Answer:
NIDA and other agencies monitor which drugs are being abused by tracking drug abuse trends through national surveys and other data collection systems. One example is the NIDA-funded Monitoring the Future survey, which gathers information on use patterns and attitudes toward commonly abused drugs among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. Below are highlights of the 2006 Monitoring the Future Survey:
The Good News
graph showing past month use reports have dropped 23% from 2001 to 2006 all grades combined
Overall, the results are positive - an approximate 23% decline over the last five years in the past-month use of any illicit drug by students in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades combined (see figure).
Cigarette smoking continues to fall to the lowest rate in the survey's history. And, between 2001 and 2006, declines were observed in daily cigarette use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. These findings are particularly noteworthy since tobacco addiction is one of the leading preventable contributors to many of our Nation's health problems.
Between 2001 and 2006, marijuana use within the past month declined by nearly 25% for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders combined. Lifetime, past-month, and past-year use of marijuana decreased among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders separately, and daily use decreased among 10th graders during the same time frame.
Since 2001, lifetime, past-year, and past-month steroid use decreased among 8th and 10th graders; lifetime use of steroids also decreased among 12th graders.
Lifetime, past-year, and past-month use of MDMA (Ecstasy) decreased among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders from 2001 to 2006 - by more than 50% on most measures.
Methamphetamine abuse continues to decline - on all indicators for each grade since 2001; and past-year and past-month use declined among 10th graders between 2005 and 2006.
Lifetime and past-year use of alcohol modestly decreased among 12th graders, but remains prevalent.
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