Monitoring the Future Survey/30 Day Use

Abstract

The Monitoring the Future Survey/30 Day Use Scale is a subset of instruments derived from the comprehensive Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF), an ongoing epidemiological study tracking behaviors and attitudes of American adolescents and adults. This specific scale focuses on assessing the recent prevalence and frequency of various forms of substance use over a critical 30-day period. It is designed to capture short-term patterns of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drug consumption, providing crucial data for public health surveillance and intervention planning. The items measure both frequency of use and, for key substances like tobacco and marijuana, the typical quantity consumed per day or occasion.

Developed and administered by researchers at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (ISR), the 30-Day Use Scale is essential for tracking emerging trends in adolescent substance abuse and evaluating the immediate impact of prevention efforts.

Keywords

Monitoring the Future, MTF, 30-day use, substance abuse, adolescent health, cigarettes, alcohol consumption, drug prevalence, epidemiology, self-report.

Authors

Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., Bachman, J.G.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the 30-Day Use Scale is to provide timely and precise data regarding the current level of substance engagement among target populations, primarily secondary school students. By focusing on the preceding 30 days, researchers can establish a recent baseline measure of drug exposure and identify acute patterns of risk behavior, such as heavy drinking (being drunk or very high) or daily smoking.

This short measurement window is highly valuable in public health research for calculating prevalence rates and monitoring rapid shifts in drug trends that might not be captured effectively by longer-term (e.g., annual or lifetime) measures. The data collected informs federal agencies, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), regarding the need for targeted educational and prevention campaigns.

Construct

The scale measures the construct of Recent Substance Use Frequency and Intensity. This construct is operationalized through self-report items that quantify the number of occasions a specific substance—including tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, cannabis, inhalants, psychedelics (LSD), and stimulants (amphetamines, cocaine)—was used during the past month.

Unlike measures focused solely on dependence or lifetime exposure, this scale specifically targets behavioral engagement within a recent, defined timeframe. The construct is multi-faceted, encompassing legal substances (for adults), illicit drugs, and misuse of prescription or household items (inhalants), reflecting the broad scope of substance-related risk behaviors among adolescents.

Validity

While the specific psychometric properties (such as internal consistency coefficients) for this extracted 30-Day Use subscale are typically reported within the extensive MTF documentation, the overall validity of the MTF data collection system is considered robust. The scale exhibits strong Face Validity, as the items directly ask about recent behaviors (e.g., “How frequently have you smoked cigarettes during the past 30 days?”).

Furthermore, the MTF study utilizes rigorous administration procedures, including standardized questionnaires and confidential administration protocols, which enhance the reliability of self-reported data. The use of multiple indicators for key substances (e.g., frequency and quantity for cigarettes and marijuana) allows for internal cross-validation of usage estimates.

Reliability

As a component of the MTF, which employs a large, nationally representative sample and consistent longitudinal methods, the scale benefits from high procedural reliability. Although specific reliability metrics (like test-retest reliability or Cronbach’s alpha) are complex to calculate for prevalence measures, the consistency of reporting over time within the MTF study demonstrates high overall data quality.

The categorical response options are exhaustive and mutually exclusive, minimizing measurement error associated with ambiguous choices. The overall reliability of the MTF data is continuously monitored through methodological research conducted by the Institute for Social Research, supporting its status as a benchmark epidemiological tool.

Factor Analysis

The 30-Day Use Scale is generally not subjected to a single factor analysis across all items, as the different substances (nicotine, alcohol, opioids, stimulants) represent distinct, though often correlated, risk behaviors. Instead, the items serve as separate indicators of recent usage for specific substance categories.

Researchers typically treat the scale as a set of distinct frequency indices, allowing for the analysis of patterns such as co-occurrence (polysubstance use) rather than attempting to collapse all items into one latent factor of “general drug use.”

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire; Epidemiological Survey Instrument

Format: Paper-and-pencil or online administration; Fixed-choice categorical response options

Language Available: English (primarily)

Population Group: General adolescent population, stratified by grade level (secondary school students)

Age Group: Typically 13–18 years old (8th, 10th, and 12th graders)

Population Details: Nationally representative samples of students enrolled in U.S. secondary schools.

Test Methodology: Anonymous, group-administered questionnaire conducted in school settings.

Keywords

Tobacco use, marijuana frequency, crack cocaine, inhalants, LSD, adolescent substance abuse, public health surveillance, NIDA.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content. (Contact authors for specific ORCID information.)

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Dr. Lloyd Johnston, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2321, (734) 764-8354

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Monitoring the Future data, including the 30-Day Use Scale, is generally non-proprietary and disseminated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for research purposes. Researchers interested in using the scale items or accessing the full dataset should consult the MTF project office at the University of Michigan for specific terms of use and data access protocols.

