The rates of alcohol and drug use among America's 8th, 10th, and 12th graders declined markedly in 2014 from the previous year, according to data released Tuesday by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Alcohol use declined by at least a full percentage point among every age group compared to last year's study. Daily cigarette smoking continued its long-running downward trend, with the percentage of daily smokers falling to half the level the NIDA measured just five years ago. And though marijuana is now legal in a couple of states, teens at every grade level tracked in the study reported lower usage rates than in 2013.
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