ACTUAL GOOD NEWS! –
Dec. 16, 2021 – Drug and alcohol use among America’s teens continues to trend downward, according to new numbers released today by the Department of Health and Human Services. From 2002 to 2013, the average American teenager’s odds of regular (at least monthly) tobacco use nearly halved. Recreational use of prescription painkillers saw a similar decline.
The rate of regular alcohol use among teens aged 12 to 17 declined from from 17.6 percent to 11.6 percent over the same period. Teen marijuana use, a contentious topic now that several states have legalized marijuana sales, is also on the decline.
These findings come from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual, nationally-representative survey of roughly 70,000 Americans aged 12 and older. Because of its large sample size the survey is considered an authoritative account of the nature and scope of drug, alcohol and tobacco use in the United States.
