DOI: 10.3886/icpsr39121.v2
title: Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth, 2023 [Restricted-Use]
title: Version 2

description: This data collection is part of the Monitoring the Future series that explores changes in important values, behaviors, and lifestyle orientations of contemporary American youth in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades. The restricted data sets in this collection include variables that were altered or omitted from the public use data sets to maintain respondent confidentiality. Examples of variables included in their original form are: unaltered sampling weight variable, variables for strata and cluster to account for the complex sample design of the MTF, and previously-omitted data on some variables for the Western region of the US. For each year from 1976 through 2017, two data sets containing data for all three grades are available: one dataset including school-level state, county, and Zip Code variables, and one dataset without these geographic school-level variables. Beginning with 2018, data sets were created separately for 8th/10th and 12th grades, resulting in four data sets. This split on grade was done to mirror the data availability of the public use files and facilitate the merging of the public and restricted use data. <strong>Please note: Use of the geographic identifiers such as state, county, or zip code is limited and researchers interested in these variables are encouraged to read FAQs:</strong> Monitoring the Future Restricted-Use Geographic Variables.
Also included as part of each annual collection is a zip archive of the Monitoring the Future public-use data and documentation for each respective year. The basic research design used by the Monitoring the Future study involves annual data collections from eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders throughout the coterminous United States during the spring of each year. The 8th/10th grade surveys consist of four different questionnaire forms (two forms from 1991-1996) and the 12th grade surveys consist of six questionnaire forms (five forms from 1976-1988). Identical forms are used for both eighth and tenth grades, and for the most part, questionnaire content is drawn from the twelfth-grade questionnaires. Thus, key demographic variables and measures of drug use and related attitudes and beliefs are generally identical for all three grades. However, many fewer questions about lifestyles and values are included in the 8th/10th grade surveys. Drugs covered by these surveys include tobacco, smokeless tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, hashish, prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, inhalants, steroids, LSD, hallucinogens, amphetamines (stimulants), Ritalin (methylphenidate), sedatives/barbiturates, tranquilizers, cocaine, crack cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, heroin, and GHB (gamma hydroxy butyrate). Other topics include: attitudes toward religion, changing roles for women, educational aspirations, self-esteem, exposure to drug education, and violence and crime (both in and out of school).
<strong>UPDATE OCTOBER 2025:</strong> There is a problem with merging the restricted-use and public-use data files for the 8th/10th grades. The current 8th/10th grade public-use data file [study 39171, DS1] has incorrect Archive IDs (<strong>AI_08</strong> and <strong>AI_10</strong>). To fix the IDs so the merge of public- and restricted-use data is correct, please see Dataset 4 (DS4) in this study. Documentation is provided about the issue, and a dataset is provided to fix the ID mis-match. Note that all survey data are correct - the problem is only with the archive ID variables.
description: The
data available in the restricted use data files contain the unaltered weighting
variable (<strong>SDE_BX_V5</strong> for 8th/10th grades and <strong>SDE_BY_V5</strong> for 12th grade). In the
public-use data, for reasons of confidentiality, the weight variable (8th/10th
grades data: <strong>V5</strong>; 12th grade data: <strong>V5</strong> prior to 2012 and <strong>ARCHIVE_WT</strong> since 2012)
was altered from its original version to a modified version prior to public
distribution. This results in slight discrepancies in the percentages and N
sizes in the annual MTF volumes and those from weighted analyses of the
public-use datasets. Typically, the variation is less than 1%. No such
variation should be present when using the weight variable in the restricted
use data sets in the virtual data enclave.
<strong>Regardless
of whether the researcher is using the public or restricted use data, the
available weight variable should always be used in analyses.</strong>
<strong>Complex
sample design variables:</strong>
As the base year data - grades 8, 10 and 12 - are sampled
using a multi-stage sampling design, it is often desirable to incorporate the
sampling information into analyses. The
MTF sample is drawn such that the data for each grade are representative of the
48 contiguous United States. The three stages of sampling are the geographic
area, then the selection of one or more schools in the area, and then students
within the school. The variables representing the sampling strata and clusters
are omitted from the public use data but included in the restricted-use files. Please
see "Appendix B: Complex Sample Design and Weighting Information" in
the codebook for details and examples.
description: Response Rates: Please see the MTF public use documentation for 2023 for response rate information.
description: A
multistage area probability sample design was used involving three selection
stages: (1) geographic areas or primary sampling units (PSUs), (2) schools (or
linked groups of schools) within PSUs, and (3) students within sampled schools.
The variables of interest to researchers to account for the complex sample
design of the MTF study are available in the restricted use data files.
For
more information and examples of how to use the complex sample design
information in analyses, please see "Appendix B: Complex Sample Design and
Weighting Information" in the codebook.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Restricted-Use Variables Including State, County, and Zip Code (8th- and 10th-Grade Survey) (VDE Only)
DS2: Restricted-Use Variables Including State, County, and Zip Code (12th Grade Survey) (VDE Only)
DS3: Copy of Public-Use Files
DS4: Restricted-Use ID Variables (8th- and 10th-Grade Survey) (VDE Only)
description: Eighth, tenth and twelfth grade students in the contiguous United States. Smallest Geographic Unit: Zip code
description: web-based surveyConducted by the University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Survey Research Center.This collection provides the original Monitoring the Future variables, including the unaltered weight variable, that in the public-use data were altered or omitted.

Dataset 1 includes State, County, and Zip Code as well as the original variables for 8th and 10th grade respondents.
Dataset 2 includes State, County, and Zip Code as well as the original variables for 12th grade respondents.
Dataset 3 is a zipped package containing all of the available data and documentation files for the corresponding year's public-use files for both 8th/10th and 12th grades.
Dataset 4 contains the Archive ID mis-match correction file for the 8th- and 10th-
grade respondents.
Information is included in the codebook to assist users in linking the original variables in the restricted-use files with the public-use variables to perform analyses of interest. NOTE:
There is an ID mis-match between the public- and restricted-use data files for the 8th and 10th grade respondents. Please see Dataset 4 for the corrections and the associated documentation for details and instructions before merging the public- and restricted-use data.The MTF sample is drawn to generate representative samples of the four Census Bureau regions of the country (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West), but it does not generate representative samples of smaller geographic areas such as states, counties, or cities. <strong>Use of the geographic identifiers such as state, county, or zip code is limited and researchers interested in these variables are encouraged to read FAQs:</strong> Monitoring the Future Restricted-Use Geographic VariablesMost data for the Western region that were intentionally changed to missing data (-9) in the public-use version of the MTF data sets are available in this collection. Please see the codebook for exceptions.Frequency and percentage distributions displayed in the codebooks are unweighted to simplify both the production of the codebooks and their interpretation by the analyst.