TABLE 1—
Substance Use Prevalence Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning Adolescents and Heterosexual Adolescents in the United States: National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 2015
| Heterosexual Adolescents |
LGBQ Adolescents |
||||
| Substancea | Unweighted No. | Weighted Prevalence, %b (95% CI) | Unweighted No. | Weighted Prevalence, %b (95% CI) | Adjusted RR (95% CI) |
| Use in past 30 d | |||||
| Any substancec | 11 152 | 42.2 (39.3, 45.2) | 1 373 | 51.2 (47.4, 55.1) | 1.27 (1.14, 1.41) |
| Alcohol | 11 840 | 32.1 (29.5, 34.6) | 1 497 | 38.9 (35.1, 42.6) | 1.21 (1.05, 1.38) |
| Cigarettes | 12 518 | 9.8 (8.2, 11.4) | 1 615 | 17.9 (14.6, 21.2) | 1.83 (1.34, 2.42) |
| Cigars | 12 647 | 9.8 (8.4, 11.1) | 1 705 | 14.1 (11.1, 17.1) | 1.50 (1.13, 1.94) |
| Cocaine | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Ecstasy | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Electronic vapor usage (“vaping”)d | 12 809 | 23.4 (21.2, 25.6) | 1 703 | 28.5 (25.6, 31.3) | 1.22 (1.04, 1.43) |
| Hallucinogens | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Heroin | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Inhalants | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Marijuana | 12 761 | 20.7 (18.1, 23.2) | 1 665 | 30.2 (27.1, 33.3) | 1.49 (1.24, 1.77) |
| Methamphetamine | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Prescription drugse | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Smokeless tobacco | 12 620 | 7.2 (5.9, 8.4) | 1 697 | 6.9 (4.6, 9.2) | 0.84 (0.49, 1.35) |
| Steroids | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Synthetic marijuana | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Use in lifetime | |||||
| Any substancec | 9 042 | 71.1 (67.9, 74.3) | 1 143 | 80.1 (76.8, 83.4) | 1.12 (1.06, 1.19) |
| Alcohol | 12 619 | 62.5 (59.7, 65.3) | 1 645 | 71.6 (67.8, 75.4) | 1.15 (1.06, 1.23) |
| Cigarettes | 11 494 | 30.5 (27.0, 34.1) | 1 503 | 47.3 (42.5, 52.2) | 1.63 (1.37, 1.92) |
| Cigars | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Cocaine | 12 868 | 4.2 (3.4, 4.9) | 1 724 | 11.0 (7.6, 14.4) | 2.28 (1.43, 3.45) |
| Ecstasy | 12 848 | 4.1 (3.5, 4.7) | 1 721 | 10.8 (8.5, 13.1) | 2.62 (1.81, 3.64) |
| Electronic vapor usage (“vaping”)d | 12 632 | 44.2 (41, 47.4) | 1 659 | 50.7 (47.3, 54.2) | 1.19 (1.05, 1.35) |
| Hallucinogens | 9 506 | 5.5 (4.5, 6.5) | 1 228 | 12.3 (9.2, 15.3) | 2.70 (1.92, 3.65) |
| Heroin | 12 858 | 1.3 (0.9, 1.7) | 1 731 | 6.6 (3.9, 9.3) | 3.14 (1.69, 5.42) |
| Inhalants | 12 631 | 5.6 (4.9, 6.3) | 1 692 | 16.8 (13.4, 20.2) | 2.51 (1.89, 3.29) |
| Marijuana | 12 673 | 37.5 (34.1, 40.8) | 1 650 | 49.9 (45.6, 54.1) | 1.40 (1.22, 1.59) |
| Methamphetamine | 12 377 | 2.1 (1.6, 2.6) | 1 627 | 8.6 (5.7, 11.6) | 3.58 (2.01, 5.88) |
| Prescription drugse | 12 840 | 15.5 (14.2, 16.9) | 1 726 | 26.2 (23.3, 29.2) | 1.63 (1.37, 1.90) |
| Smokeless tobacco | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| Steroids | 12 684 | 2.6 (2.1, 3.1) | 1 703 | 9.1 (5.9, 12.3) | 2.68 (1.54, 4.33) |
| Synthetic marijuana | 12 890 | 8.6 (7.2, 10.0) | 1 735 | 13.7 (10.6, 16.9) | 1.56 (1.04, 2.25) |
Note. CI = confidence interval; LGBQ = lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning; RR = rate ratio. Asterisks indicate not calculated. The sample size was n = 14 703 (15 624 total 2015 YRBS respondents − 921 respondents who did not report their sexual orientation). Prevalence estimates were drawn from the 2015 National Youth Behavioral Risk Survey after applying survey weights to make the sample nationally representative.
All substance use–related outcomes in the 2015 national YRBS were analyzed.
Represents an affirmative response for using the relevant substance within 30 d of being surveyed or lifetime.
This is a composite for use of any of the listed substances within the given timeframe.
Refers to use of an electronic vapor device.
Refers to a prescription drug that was not prescribed by a physician.