Illicit Drugs Showing Declines in Use in 2018 Relatively few drugs exhibited a significant decline in use in 2018, although the use of most drugs is well below the peak levels reached in recent years. Annual prevalence for salvia continued its gradual decline in 2018 with a significant drop of 0.2 percentage points to 0.8%. It appears that the use of this drug is close to ending. Annual tranquilizer prevalence among 12 th graders continued to fall significantly in 2018 by 0.8 percentage points to 3.9%-well below the 7.7% observed in 2002. There has been little change in the lower grades, however, since 2013. Narcotics other than heroin, reported only for 12 th grade, also declined, as will be discussed below under psychotherapeutic drugs. Use of Most Illicit Drugs Held Steady in 2018 There are many classes of drugs tracked in the MTF study, and the majority of them held relatively steady in 2018. These include an index of any illicit drug other than marijuana, synthetic marijuana, LSD, hallucinogens other than LSD, MDMA (ecstasy, Molly), cocaine, crack, bath salts, heroin (overall, and when used with or without a needle), narcotics other than heroin (reported for 12 th grade only), Oxycontin, Vicodin, amphetamines (taken as a class), ritalin, adderall, sedatives (reported at 12 th grade only), tranquilizers, methamphetamine, crystal methamphetamine, and steroids. tracked adolescent drug use. Nicotine vaping prevalence rates in 2018 were 11%, 25%, and 30%, respectively. Marijuana vaping also increased substantially in 2018 as this new way of using marijuana becomes more mainstream. In 2018 prevalence of use in the last 12 months increased 1.3, 4.2, and 3.6 percentage points in 8 th , 10 th , and 12 th grades to levels of 4.4%, 12.4%, and 13.1%, respectively. Vaping just flavoring also substantially increased in 2018 to past-year prevalence levels of 15%, 25%, and 26% in 8 th , 10 th , and 12 th grades. Adolescents associate little risk of harm with vaping. MTF asks separately about regular use of "e-cigarettes" and also regular vaping of nicotine. Levels of perceived risk for these behaviors rank near the lowest of all substances, with little change in recent years. Alcohol Use Continues Declining in Upper Grades Alcohol remains the substance most widely used by today's teenagers. Despite recent declines, by the end of high school six out of every ten students (59%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) at some time in their lives (after a significant 3 percentage point drop in 2018); and about a quarter (24%) have done so by 8 th grade. (Only the 12 th grade showed significant change in 2018.) Alcohol use began a substantial decline in the 1980s. To some degree, alcohol trends have tended to parallel the trends in illicit drug use. These include a modest increase in binge drinking (defined as having five or more drinks in a row at least once in the past two weeks) in the early to mid-1990s, though it was a proportionally smaller increase than was seen for cigarettes and most of the illicit drugs. Fort...

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ABSTRACT. Objective: Little consensus exists regarding the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and substance use. This study examined the associations of three indicators of family SES during childhood-income, wealth, and parental education-with smoking, alcohol use, and marijuana use during young adulthood. Method: Data were obtained from the national Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a survey of U.S. families that incorporates data from parents and their children. In 2005 and 2007, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics was supplemented with two waves of Transition into Adulthood data drawn from a national sample of young adults, 18-23 years old. Data from the young adults (N = 1,203; 66.1% White; 51.5% female) on their current use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana were used as outcome variables in logistic regressions. Socioeconomic background was calculated from parental reports of education, wealth, and income during the respondent's childhood (birth through age 17 years). Results: Smoking in young adulthood was associated with lower childhood family SES, although the association was explained by demographic and social role covariates. Alcohol use and marijuana use in young adulthood were associated with higher childhood family SES, even after controlling for covariates. Conclusions: Findings based on three indicators of family background SES-income, wealth, and parental education-converged in describing unique patterns for smoking and for alcohol and marijuana use among young adults, although functional relationships across SES measures varied. Young adults with the highest family background SES were most prone to alcohol and marijuana use. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs,

