Revised January 2020
Since 1975 the MTF survey has measured drug and alcohol use and related attitudes among adolescent students nationwide. Survey participants report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past year, and past month. Overall, 42,531 students from 396 public and private schools participated in this year's Monitoring the Future survey. The survey is funded by the NIDA, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and conducted by the University of Michigan.
Results from the Survey are released each fall. To get the latest information, check the links below. Note: The findings and conclusions in these reports are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the NIH.
2019 Monitoring the Future Survey
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12/18/19 - Vaping of marijuana on the rise among teens - NIH’s 2019 Monitoring the Future survey finds continuing declines in prescription opioid misuse, tobacco cigarettes, and alcohol
- Audiocast of the 2019 Monitoring the Future Results
- DrugFacts—Monitoring the Future Survey: High School and Youth Trends
- 2019 Monitoring the Future Survey Raises Worries about Teen Marijuana Vaping - (Nora's Blog)
- View Monitoring the Future 2019 Survey Results: Vaping - (Infographic)
- View Monitoring the Future 2019 Survey Results: Overall Findings - (Infographic)
- View Monitoring the Future 2019 Survey Results: Overall Findings - (Animated Graphic)
- Stats & Trends in Teen Drug Use with Interactive Chart - (Use an interactive map to see trends in teen drug use)
- Lesson Plan: Analyzing Drug-Use Data from Monitoring the Future - (Activity designed to help students in grades 7-12 understand how to obtain, analyze, and interpret data, and to argue from evidence)
- University of Michigan Press Releases - (University of Michigan Web Site)
- Journal of the American Medical Association: Research Letter, by Dr. Richard Miech
- 2019 Data from In-School Surveys of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-Grade Students - (University of Michigan Web Site)
- Monitoring the Future: National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings 2019 (PDF, 5MB) - (University of Michigan Web Site)
NIDA Deputy Director Dr. Wilson Compton describes the history of the Monitoring the Future Survey
2018 Monitoring the Future Survey
2018 Monitoring the Future Survey
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12/17/18 - Teens using vaping devices in record numbers - NIH’s 2018 Monitoring the Future survey shows that opioid misuse at record lows with marijuana use remaining stable
- Audiocast of the 2018 Monitoring the Future Results
- DrugFacts—Monitoring the Future Survey: High School and Youth Trends
- Monitoring the Future Survey Results Show Alarming Rise in Teen Vaping - (Nora's Blog)
- View Infographic
- View Animated Infographic
- University of Michigan Press Releases - (University of Michigan Web Site)
- New England Journal of Medicine: Letter to the Editor by Dr. Richard Miech
- 2018 Data from In-School Surveys of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-Grade Students - (University of Michigan Web Site)
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Monitoring the Future: National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings 2018 (PDF, 5MB)
[Monitoringthefuture.org] - Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2018: Volume I, Secondary school students (PDF, 11MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
- Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2018. Volume II: College students and adults ages 19-50 (PDF, 11MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
2017 Monitoring the Future Survey
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12/14/17 - Vaping popular among teens; opioid misuse at historic lows - NIH’s 2017 Monitoring the Future survey shows both vaping and marijuana are more popular than traditional cigarettes or pain reliever misuse
- Audiocast of the 2017 Monitoring the Future Results
- DrugFacts—Monitoring the Future Survey: High School and Youth Trends
- Monitoring the Future Results Show Reduced Opioid Misuse but Popularity of Vaping Among Youth - (Nora's Blog)
- View Infographic
- View Animated Infographic
- University of Michigan Press Releases - (University of Michigan Web Site)
- 2017 Data from In-School Surveys of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-Grade Students - (University of Michigan Web Site)
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Monitoring the Future: National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings 2017 (PDF, 5MB)
[Monitoringthefuture.org] - Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2017: Volume I, Secondary school students (PDF, 6MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
- Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2017. Volume II: College students and adults ages 19-50 (PDF, 7MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
Dr. Nora Volkow Discusses the 2017 MTF Results
Dr. Wilson Compton on the 2017 MTF Results
2016 Monitoring the Future Survey
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12/13/16 - Teen substance use shows promising decline - NIH's 2016 Monitoring the Future survey shows use of most illicit substances down, but past year marijuana use relatively stable
- Audiocast of the 2016 Monitoring the Future Results
- View Infographic
- DrugFacts—Monitoring the Future Survey: High School and Youth Trends
- University of Michigan press releases - (University of Michigan Web Site)
- 2016 Data from In-School Surveys of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-Grade Students - (University of Michigan Web Site)
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Monitoring the Future: National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings 2016 (PDF, 3MB)
[Monitoringthefuture.org] - Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2016: Volume I, Secondary school students (PDF, 8MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
- Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2016. Volume II: College students and adults ages 19-50 (PDF, 8MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
NIDA Director Summarizes Monitoring the Future Survey Highlights
The Impact of Changing Social Behaviors on Teen Drug Use
Dr. Wilson Compton on MTF and Nicotine Use
NIDA grantee Dr. Lloyd Johnston:
Through the Years
NIDA grantee Dr. Lloyd Johnston, who 42 years ago designed and began the Nation’s annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey, hangs up his hat next year as the survey’s Principal Investigator. In 1975, Johnston oversaw the first nationwide survey of about 16,000 seniors in more than 130 public and private high schools nationwide, recruiting all of the high school principals himself. The survey has now grown to more than 45,000 participants from close to 400 schools around the country. Dr. Johnston will continue to advise the new survey leadership. In this video, Dr. Johnston talks about four decades of research into teen drug use and attitudes.
NIDA Pays Tribute to Dr. Lloyd Johnston
2015 Monitoring the Future Survey
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12/16/15 - Drug use trends remain stable or decline among teens - NIH’s 2015 Monitoring the Future survey shows long term decline in illicit drug use, prescription opioid abuse, cigarette and alcohol use among the nation’s youth
- Audiocast of the 2015 Monitoring the Future Results
- View Infographic
- View Animated Infographic
- Overview of Findings
- Monitoring the Future Figures 2015
- View Encouraging News from Monitoring the Future - (Nora's Blog)
- University of Michigan press releases - (University of Michigan Web Site)
- 2015 Data from In-School Surveys of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-Grade Students - (University of Michigan Web Site)
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Monitoring the Future: National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings 2015 (PDF, 4MB)
[Monitoringthefuture.org] - Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2015: Volume I, Secondary school students (PDF, 8MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
- Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2015. Volume II: College students and adults ages 19-50 (PDF, 6MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow discusses 2015 MTF survey results: Illicit and Prescription Drugs
NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow discusses 2015 MTF survey results: Tobacco
Archived Monitoring the Future Surveys
Get this Publication
How the Monitoring the Future Survey Evolves to Meet Needs
NIDA Deputy Director Dr. Wilson Compton discusses the Monitoring the Future Survey, and how it has adapted and evolved to measure emerging drug trends. Recorded December 2019.
History of the Monitoring the Future Survey
NIDA Deputy Director Dr. Wilson Compton describes the history of the Monitoring the Future Survey. Recorded December 2018
Monitoring the Future
