Monitoring the Future Reports Available Free of Charge Online
Each week, the Higher Education Center showcases recent developments in the field of AOD abuse and violence prevention in higher education that may include new data and resources, upcoming events and programs, funding opportunities, and learning opportunities. To see a listing of previous This Week! features, visit the This Week! archive.
January 21, 2011
Each year since 1975, a team of social scientists at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research has surveyed students regarding drug use and views about drugs, delinquency and victimization, changing roles for women, confidence in social institutions, concerns about energy and ecology, and social and ethical attitudes. These Monitoring the Future surveys have been funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The results of the 2010 Monitoring the Future surveys of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students have just been released. Volumes presenting the 2009 national survey results for both high school and college students are also available. In addition, Monitoring the Future’s 12th grade descriptive results for nearly 2,000 items are now available in annual volumes for 1975 through 2009.
Key findings of the 2010 study include:
- Marijuana use, which had been rising among teens for the past two years, continued to rise in 2010. This is in sharp contrast to the considerable decline of the preceding decade.
- Ecstasy use appears to be making a comeback, following a considerable recent decline in the belief that its use is dangerous.
- Alcohol use, particularly occasions of heavy drinking, continues its decline among teens in 2010, reaching historically low levels.
All studies and data can be downloaded free of charge from the Monitoring the Future Web site.