The following chart comes from a 1999 survey of about 7,000 students in Massachusetts. The figures represent the percentages of students at each grade level who reported making illicit use of the substances listed at least once.
| Grade Level | |||||||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
| Any Drug* | 13.8% | 22.9% | 35.5% | 50.9% | 53.3% | 60.9% | 66.8% |
| Marijuana/Hashish | 3.0 | 9.2 | 20.2 | 40.3 | 44.8 | 56.1 | 63.9 |
| Inhalants | 8.4 | 14.7 | 19.8 | 20.2 | 15.1 | 11.8 | 14.5 |
| Psychedelics | 1.1 | 2.2 | 6.3 | 12.7 | 14.7 | 18.9 | 24.2 |
| Narcotics | 0.6 | 1.2 | 4.3 | 6.2 | 9.1 | 11.7 | 12.2 |
| Cocaine/Crack | 1.1 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 8.8 | 9.5 |
| Amphetamines | 0.8 | 2.6 | 6.8 | 9.9 | 11.5 | 13.6 | 11.6 |
| Tranquilizers | 3.8 | 7.2 | 12.6 | 18.3 | 18.8 | 20.6 | 21.4 |
| Steroids | 1.3 | 2.2 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 3.1 |
| Methamphetamine | 0.9 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| MDMA* | 0.3 | 1.9 | 4.3 | 9.9 | 12.8 | 16.8 | 21.3 |
| Ketamine | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 6.2 |
| GHB*** | 0.5 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 6.1 |
| Ritalin | 1.1 | 2.6 | 6.3 | 11.9 | 12.7 | 13.7 | 12.5 |
| Heroin | 0.6 | 2.1 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
*Includes any drug listed here.
**Commonly known as Ecstasy, MDMA stands for methylenedioxymethamphetamine.
***GHB stands for gamma hydroxybutyrate, and is known by such names liquid x, Georgia home boy, Goop, gamma-oh, and grievous bodily harm.
SOURCES: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2001; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
