Drug use among young people continues to decline after COVID

Good news about young people and drugs: fewer young people are using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco than before. This decline began during COVID-19 and, unexpectedly, has continued after life returned to normal. A large study in 2024 looked at students 👨‍🎓 in years 8, 10, and 12. They found that more young people than ever before are not drinking alcohol, using marijuana, or smoking 🚬. The use of dangerous drugs 💊 like OxyContin is also down a lot. This is not what people in the know thought. Many believed that after COVID-19, when kids could be together again, drug use would go up. But it has continued to go down. The study, which is 50 years old, asks thousands of students about their drug use each year. In 2024, they spoke to over 24,000 students from over 270 schools 🏫 across America 🇺🇸. The biggest drop in drug use happened between 2020 and 2021, when COVID-19 started. It was one of the biggest drops they've seen. When schools opened, the numbers continued to drop. Those doing the study now think that COVID-19 changed how young people think about drugs and alcohol 🍺. The new ways 🔄 that started during the bad times continue, making young people not want to use these things. This continuing drop in drug use is very good ✅ for the health ❤️ and safety 🛡️ of young people in America.