If you could peek into the late night Snapchats teens send to each other, memes they tag each other in, or Instagram stories they post, all of their references to drinking and smoking may give you the impression that teen substance use is on the rise. National data suggest the opposite however: overall, teen drinking, smoking, and drug use has declined in the past couple decades [6]. For example, in 1997, over 65% of 10th graders in the U.S. reported drinking alcohol at least once in the past year, and in 2017, that rate dropped to under 40% of 10th graders [6]. Those teens who are drinking are doing so less frequently: daily alcohol consumption in 10th graders dropped significantly in the last 5 years [6]. While there is reason to feel good about how our kids are doing today compared … [Read more...]