NIDA Discusses ‘Monitoring the Future’ Results

Presenting 2015 MTF results were (from l) NIDA deputy director Dr. Wilson Compton; the University of Michigan’s Dr. Lloyd Johnston, principal investigator of the survey since its inception in 1975; Dr. Marsha Lopez, NIDA program official for MTF; Michigan’s Dr. Richard Miech; and NIDA director Dr. Nora Volkow.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently hosted a press teleconference and Twitter chat to discuss the findings of the 41st annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey. This year’s survey of drug use and attitudes among American 8th, 10th and 12th graders continued to show encouraging news, with decreasing use of a number of substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, prescription opioid pain relievers and synthetic cannabinoids; and stable rates of marijuana use among teens; and a general decline over the last two decades in the use of illicit drugs.

However, the survey suggested a high rate of daily marijuana use reported among 12th graders—with daily marijuana use exceeding daily tobacco use for the first time in the survey’s history. Additionally, while cigarette smoking rates have declined, rates of use of other tobacco products, including hookah, small cigars and e-cigarettes remain high. 

The MTF survey, funded by NIDA, is conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan. For more on the 2015 MTF survey, go to https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/monitoring-future.