Importance The prevalence of underage alcohol use has been studied extensively but binge drinking among youth in the U.S. is not yet well understood. In particular, adolescents may drink much larger amounts than the threshold (5 drinks) often used in definitions of binge drinking. Delineating various levels of binge drinking, including extreme levels, and understanding predictors of such extreme binge drinking among adolescents will benefit public health efforts. Objective To examine the prevalence and predictors of 5+ binge drinking and of 10+ and 15+ extreme binge drinking among 12th graders in the U.S. Design A non-clinical nationally representative sample. Setting High school seniors in the annual Monitoring the Future study between 2005 and 2011. Participants The sample included 16,332 12th graders (modal age 18) in the U.S. Response rates were 79–85%. Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of consuming 5+, 10+, and 15+ drinks in a row in the past two weeks. Results Between 2005 and 2011, 20.2% of high school seniors reported 5+ binge drinking, 10.5% reported 10+ extreme binge drinking, and 5.6% reported 15+ extreme binge drinking in the past 2 weeks. Rates of 5+ binge drinking and 10+ extreme binge drinking have declined since 2005, but rates of 15+ extreme binge drinking have not. Students with college-educated parents were more likely to consume 5+ drinks but less likely to consume 15+ drinks than students whose parents were not college educated. Students from more rural areas were more likely than students from large metropolitan areas to drink 15+ drinks. Socializing with substance-using peers, number of evenings out with friends, substance-related attitudes, and other substance use (cigarettes, marijuana) predicted all three levels of binge and extreme binge drinking. Conclusions Binge drinking at the traditionally defined 5+ drinking level was common among high school seniors representative of all 12th graders in the contiguous U.S. A significant segment of students also reported extreme binge drinking at levels two and three times higher. These data suggest the importance of assessing multiple levels of binge drinking behavior and their predictors among adolescents in order to target effective screening and intervention efforts.

Monitoring the Future, having completed its 44 th year of data collection, has become one of the nation's most relied-upon scientific sources of valid information on trends in use of licit and illicit psychoactive drugs by U.S. adolescents, college students, young adults, and adults up to age 55. During the last four decades, the study has tracked and reported on the use of an ever-growing array of such substances in these populations of adolescents and adults.The annual series of monographs, of which this is Volume II, is a primary mechanism through which the epidemiological findings from MTF are reported. Findings from the inception of the study in 1975 through 2017 are included -the results of 44 national in-school surveys and 42 national follow-up surveys.MTF has conducted in-school surveys of nationally representative samples of (a) 12 th grade students each year since 1975 and (b) 8 th and 10 th grade students each year since 1991. Annual findings for 8 th , 10 th , and 12 th graders through 2017 are presented in Volume I (also see the 2017 Overview volume). Beginning with the class of 1976, the study has conducted follow-up mail surveys on representative subsamples of the respondents from each previously participating 12 th grade class. These follow-up surveys now continue well into adulthood, currently up to age 55. Annual findings from these follow-up surveys are presented in this volume.

Aims To identify childhood and adolescent predictors of alcohol use and harmful drinking in adolescence and adulthood. Design Longitudinal data from childhood to mid-life from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) were used, including predictors collected at ages 7, 11, 16 years and alcohol outcomes collected at ages 16, 23, 33 and 42 years. Setting The NCDS is an ongoing longitudinal study of a cohort of 1 week's births in Britain in 1958. Participants Childhood and adolescent predictors and alcohol use data from at least one adolescent or adult wave were available from 7883 females and 8126 males. Measurements Social background, family, academic and behavioural predictors measured at ages 7, 11 and 16 years were entered into hierarchical multiple and logistic regressions to predict quantity of alcohol use at ages 16, 23, and 33 years and harmful drinking [i.e. Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilt, Eye-opener (CAGE) questionnaire score] by age 42 years. Findings Previous drinking was controlled in final models to predict change. Drinking was heavier among those with greater childhood and adolescent social advantage (especially females), less harmonious family relationships, more social maladjustment, greater academic performance, less internalizing problems, more truancy and earlier school-leaving plans. Conclusions Alcohol use and problems in adulthood can be predicted by indicators of social background, adjustment and behaviour in childhood and adolescence. Results demonstrate that the early roots of adolescent and adult alcohol use behaviours begin in childhood.