Adolescent drug use in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts

Drug use in the United States remains a significant problem across all genders, race/ethnicities, and ages. However, adolescent drug use is particularly damaging as such use can affect the physical and mental development of younger people and can impact their opportunities later in life. In 1991, approximately 30.4 percent of those in school grades 8, 10, and 12 had used illicit drugs at some point in their lives. This number reached a high of 43.3 percent in 1997, but had dropped down to around 28 percent by the year 2022. Marijuana and alcohol are the most used illicit drugs among adolescents in the United States, with around 70 percent of 12th graders perceiving marijuana as fairly easy to obtain, compared to around 18 percent of those perceiving the same for cocaine. It is estimated that around 2.5 percent of high school students in the United States had used cocaine at least once as of 2021.

Marijuana and alcohol use

Thirty-day prevalence rates of marijuana use for school grades 8, 10, and 12 was around 12 percent in 2022, the second lowest rate seen in the past two decades. High school student marijuana use was slightly higher among females than males in 2021. Rates of alcohol use among teens have similarly declined since the early 1990's. In 2021, around 16 percent of females and 14 percent of males aged 12 to 20 years had drank alcohol in the past month.

What are study drugs?

Study drugs, or smart drugs, are prescription stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall that are generally used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but can be used recreationally to increase concentration and boost energy. However, around 40 percent of students in grade 12 thought trying Adderall occasionally posed a great risk for harm, and annual prevalence rates of Adderall use among those in grades 8, 10, and 12 have generally decreased in recent years. Similarly, overall rates of Ritalin use have also generally decreased since 2001. In 2022, around three percent of U.S. students in grades 8, 10, and 12 stated they had used Adderall in the past year, while less than one percent said they had used Ritalin.

Drug overdose deaths among young people

Despite decreases in general drug use among adolescents, the death rate due to drug overdose among those aged 15 to 24 years has increased. In 2021, there were 7,426 overdose deaths recorded among those aged 15 to 24 years, compared to 4,777 in 2019. Heroin, prescription opioids, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl are the drugs most commonly involved in overdose deaths and are the main drivers of this increase in deaths. However, those aged 0 to 24 years account for the smallest share of overall deaths due to opioid overdose in the United States, with only nine percent of opioid overdose deaths in 2020 occurring among this age group.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Lifetime prevalence of any illicit drug use for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined: 28%

Percentage of students in grades 8, 10, and 12 who had used any illicit drug in the past year: 21.7%

Percentage of students in grades 8, 10, and 12 who had used LSD in their lifetime: 2.4%

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Annual prevalence of use of Ritalin for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 2001 to 2022

State of Health

Annual prevalence of Ritalin use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2001-2022

Juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse in the United States in 2019, sorted by state

Drug Crime

U.S. juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse 2019, by state

Lifetime prevalence of use of steroids for grades 8, 10, and 12 from 2006 to 2022

State of Health

Lifetime prevalence of steroid use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2006-2022

Availability

Basic Statistic Availability of marijuana as perceived by U.S. 12th graders 1975-2022
Availability of marijuana as perceived by U.S. 12th graders 1975-2022
Availability of marijuana as perceived by 12th graders in the U.S. from 1975 to 2022*
Premium Statistic Availability of cocaine as perceived by U.S. 12th graders 1975-2022
Availability of cocaine as perceived by U.S. 12th graders 1975-2022
Availability of cocaine as perceived by U.S. 12th graders from 1975 to 2022*
Basic Statistic Availability of LSD as perceived by U.S. 12th graders 1975-2022
Availability of LSD as perceived by U.S. 12th graders 1975-2022
Availability of LSD as perceived by U.S. 12th graders from 1975 to 2022*
Basic Statistic U.S. 12th graders that believed steroids were easy to obtain 1991-2022
U.S. 12th graders that believed steroids were easy to obtain 1991-2022
Percentage of U.S. students in grade 12 that perceived steroids as being easy to get from 1991 to 2022

