BRIEF8.A Substance use and mental health of adolescents: Perceived COVID-19 effect on substance use among adolescents ages 12–17 who reported past-year illicit drug or past-year alcohol use by level of COVID-19 effect reported, October–December 2020

Characteristic	Perceived effect on substance use
Illicit drug use
Used drugs a little less or much less than before the pandemic	46.4
Used drugs about the same as before the pandemic	38.4
Used drugs a little more or much more than before the pandemic	15.2
Alcohol use
Used alcohol a little less or much less than before the pandemic	38.7
Used alcohol about the same as before the pandemic	46.8
Used alcohol a little more or much more than before the pandemic	14.5
NOTE: Respondents with unknown information on their perception of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on their drug use were excluded. Respondents were asked how much, if at all, the COVID-19 pandemic affected their substance use. Potential responses were "much less," "a little less," "about the same," "a little more," or "much more" as compared to before the pandemic.
SOURCE: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Survey on Drug Use and Health.