![There's been a decrease over the past five years of cocaine use among young adults in the U.S. The prevalence is about 5% in the past 12 months [of young adults who] used cocaine. All Things Considered August 24, 2026 Megan Patrick, Monitoring the Future, Survey Research Center](https://api.isr.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Patrick-ATC.png)
Penn State bust put focus on cocaine but on most campuses the big risk is alcohol
August 28, 2026
While an alleged cocaine ring at Penn State University has drawn national headlines, cocaine use among young adults has been decreasing over the last 5 years. Megan Patrick tells NPR’s All Things Considered that the prevalence of cocaine use among young people is about 5% in the last year.
There’s been a decrease over the past five years of cocaine use among young adults in the U.S. The prevalence is about 5% in the past 12 months [of young adults who] used cocaine.