The specific publication detailing the use of these items in the context of secondary school students was released in 2001.

The original instrument details can be found on pages 29-33 of the Core Measures Initiative Phase I Recommendations, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://vvv.dmhas.state.ct.us/sig/pdf/uconn/core_measures.pdf

Reference’s

Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., & Bachman, J.G. (2001). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2001: Volume 1, Secondary School Students 2000 (NIH Publication NO. 01-4924) Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Items of the Monitoring the Future Survey/30 Day Use

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

30-day Use Scale:

1. How frequently have you smoked cigarettes during the past 30 days?
   1. Not at all
   2. Less than one cigarette per day
   3. One to five cigarettes per day
   4. About one-half pack per day
   5. About one pack per day
   6. About one and one-half packs per day
   7. Two packs or more per day
2. How often have you taken smokeless tobacco during the past 30 days?
   1. Not at all
   2. Once or twice
   3. Once to twice per week
   4. Three to five times per week
   5. About once a day
   6. More than once a day
3. To be more precise‚ during the past 30 days about how many cigarettes have you smoked per day?
   1. None
   2. Less than 1 per day
   3. 1 to 2
   4. 3 to 7
   5. 8 to 12
   6. 13 to 17
   7. 18 to 22
   8. 23 to 27
   9. 28 to 32
   10. 33 to 37
   11. 38 or more
4. On how many occasions during the last 30 days have you had alcoholic beverages to drink (more than just a few sips)?
   1. 0 occasions
   2. 1-2 occasions
   3. 3-5 occasions
   4. 6-9 occasions
   5. 10-19 occasions
   6. 20-39 occasions
   7. 40 or more
5. On how many occasions during the past 30 days (if any) have you been drunk or very high from drinking alcoholic beverages?
   1. 0 occasions
   2. 1-2 occasions
   3. 3-5 occasions
   4. 6-9 occasions
   5. 10-19 occasions
   6. 20-39 occasions
   7. 40 or more
6. On how many occasions during the last 30 days (if any) have you used marijuana (grass‚ pot) or hashish (hash‚ hash oil)?
   1. 0 occasions
   2. 1-2 occasions
   3. 3-5 occasions
   4. 6-9 occasions
   5. 10-19 occasions
   6. 20-39 occasions
   7. 40 or more
7. During the LAST MONTH‚ about how many marijuana cigarettes (joints‚ reefers)‚ or the equivalent‚ did you smoke a day‚ on the average? (If you shared them with other people‚ count only the amount YOU smoked).
   1. None
   2. Less than 1 a day
   3. 1 a day
   4. 2-3 a day
   5. 4-6 a day
   6. 7-10 a day
   7. 11 or more a day
8. On how many occasions during the last 30 days (if any) have you sniffed glue‚ or breathed the contents of aerosol spray cans‚ or inhaled any other gases or sprays in order to get high?
   1. 0
   2. 1-2
   3. 3-5
   4. 6-9
   5. 10-19
   6. 20-39
   7. 40 +
9. On how many occasions (if any) during the last 30 days have you taken LSD (“acid”)?
   1. 0 Occasions
   2. 1-2 Occasions
   3. 3-5 Occasions
   4. 6-9 Occasions
   5. 10-19 Occasions
   6. 20-39 Occasions
   7. 40 or More Occasions
10. Amphetamines are sometimes called: uppers‚ ups‚ speed‚ bennies‚ dexies‚ pep pills‚ diet pills‚ meth or crystal meth. They include the following drugs: Benzedrine‚ Dexedrine‚ Methedrine‚ Ritalin‚ Preludin‚ Dexamyl‚ and Methamphetamine. On how many occasions (if any) during the last 30 days have you taken amphetamines on your own—that is‚ without a doctor telling you to take them?
    1. 0 Occasions
    2. 1-2 Occasions
    3. 3-5 Occasions
    4. 6-9 Occasions
    5. 10-19 Occasions
    6. 20-39 Occasions
    7. 40 or More Occasions
11. On how many occasions (if any) during the last 30 days have you taken “crack” (cocaine in chunk or rock form)?
    1. 0 Occasions
    2. 1-2 Occasions
    3. 3-5 Occasions
    4. 6-9 Occasions
    5. 10-19 Occasions
    6. 20-39 Occasions
    7. 40 or More Occasions
12. On how many occasions (if any) during the last 30 days have you taken cocaine in any other form (like cocaine powder)?
    1. 0 Occasions
    2. 1-2 Occasions
    3. 3-5 Occasions
    4. 6-9 Occasions
    5. 10-19 Occasions
    6. 20-39 Occasions
    7. 40 or More Occasions