Use

Basic Statistic Lifetime prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of use of any illicit drug for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Premium Statistic Annual prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of use of any illicit drug for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Basic Statistic Lifetime prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2022, by drug
Lifetime prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2022, by drug
Percentage of U.S. students in grades 8, 10, and 12 who had used select illicit drugs in their lifetime as of 2022
Basic Statistic U.S. past-year prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 as of 2022, by drug
U.S. past-year prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 as of 2022, 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 2022
Premium Statistic U.S. past-month prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in 2022, by drug
U.S. past-month prevalence of drug use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in 2022, by drug
Percentage of U.S. students in grades 8, 10, and 12 who had used select illicit drugs in the past 30 days as of 2022
Basic Statistic Substance use among youths in the U.S. by major depressive episode 2022
Substance use among youths in the U.S. by major depressive episode 2022
Substance use among youths in the United States as of 2022, by major depressive episode*

Marijuana

Premium Statistic 30-day prevalence of marijuana use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
30-day prevalence of marijuana use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
30-day prevalence of use of marijuana/hashish for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Basic Statistic Annual prevalence of hashish use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of hashish use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of use of marijuana/hashish for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Premium Statistic Lifetime prevalence of hashish use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of hashish use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of use of marijuana/hashish for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Basic Statistic U.S. high school students marijuana usage 2021, by sex
U.S. high school students marijuana usage 2021, by sex
Share of high school students who have used marijuana in the United States in 2021, by sex

Alcohol

Premium Statistic 30-day prevalence of alcohol use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
30-day prevalence of alcohol use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
30-day prevalence of use of alcohol for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Premium Statistic Annual prevalence of alcohol use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of alcohol use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of use of alcohol for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Premium Statistic Lifetime prevalence of alcohol use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of alcohol use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of use of alcohol for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Basic Statistic Past-month alcohol use in U.S. residents aged 12-20 years in 2022, by gender
Past-month alcohol use in U.S. residents aged 12-20 years in 2022, by gender
Current, binge, and heavy alcohol use in the past month in the U.S. among persons aged 12-20 years in 2022, by gender
Basic Statistic Young vehicle drivers under influence of alcohol in U.S. by age 2022
Young vehicle drivers under influence of alcohol in U.S. by age 2022
Percentage of young vehicle drivers under the influence of alcohol in the United States in 2022, by age*

Cocaine

Basic Statistic Lifetime prevalence of cocaine use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of cocaine use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of use of cocaine for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Premium Statistic Annual prevalence of cocaine use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of cocaine use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of use of cocaine for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Basic Statistic U.S. high school student cocaine use 2021, by race and ethnicity
U.S. high school student cocaine use 2021, by race and ethnicity
Share of high school students who have used cocaine at least once in the United States as of 2021, by race and ethnicity

Performance enhancing/study drugs

Basic Statistic U.S. 12th graders that believed steroids cause great harm 1991-2022
U.S. 12th graders that believed steroids cause great harm 1991-2022
Percentage of U.S. students in grade 12 that perceived steroids as being a great risk for harm from 1991 to 2022
Basic Statistic U.S. 12th graders that disapproved of steroid use between 1990-2022
U.S. 12th graders that disapproved of steroid use between 1990-2022
Percentage of U.S. students in grade 12 that disapproved of steroid use from 1990 to 2022
Basic Statistic Annual prevalence of steroid use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of steroid use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Annual prevalence of use of steroids for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Premium Statistic Lifetime prevalence of steroid use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2006-2022
Lifetime prevalence of steroid use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2006-2022
Lifetime prevalence of use of steroids for grades 8, 10, and 12 from 2006 to 2022
Basic Statistic U.S. 12th graders that believed trying Adderall causes great harm 2010-2022
U.S. 12th graders that believed trying Adderall causes great harm 2010-2022
Percentage of U.S. students in grade 12 that perceived trying Adderall as being a great risk for harm from 2010 to 2022
Premium Statistic Annual prevalence of Adderall use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2009-2022
Annual prevalence of Adderall use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2009-2022
Annual prevalence of use of Adderall for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 2009 to 2022
Basic Statistic Annual prevalence of Adderall use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2009-2022
Annual prevalence of Adderall use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2009-2022
Annual prevalence of use of Adderall for grades 8, 10, and 12 from 2009 to 2022
Premium Statistic Annual prevalence of Ritalin use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2001-2022
Annual prevalence of Ritalin use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 2001-2022
Annual prevalence of use of Ritalin for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 2001 to 2022

