BEH3 Illicit drug use: Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported using illicit drugs in the past 30 days by grade, gender, and race and Hispanic origin, 1980

BEH3 Illicit drug use: Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported using illicit drugs in the past 30 days by grade, gender, and race and Hispanic origin, 1980–2008

Characteristic	1980^a	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
8th-grade
Total	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5.7	6.8	8.4	10.9	12.4	14.6	12.9	12.1	12.2	11.9	11.7	10.4	9.7	8.4	8.5	8.1	7.4	7.6
Gender
Male	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5.8	6.4	8.7	11.9	12.7	14.6	13.3	11.9	12.6	12.0	13.2	11.2	10.2	7.8	8.8	8.0	7.5	7.8
Female	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5.4	7.1	8.1	9.6	11.9	14.1	12.3	11.9	11.7	11.3	9.9	9.5	8.9	8.8	8.1	8.0	7.1	7.3
Race and Hispanic origin^b
White	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5.9	7.1	8.7	18.9	13.2	13.7	12.4	11.3	11.2	11.2	10.6	9.6	8.4	7.7	7.5	7.1	6.9
Black	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3.8	5.1	7.4	9.1	10.5	10.8	10.2	11.1	10.8	9.6	9.1	8.9	9.1	9.3	8.6	7.3	7.2
Hispanic^b	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	10.2	12.3	15.7	16.7	16.5	15.9	15.9	17.0	15.2	15.0	15.3	13.1	12.1	11.0	10.2	9.5	8.9
10th-grade
Total	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	11.6	11.0	14.0	18.5	20.2	23.2	23.0	21.5	22.1	22.5	22.7	20.8	19.5	18.3	17.3	16.8	16.9	15.8
Gender
Male	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	12.1	11.3	15.2	20.5	21.1	24.3	24.8	22.5	23.7	25.4	24.9	21.7	21.0	19.6	18.3	17.9	18.0	17.1
Female	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	10.8	10.5	12.5	16.1	19.0	21.9	21.0	20.5	20.4	19.5	20.5	19.8	18.0	16.9	16.1	15.4	15.7	14.4
Race and Hispanic origin^b
White	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	12.1	13.1	16.4	19.7	22.4	23.8	23.1	22.6	23.0	23.4	22.9	21.2	19.3	18.2	17.6	17.5	16.8
Black	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5.2	6.1	11.4	15.5	17.0	17.7	16.4	15.8	17.0	17.6	16.2	16.0	17.5	16.4	15.0	14.0	12.5
Hispanic^b	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	12.7	15.0	18.0	20.6	22.5	24.2	24.2	23.8	23.7	23.3	21.4	20.0	20.0	19.3	17.0	15.5	17.6
12th-grade
Total	37.2	36.9	32.5	30.5	29.2	29.7	27.1	24.7	21.3	19.7	17.2	16.4	14.4	18.3	21.9	23.8	24.6	26.2	25.6	25.9	24.9	25.7	25.4	24.1	23.4	23.1	21.5	21.9	22.3
Gender
Male	39.6	38.3	33.9	33.4	31.2	32.1	29.8	26.4	23.4	22.1	18.9	18.4	15.9	20.4	25.5	26.8	27.5	28.7	29.1	28.6	27.5	28.4	28.5	27.3	26.1	26.7	22.8	25.2	25.0
Female	34.3	34.9	26.7	26.3	26.2	26.7	24.1	22.6	19.1	17.2	15.2	14.1	12.7	15.9	18.3	20.4	21.2	23.2	21.6	22.7	22.1	22.6	21.8	20.6	20.3	19.3	19.7	18.4	19.4
Race and Hispanic origin^b
White	38.8	38.1	37.5	31.6	30.0	30.2	29.5	27.1	24.7	22.5	20.5	18.6	16.8	17.8	21.4	23.8	24.8	26.4	27.5	27.0	25.9	26.5	27.2	26.5	25.7	25.3	24.0	23.1	23.6
Black	28.8	27.1	27.3	25.5	24.2	22.9	20.7	16.7	13.3	11.2	9.0	7.2	7.3	9.1	14.3	18.3	19.7	20.0	19.4	20.2	20.3	18.7	18.2	17.9	16.8	16.1	17.2	17.1	17.8
Hispanic^b	33.1	33.4	33.1	29.1	28.0	27.2	25.3	23.2	19.4	15.3	13.9	14.7	14.6	15.6	18.3	21.4	22.6	23.9	24.1	24.4	27.4	25.3	23.4	21.2	19.9	19.6	19.4	18.5	18.1
— Not available.
^a Beginning in 1982, the question about stimulant use (i.e., amphetamines) was revised to get respondents to exclude the inappropriate reporting of nonprescription stimulants. The prevalence rate dropped slightly as a result of this methodological change.
^b A 2-year moving average is presented, based on data from the year indicated and the previous year. Prior to 2005 respondents were asked to select the one category that they thought best described them, making Hispanic identification one of the mutually exclusive categories that could be chosen. After 2005 respondents could select multiple categories, some of which are for Hispanic subgroups, but only respondents selecting a single answer are included in the data reported. Approximately 6 percent gave multiple choices and were excluded. In 2005 specifically, half of the sample received the earlier version of the question and half the later one, and their data were combined.
NOTE: Use of "any illicit drug" includes any use of marijuana, LSD, other hallucinogens, crack, other cocaine, or heroin, or any use of other narcotics, amphetamines, barbiturates, or tranquilizers not under a doctor's orders. For 8th- and 10th-graders, the use of other narcotics and barbiturates has been excluded because these younger respondents appear to over report use (perhaps because they include the use of nonprescription drugs in their answers).
SOURCE: Johnston, L.D., O'Malley, P.M., Bachman, J.G., and Schulenberg, J.E. (2008). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975–2007, Volume I: Secondary school students (NIH Publication No. 08-6418A), tables 2–3. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse. Data for 2008 are from a press release of December 11, 2008, and demographic disaggregations are from unpublished tabulations from Monitoring the Future, University of Michigan.