Teen addiction survey shows youth gains after federal team layoffs
SAMHSA’s latest survey shows youth drug use and mental health measures improved from 2021 to 2025, though treatment gaps remain.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
The latest teen addiction survey from the U.S. government found continued declines in several youth substance-use and mental-health measures, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The findings matter because the National Survey on Drug Use and Health is a major federal tool for tracking addiction, treatment needs and mental health across the country.
SAMHSA released the report Monday with data that allow researchers to compare trends from 2021 through 2025. The Associated Press reported that the survey’s future had drawn concern after the Trump administration laid off the 17-member team responsible for it last year.
What did the teen addiction survey find?
Among adolescents ages 12 to 17, the survey found lower past-month use of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana. It also found fewer teens reporting binge drinking in the prior month.
For the past year, SAMHSA reported declines among adolescents in illicit drug use and marijuana use. The survey also found fewer teens said they had started drinking alcohol, vaping or using marijuana.
The survey showed declines in substance use disorders, alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders among adolescents, according to SAMHSA. Mental-health measures also improved for that age group, with fewer teens reporting major depressive episodes, serious thoughts of suicide, suicide plans and suicide attempts.
SAMHSA said young adults ages 18 to 25 showed similar favorable trends. The report did not erase broader concerns about youth mental health, however.
How many young people still report anxiety symptoms?
Nearly 20% of adolescents surveyed reported moderate or severe anxiety symptoms during the prior two weeks, according to SAMHSA. Among adults older than 18, about 7% reported those symptoms.
The contrast shows that mental-health strain among teenagers remains a major concern even as several drug-use and suicide-related measures improved. SAMHSA’s survey tracks both substance use and mental health, giving researchers and policymakers a way to compare changes across age groups.
What did the survey show for substance use overall?
Across people older than 12, the survey found that more than half reported at least one of the following in the prior month: illicit drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use or nicotine vaping. SAMHSA reported that 44% drank alcohol, 16% used a tobacco product, 10% vaped nicotine and 16% used an illicit drug.
Robyn Oster, policy director for the Partnership to End Addiction, told the Associated Press that the youth trends were encouraging but that significant gaps remain. She said nearly 45 million people still have a substance use disorder.
Oster also told the AP that more than 80% of people who needed substance use treatment did not receive it in the past year. She said access to treatment, including quality treatment, remains a major problem despite the improved trends among young people.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.