products, alcohol, cannabis or other psychoactive substances during the thirty days preceding the survey has reached a historic level. Thus, 90% of fourth grade students indicated that they had not consumed any of these products over the last month, a decline of three points compared to 2017. Among second grade students, 80% now reported n have consumed any of these above-mentioned products, compared to 69% in 2017. Finally, final year students recorded the largest decrease in consumption: in 2017, 47% of them mentioned having consumed at least one of these products in the last thirty days. Since then, this proportion has fallen by 14 points, to stand at 33% in 2024. The report argues that these trends highlight a lasting decline in the consumption of psychoactive substances, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which is was reflected in a precarious mental health of the youngest, without resulting in an increase in prevalence.
Tobacco and electronic cigarette consumption declining among adolescents
Although the report does not give precise data on this point, the authors indicate that the proportion of adolescents who have not consumed cigarettes during the thirty days preceding the survey is decreasing for 2024, all classes combined, although that the decline is more significant among fourth and second grade students. The report also points out that the smoking prevalence among adolescents has never been as low as it is today.
According to the report, the prevalence of cigarillo consumption fell sharply among final year students, going from 7.8% to 3.1% between 2020 and 2024. A similar trend is observed for hookah consumption, going from 5.6% to 2% in the same time interval. The consumption of these two products has not been evaluated for fourth and second grade students.
Furthermore, while the nicotine industry believes that the development of electronic cigarettes is the main element explaining the decline in tobacco consumption, the report shows that the consumption of these products is also in sharp decline. Thus, the prevalence of electronic cigarette consumption among fourth grade students fell from 16.6% to 9.6% between 2020 and 2024, that of second grade students fell by half, from 30.7% to 15 .4%, and that of final year students went from 34.5% to 21%. Conversely, nicotine sachets seem to be gaining popularity among adolescents, since 6% of final year students reported having used them in the last twelve months, compared to 3% in 2023.
Alcohol and drugs in sharp decline in just four years
The report also observes an overall decline in alcohol consumption among adolescents. Indeed, 12.9% of fourth grade students reported having consumed it in the last twelve months, compared to 20.5% in 2020. The proportion of these adolescents indicating having experienced an episode of intoxication in the past year increased. halved during this same period, from 7.5% to 3.6%. For second-year students, the alcohol prevalence increased from 40.7% to 26.1% between 2020 and 2024, while 11.1% of them reported an episode of intoxication in the past year (compared to 23.1% in 2020). The same trend is finally observed among final year students, of whom 41.7% indicate having consumed alcohol during the year (compared to 55.3% in 2020) and 25.5% report an episode of intoxication (compared to 36.9%).
-Finally, the report notes a significant decline in the use of illicit drugs by adolescents. Thus, 9% of fourth-year adolescents reported having used at least one illegal drug during the year, compared to 15.6% in 2020. For second-year students, this proportion increased from 30.4% to 16, 9% between 2020 and 2024. For final year students, the prevalence decreased by twelve points, from 38.6% to 26.2%.
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[1] Monitoring the Future, National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975–2024: Overview and key findings for secondary school students, 2024, (consulté le 06/01/2025)
National Committee Against Smoking |
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