NIDA Hosts Teleconference on FEBRUARY 1 2016 Monitoring the Future Results

On hand for a news conference outlining the Monitoring the Future Survey findings are (from l) Dr. Richard Miech, NIDA director Dr. Nora Volkow and Dr. Lloyd Johnston, principal investigator of the Monitoring the Future Survey since its inception in 1975. Miech joined the project in 2013 and will now oversee the survey.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse hosted a news teleconference Dec. 13 to discuss findings from the 42nd annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey. 

The 2016 survey of drug use and attitudes among American 8th, 10th and 12th graders indicates a promising decline among most illicit drugs, with marijuana use staying relatively steady. Past year use of any illicit drug was the lowest in the survey’s history for 8th graders and stable for those in 10th and 12th grades. 

Marijuana use remained relatively stable in the past couple of years, however daily marijuana use among 8th graders dropped significantly in 2016. Additionally, the survey indicates that marijuana, as well as electronic vaporizers (e-cigarettes), are now more popular than regular cigarettes. 

MTF, funded by NIDA, is conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan. For more on the 2016 MTF survey, see https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/monitoring-future.