ANN ARBOR—Teens in disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely to smoke, but it depends on whether they live in rural or urban areas. A new University of Michigan study highlights a distinct rural-urban gap in adolescent health. It reports that the link between neighborhood disadvantage and cigarette use appears only in rural areas. Teens in poor… Continue reading Rural-urban divide: Neighborhood conditions shape teen smoking
Project: monitoring the future
Reported use of most drugs remains low among US teens
Abstention from drug use remains at historic high, U-M survey finds ANN ARBOR—For the fifth year in a row, use of most substances among teenagers in the United States continues to hover around the low-water mark reached in 2021. The findings are from the latest report of the Monitoring the Future study at the University of Michigan’s… Continue reading Reported use of most drugs remains low among US teens
Remembering Jerry Bachman
Jerald (Jerry) Bachman passed away on October 31, 2025. He had just celebrated his 89th birthday. Jerry was one of the founding members and principal investigator of the Youth in Transition study (YIT), which preceded Monitoring the Future. Youth in Transition surveyed male students entering the 10th grade from 1966 through 1974, studying the major… Continue reading Remembering Jerry Bachman
Sleep trap: Many young adults use cannabis to fall asleep
ANN ARBOR—More than 1 in 5 young adults reported using cannabis or alcohol to help them fall asleep. According to new findings from the University of Michigan’s annual Monitoring the Future Panel Study, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 22% of U.S. young adults aged 19 to 30 reported using one or both… Continue reading Sleep trap: Many young adults use cannabis to fall asleep
Nicotine pouch, cannabis, vaping, psychedelic use on the rise among US adults
ANN ARBOR—The percentage of young and midlife adults using nicotine pouches significantly increased last year, while cannabis use, vaping and the use of psychedelic drugs are at or near all-time highs, according to the latest data from the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Panel survey. “Alcohol continues to be the most commonly used substance… Continue reading Nicotine pouch, cannabis, vaping, psychedelic use on the rise among US adults
U.S. Drinking Drops to New Low, Poll Finds
An annual Gallup poll has been tracking a downturn in drinking since 2023. Megan Patrick tells the New York Times that this coincides with the Monitoring the Future survey, which has shown a significant decline in young people’s drinking over the last decade.
University of Michigan Collegiate Research Professors
In June, the UM Regents approved named professorships, including three SRC faculty: Congratulations to all three for these well deserved honors!
Nicotine Pouch Use Doubles Among U.S. High Schoolers
Nicotine pouches are inserted between the gum and lip & allows teens to use nicotine in an easily concealed way. U.S. News & World Report reported on a study using Monitoring the Future data which finds teens are twice as likely to have used nicotine pouches in the last month or year in 2024.
Not tonight: Study explores reasons young adults choose not to drink
The Washington Post reported on new research by Brooke Arterberry, Sarah Peterson, Ty Schepis & Megan Patrick: “On more than half of non-drinking days (58.4 percent), participants said they didn’t drink because they didn’t want alcohol to interfere with school or work, and nearly half of non-drinking days (48.8 percent) occurred because the survey participants said they needed… Continue reading Not tonight: Study explores reasons young adults choose not to drink
Monitoring the Future looks back on 50 years of research
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) Monitoring the Future has been studying the behaviors, attitudes, and values of American students for 50 years. In that half century of research, the study has compiled data on more than 1.7 million students in the United States, tracking a subset of more than 120,000 of them longitudinally from 12th grade… Continue reading Monitoring the Future looks back on 50 years of research