Substance Use Patterns from Late Childhood to Mid-Adolescence: Updates on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

Objectives. To detail the prevalence of substance use in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study from ages 9-17.Methods. 11,880 youth across the U.S., recruited at ages 9-10, completed annual study visits from September 2016 to January 2024. ABCD 6.0 data release comprises baseline to year-6 data. Lifetime and annual substance use, sex differences, and polysubstance use were analyzed.Results. Substance use steadily increased with age; 38% lifetime use by age 16. Alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine remain the most reported. Boys reported more use prior to age 12; girls reported more from ages 13 onward. Polysubstance use analyses detail the most shared substance use.Conclusions. Prevalence rates mirror other national surveys showing increases in reported use across early adolescence, with alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine being the most used substances. Unique sex differences and polysubstance use rates are contextualized alongside prior national reports of these behaviors in the U.S.Policy Implications. Adolescent substance use is a continued public health concern. Understanding the latest prevalences, specifically in a well-phenotyped cohort, guides knowledge of rates for continued analysis of antecedents and sequelae of use on health.