MTF assesses the extent and perceptions of drug use among 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students nationwide. In 2003, the survey showed that lifetime, annual, and 30-day** use of tranquilizers had declined significantly from 2002 for 10th- and 12th-graders. This was the first year of decline for 12th-graders after a decade of gradual increase. In general, 8th-graders' rates of reported tranquilizer use have been considerably lower than those observed in the upper grades. These figures remained statistically unchanged in 2005, with 6.8 percent of 12th-graders, 4.8 percent of 10th-graders, and 2.8 percent of 8th-graders reporting annual use of tranquilizers.
Only 12th grade data are reported for use of sedatives. Lifetime use of sedatives among high school seniors remained statistically unchanged between 2004 (9.9 percent) and 2005 (10.5 percent).
Only 12th grade data are reported for abuse of narcotics other than heroin in the MTF. The annual prevalence of this class of drugs had risen considerably, from 3.3 percent in 1992 to 7 percent in 2000 and 6.7 percent in 2001. In 2002, the survey item was changed to incorporate three new specific pain relievers, OxyContin (a controlled-release form of oxycodone that can cause severe health consequences if crushed and ingested), Vicodin (hydrocodone), and Percocet. Following this change, past year use was reported by 9.4 percent of seniors in 2002, 9.3 percent in 2003, 9.5 percent in 2004, and 9.0 percent in 2005.
Beginning in 2002, new items asking specifically about the use of OxyContin and Vicodin were also added to the survey. Annual use of OxyContin by 12th-graders has risen from 4.0 percent in 2002 to 5.5 percent in 2005. Annual OxyContin use has remained more stable in the lower grades since 2002, with 1.8 percent of 8th-graders and 3.2 percent of 10th-graders reporting annual use in 2005. The annual prevalence rate for Vicodin was considerably higher than for OxyContin, at 9.5 percent among 12th-graders, 5.9 percent among 10th-graders, and 2.6 percent among 8th-graders in 2005. Considering the addictive potential of oxycodone and hydrocodone, these are disturbingly high rates of use.
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Source: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) , a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
* These data are from the 2005 Monitoring the Future Survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, and conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. The survey has tracked 12th-graders' illicit drug use and related attitudes since 1975; in 1991, 8th- and 10th-graders were added to the study. The latest data are online at www.drugabuse.gov.
** "Lifetime" refers to use at least once during a respondent's lifetime. "Annual" refers to use at least once during the year preceding an individual's response to the survey. "30-day" refers to use at least once during the 30 days preceding an individual's response to the survey.
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Information on this page last updated on 06/10/2007