"Steroids
"In 2023 lifetime prevalence of anabolic steroid use was 1% in all grades. In general, lifetime, past 12-month, and past 30-day use have decreased, sometimes unevenly, since highs in the early 2000s.
"Anabolic steroids, sometimes used for muscle development including in body building, were rendered illegal to purchase or sell without a prescription in the Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990. Prevalence of use fell among 12th graders for a couple of years thereafter, but then increased some. Use for all grades peaked around 2002 and have since declined substantially.
"All results from 2020 are from surveys completed before March 15, 2020, when national social distancing policies were implemented and the survey halted due to pandemic concerns.
"Creatine
"Creatine is not a hormone or a drug but a nutrient found in the skeletal muscle of most animals. It is used to reduce the recovery time of muscles, to increase muscle mass, and to thereby enhance performance for high-intensity, short-duration exercises. It is readily available over the counter, which undoubtedly helps to explain the substantial levels of use we have found among teens.
"Past 12-month use maintained the large increases that took place last year, from 2021 to 2022. All grades levels are at the highest recorded since the project first began tracking use of this substance in 2001. Prevalence in 2023 was 12% in 12th grade, 11% in 10th grade, and 5% in 8th grade.
"These results are consistent with the possibility of an increase in the proportion of adolescents involved in fitness and weightlifting during the pandemic. Lasting increases since 2021 also took place for the performance-enhancing drug androstenedione, which is sometimes used with creatine.
"All results from 2020 are from surveys completed before March 15, 2020, when national social distancing policies were implemented and the survey halted due to pandemic concerns.
"Androstenedione
"Androstenedione, a precursor to testosterone, is a performance-enhancing substance that was scheduled by the Drug Enforcement Administration early in 2005, making its sale and possession no longer legal.
"In 12th grade, past 12-month prevalence was 1.4% in 2023, and maintained most of the large increase that took place last year, when it jumped to 1.9% in 2022 from 0.6% in 2021. The current higher levels in 2023 are a departure from the long-term decline that started at 3.0% in 2001 and decreased to 0.5% by 2019.
"These results are consistent with the possibility of a lasting increase in the proportion of 12th grade students involved in fitness and weightlifting during the pandemic. Lasting increases also took place since 2021 for the performance-enhancing drug of creatine.
"The survey stopped tracking this drug among 8th and 10th graders after 2014, when prevalence levels were less than 1% in these grades.
"All results from 2020 are from surveys completed before March 15, 2020, when national social distancing policies were implemented and the survey halted due to pandemic concerns."
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.
