AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine high school students are using less alcohol and cannabis, and their mental health is improving, new survey results show.
Every two years, the state conducts the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey to get a read on how students are faring and to see where improvements are needed.
Data collected last spring show the percentage of students who say they feel sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row dropped from 35% in 2023 to 28% in 2025.
“In particular, we were really happy to see some improvements across the board in youth mental health,” said Sheila Nelson, the adolescent health and injury prevention program manager for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “So young people struggling with episodes of depression as well as suicidality, all of those went down, which is the direction we want to see them go.”
When it comes to substance use, the percentage of high school students who reported having at least one drink of alcohol in the past 30 days dropped from 20.5% in 2023 to 16.5% in 2025.
Other findings showed cannabis use dropped from 18.7% in 2023 to 14.6% in 2025 and use of vape pens went from 15.6% to 13%.
When it comes to the reason for the improvements, Nelson said there’s no way to point to a particular program. But she did say following the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been more discussion about youth mental health.
“More young people are feeling comfortable reaching out to adults in their lives when they need support and potentially more adults recognizing that’s something they need to keep an eye on for the young people in their lives,” she said.
According to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, a different survey from 2024 shows that 97% of schools now provide mental health programming for students, up from 88% in 2022.
The report also highlights concerns, such as an increase in the number of students using dissolvable tobacco and nicotine pouches. And when you compare results by demographics, girls and LGBTQ+ students were twice as likely as boys to report feeling sad for two or more weeks.
Moving forward, Nelson said the state will continue its Filter Out the Noise campaign that encourages students to identify when “they or a friend is struggling and reaching out to a caring adult who can help them.”
Nelson said those caring adults don’t have to be a parent or teacher. Everyone in Maine has a role to play in keeping kids safe and healthy, she said.
“One of the most important things that all of us can do as adults is just be present for young people in our lives,” she said. “Show up for young people, ensure they know that we care about them, that they’re valued in their communities and that we are, as adults, people that they can trust if they need something.”
To get more local news, activities and weather in Maine, download the Spectrum News app.
