A recent national survey has revealed that teen drug use has not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, maintaining a downward trend observed during the early years of the COVID-19 crisis. The survey, conducted annually, reported that a significant proportion of 12th graders, 10th graders, and 8th graders abstained from alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, marking record highs in abstinence rates since 2017.
Notably, the only notable increase was seen in nicotine pouch usage among 12th graders, with a rise from 3% to 6% in the past year. However, the potential implications of this uptick remain uncertain, as experts are cautious about interpreting this as the beginning of a new public health concern.
