Growing Number of Young People in US Abstaining from Substance Use

"Abstainers are defined as students with no use of alcohol, cannabis, or nicotine. Use of nicotine is indicated by use of cigarettes or by vaping.

"In 2025, abstention increased in 8th and 10th grade to record levels for both lifetime and 30-day use (sometimes referred to as “current” use), although the increases from 2024 to 2025 were not statistically significant. In 12th grade, both current and lifetime abstention were down one percentage point from last year’s record highs, although these decreases were also not statistically significant.

"The graph and table mark a discontinuity in trends in 2017, when questions on nicotine vaping were first added to the survey. Taking vaping into account in this year led to a slight decrease in abstention, and this decrease became larger in the following years as nicotine vaping surged in popularity in 2018 and 2019. As vaping levels have declined in recent years, the long-term upward trend in abstention has resumed.

"The increases in abstention have been quite substantial over time. In 8th grade, lifetime abstention increased from 25% in 1991 (when first measured) to 73% in 2025, the highest level recorded. In 10th grade, the parallel numbers are 13% and 61%, which in 2025 is also the highest level ever recorded. In 12th grade, abstention increased from 5% in 1976 (when first recorded) to 41% in 2025, just below last year’s record high of 42%. Similar trends were observed for past 30-day (current) abstention, though with higher prevalence. (Note: Trends for past 12-month abstention are shorter because questions about past 12-month cigarette use were first introduced in 2024.)"