Deaths and treatment

Basic Statistic U.S. drug overdose deaths among those aged 15 to 24 years from 1999 to 2021
U.S. drug overdose deaths among those aged 15 to 24 years from 1999 to 2021
Number of drug overdose deaths among those aged 15 to 24 years in the U.S. from 1999 to 2021
Premium Statistic U.S. drug overdose death rate among those aged 15 to 24 years from 1999 to 2022
U.S. drug overdose death rate among those aged 15 to 24 years from 1999 to 2022
Death rate due to drug overdose among those aged 15 to 24 years in the U.S. from 1999 to 2022 (per 100,000 population)
Basic Statistic Number of substance abuse treatment non-adult clients in the U.S. 2007-2020
Number of substance abuse treatment non-adult clients in the U.S. 2007-2020
Number of U.S. substance abuse treatment clients under 18 years of age from 2007 to 2020
Basic Statistic Share of substance abuse treatment facilities in the U.S. with special programs 2020
Share of substance abuse treatment facilities in the U.S. with special programs 2020
Percentage of substance abuse treatment facilities in the U.S. with select specifically tailored programs as of 2020

Miscellaneous

Premium Statistic U.S. juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse 2019, by state
U.S. juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse 2019, by state
Juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse in the United States in 2019, sorted by state
Basic Statistic 30-day prevalence of cigarette use for grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
30-day prevalence of cigarette use for grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
30-day prevalence of cigarettes use for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022
Basic Statistic Lifetime prevalence of cigarette use for grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of cigarette use for grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Lifetime prevalence of cigarette use for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined from 1991 to 2022

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Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Adolescent drug use in the U.S." and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

Percentage of 12th graders who perceived cocaine as fairly easy to obtain
18.4%
Detailed statistics
Availability of cocaine as perceived by U.S. 12th graders 1975-2022
Percentage of 12th graders who perceived LSD as fairly easy to obtain
24.7%
Detailed statistics
Availability of LSD as perceived by U.S. 12th graders 1975-2022
Percentage of 12th graders who perceived steroids as fairly easy to obtain
16.4%
Detailed statistics
U.S. 12th graders that believed steroids were easy to obtain 1991-2022

Lifetime prevalence of marijuana/hashish use for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined
24%
Detailed statistics
Lifetime prevalence of hashish use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
30-day prevalence of marijuana/hashish use for grades 8, 10, and 12 combined
12%
Detailed statistics
30-day prevalence of marijuana use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Percentage of female high school students who had ever used marijuana
30.9%
Detailed statistics
U.S. high school students marijuana usage 2021, by sex

Percentage of students in grades 8, 10, and 12 who had drank alcohol in the last 30 days
15.6%
Detailed statistics
30-day prevalence of alcohol use within grades 8, 10, and 12 in the U.S. 1991-2022
Percentage of male youths aged 12 to 20 years who binge drank in the last 30 days
7.5%
Detailed statistics
Past-month alcohol use in U.S. residents aged 12-20 years in 2022, by gender
Percentage of those aged 16 to 20 years who drove while drunk in the preceding year
2.6%
Detailed statistics
Young vehicle drivers under influence of alcohol in U.S. by age 2022

Death rate due to drug overdose among those aged 15 to 24 years (per 100,000 population)
15.1
Detailed statistics
U.S. drug overdose death rate among those aged 15 to 24 years from 1999 to 2022
Percentage of substance abuse treatment facilities with specifically tailored programs for adolescents
24%
Detailed statistics
Share of substance abuse treatment facilities in the U.S. with special programs 2020
Number of substance abuse treatment clients under 18 years of age
39,271
Detailed statistics
Number of substance abuse treatment non-adult clients in the U.S. 2007-2020