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. 2020 Aug 21;69(1):38–46. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.su6901a5

TABLE 2. Prevalence of lifetime and current use of specific substance and use behaviors among high school students, by demographic characteristics — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019.

Behavior Sex
Race/Ethnicity
Grade
Sexual identity
Male
(n = 6,641)
%
(95% CI)
Female
(n = 6,885)
%
(95% CI)
White, non-Hispanic
(n = 6,668)
%
(95% CI)
Black, non-Hispanic
(n = 2,040)
%
(95% CI)
Hispanic
(n = 3,038)
%
(95% CI)
9/10
(n = 7,354)
%
(95% CI)
11/12
(n = 6,172)
%
(95% CI)
Heterosexual
(n = 10,853)
%
(95% CI)
LGB
(n = 1,531)
%
(95% CI)
Not sure
(n = 591)
%
(95% CI)
Current use*
Marijuana
22.5
(20.6–24.5)
20.8
(18.7–23.1)
22.1
(19.9–24.6)
21.7
(19.1–24.5)
22.4
(20.4–24.6)
17.1
(15.5–18.8)
26.6
(23.6–29.7)
20.9
(19.0–23.0)
31.1§
(27.4–35.1)
19.5
(14.8–25.3)
Alcohol
26.4
(24.4–28.6)
31.9**
(29.6–34.3)
34.2
(31.7–36.8)
16.8††
(13.5–20.7)
28.4††,§§
(26.1–30.8)
22.8
(20.6–25.2)
36.0
(33.8–38.3)
28.8
(26.8–30.8)
33.9§
(29.8–38.2)
25.3
(20.0–31.4)
Binge drinking
12.7
(11.0–14.6)
14.6**
(13.2–16.2)
17.3
(15.1–19.7)
6.2††
(4.2–9.2)
12.4††,§§
(11.0–14.0)
8.9
(7.4–10.7)
18.8
(17.0–20.8)
13.4
(12.0–15.0)
15.6
(12.8–18.8)
13.1
(9.0–18.8)
Prescription opioid misuse
6.1
(5.3–7.1)
8.3**
(7.0–9.9)
5.5
(4.4–6.9)
8.7††
(6.5–11.6)
9.8††
(8.2–11.6)
7.0
(5.8–8.4)
7.3
(6.1–8.8)
6.4
(5.4–7.5)
12.0§
(9.6–14.9)
11.5§
(8.2–15.9)
Lifetime use
Marijuana
37.0
(34.2–40.0)
36.5
(34.1–38.9)
36.8
(33.9–39.8)
37.5
(34.0–41.1)
39.2
(36.5–41.9)
29.2
(26.7–31.8)
44.8
(41.5–48.2)
36.0
(33.3–38.7)
49.6§
(45.1–54.1)
27.5§,¶
(22.4–33.3)
Cocaine
4.9
(4.2–5.8)
2.7**
(2.0–3.7)
2.9
(2.2–3.7)
4.0
(2.7–5.9)
5.6††
(4.5–6.9)
2.8
(2.0–3.7)
5.0
(4.1–6.1)
3.3
(2.7–4.0)
7.0§
(4.8–10.1)
7.6§
(4.3–12.9)
Methamphetamine
2.7
(2.1–3.4)
1.5**
(1.0–2.2)
1.2
(0.9–1.6)
3.8††
(2.4–6.0)
2.7††
(1.8–4.0)
1.5
(1.0–2.3)
2.6
(1.9–3.3)
1.5
(1.2–1.9)
5.0§
(3.1–7.9)
6.1§
(3.4–10.8)
Heroin
2.3
(1.8–3.1)
1.0**
(0.6–1.8)
0.9
(0.6–1.2)
3.4††
(2.2–5.3)
2.4††
(1.5–3.9)
1.6
(1.0–2.5)
1.8
(1.3–2.5)
1.2
(0.9–1.6)
3.8§
(2.1–7.0)
6.2§
(3.4–11.0)
Injection drug use
2.1
(1.5–2.9)
1.1**
(0.6–1.9)
0.8
(0.6–1.2)
2.9††
(1.5–5.5)
2.5††
(1.8–3.5)
1.6
(1.1–2.3)
1.5
(1.0–2.4)
1.1
(0.8–1.6)
3.5§
(2.1–5.7)
5.1§
(2.5–10.2)
Synthetic marijuana
7.2
(6.2–8.4)
7.4
(6.2–8.7)
6.7
(5.6–8.0)
5.7
(4.4–7.4)
9.8††,§§
(8.6–11.3)
6.2
(5.3–7.3)
8.3
(7.2–9.7)
6.7
(5.8–7.7)
11.6§
(9.0–14.7)
10.4
(6.9–15.5)
Prescription opioid misuse 12.4
(11.0–14.1)
16.1**
(14.1–18.4)
12.7
(10.9–14.7)
15.3
(12.9–18.1)
16.0
(13.5–18.8)
13.6
(11.9–15.5)
14.9
(13.2–16.7)
12.7
(11.2–14.4)
23.9§
(19.9–28.3)
19.1§
(14.6–24.5)

Abbreviations: CI = confidence interval; LGB = lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

* Previous 30 days before the survey.

Significantly different from 9/10 grade students, based on t-test analysis (p<0.05).

§ Significantly different from heterosexual students, based on t-test analysis (p<0.05).

Significantly different from lesbian, gay, or bisexual students, based on t-test analysis (p<0.05).

** Significantly different from male students, based on t-test analysis (p<0.05).

†† Significantly different from white students, based on t-test analysis (p<0.05).

§§ Significantly different from black students, based on t-test analysis (p<0.05).