"• The majority of 12th graders disapprove of regular use of any of the illicit drugs (see Table 8-6). Among 12th graders in 2023, more than 90% disapprove of regular use of each of them.
"• For each of the drugs included in this set of questions, fewer respondents indicate disapproval of experimental or occasional use than of regular use, as might be expected. However, the differences are not great for the use of illicit drugs other than marijuana, because nearly all 12th graders disapprove of even experimenting with them. For example, in 2023 the proportions disapproving of experimental use are 92% for heroin, 91% for cocaine, 73% for LSD, and 86% for MDMA (ecstasy, Molly). The high levels of disapproval could be widely publicized and provide the basis for some potentially powerful prevention messages in the form of normative education.
"• Disapproval of marijuana by 12th graders increases substantially for more regular levels of use. In 2023 the percentage who disapprove of marijuana use is 35% for trying it once or twice, 40% for occasional use, and 60% for regular use. Looked at another way, four out of ten 12th graders (40%) say they do not disapprove of regular marijuana use.
"• Smoking a pack (or more) of cigarettes per day now meets with disapproval by almost eight out of nine (87%) 12th grade students—a level comparable to the level of disapproval for many of the illicit drugs and substantially higher than disapproval of regular marijuana use.
"• The lowest levels of disapproval for regular use among 12th grade students in 2023 are regular marijuana use at 60%, regular marijuana vaping at 69%, daily alcohol drinking at 72%, and regular nicotine vaping at 80%. Regular marijuana vaping has a substantially lower level of disapproval than does regular nicotine vaping.
"• Having one or two drinks nearly every day meets with the disapproval of 72% of 12th graders in 2023. Curiously, fewer 12th graders (66%) disapprove of weekend binge drinking (five or more drinks once or twice each weekend), despite the fact that more of them see a great risk in weekend binge drinking (39%) than in having one or two drinks nearly every day (24%). This divergence between the perceived risk associated with the two behaviors and the corresponding levels of disapproval helps to illustrate their differences."
Miech, R. A., Johnston, L. D., Patrick, M. E., & O’Malley, P. M. (2024). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975–2023: Overview and detailed results for secondary school students. Monitoring the Future Monograph Series. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.
