"• Perceived availability differs substantially across drugs (Tables 9-9 to 9-11). In 2024, the percentage of 12th graders reporting it would be fairly easy or easy to get a drug varied from 10% or less for heroin, crack, and crystal methamphetamine to 65% and above for alcohol, vaping devices, and marijuana.
"• In general, the more widely used drugs are reported to be available by higher proportions of the age group, as would be expected. The substances with the highest levels of use in 2024, specifically marijuana, alcohol, and vaping devices, also placed in the top three in terms of perceived availability.
"• Older adolescents generally perceive drugs to be more available. For example, in 2024, 24% of 8th graders said marijuana would be fairly easy or very easy to get (which we refer to as 'readily available'), versus 41% of 10th graders and 65% of 12th graders.
"• Higher availability among both the more widely used drugs as well as older age groups is consistent with the notion that availability is largely attained through friendship circles. The differences among age groups may also reflect less willingness and/or motivation on the part of those who deal drugs to establish contact with younger adolescents.
"• Marijuana appears to be readily available to the great majority of 12th graders; in 2024, 65% reported that they think it would be very easy or fairly easy to get—far higher than the proportion who reported ever having used it (34%). This suggests that only about half of those who have access chose to try this drug.
"• Updates to the question text in 2024 for nonmedically supervised use of amphetamines (stimulants), sedatives (prescription sleeping medications), and tranquilizers (antianxiety medications) led to substantial increases in perceived availability levels. For amphetamines, the perceived availability level increased from 31% in 2023 to 39% in 2024 after the question wording changed from 'Amphetamines (uppers, speed, Adderall, Ritalin, etc.)' to 'Prescription stimulant medications (Adderall, Ritalin, etc.)'. For
sedatives, the perceived availability level increased from 20% in 2023 to 42% in 2024 after the wording changed from 'Sedatives/barbiturates (downers)' to 'Prescription sleeping medications (sedatives)'. For tranquilizers, availability increased from 24% to 41% after the wording changed from 'Tranquilizers (Librium, Valium, Xanax, etc.)' to 'Prescription
anti-anxiety medications (Ativan, Valium, Xanax, etc.)'.
"• A question wording update for nonmedically supervised use of narcotics (opioids) resulted in little change for its perceived availability level. It was 17% in 2023 when the wording was 'Some other narcotic (codeine, Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, etc.)', and it was 20% in 2024 when the wording changed to 'Prescription opioid medications (codeine, Vicodin, OxyContin, etc.)'.
"• Substances with the lowest availability among 12th grade students in 2024 were crystal methamphetamine (6%), crack (10%), heroin (9%), cocaine powder (9%), MDMA (15%), and steroids (16%).
"• In each grade, similar percentages of students reported they could fairly or very easily get a vaping device, e-liquids with nicotine, or flavored vaping solutions. In 8th grade the percentage were, respectively, 33%, 30%, and 29%. In 10th grade, they were 48%, 44%, and 43%. In 12th grade, they were 68%, 65%, and 65%.
"• In 2024, 32% of 8th graders, 41% of 10th graders, and 54% of 12th graders thought that cigarettes would be fairly easy or very easy for them to get if they wanted some.
"• Alcohol has the highest level of availability in each grade. The percentage saying it would be fairly easy or very easy to get in 8th grade was 40%, in 10th grade was 51%, and in 12th grade was 74%.
"• Drug availability levels are lowest in 8th grade. Even so, in 2024, marijuana was reported as readily available by about one in four (24%) 8th grade students.
"• Because many inhalants—such as glues, butane, and aerosols—are universally available, we do not ask about their availability. Table 9-11 lists all of the drugs included in the questions for 12th graders; a few of these drugs were not asked of the younger students (see Tables 9-9 and 9-10)."
Miech, R. A., Johnston, L. D., Patrick, M. E., & O'Malley, P. M. (2025). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975–2024: Overview and detailed results for secondary school students. Monitoring the Future Monograph Series. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.
