Marijuana and hallucinogen use among young adults reached an all-time record last year after having leveled off during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, according to federal survey data.
The findings, part of the government’s annual survey of drug use among young Americans, also found that nicotine vaping and excessive alcohol consumption continued to climb in 2021 after a brief pause. Another worrying trend among young people, ages 19 to 30: mounting consumption of alcoholic beverages suffused with THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
But there were some bright spots in the survey. Cigarette smoking and opioid abuse among young adults dropped last year, a continuing trend that has heartened public health experts.
Taken in its entirety, the report provides a mixed picture of substance use in the United States that experts say reflects a number of disparate trends affecting young Americans: the devastating mental health effects of the pandemic; the increased availability of legal marijuana; and the emerging therapeutic embrace of psychedelics to treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological problems.
“Overall, the results are very concerning,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which publishes the annual Monitoring the Future survey. “What they tell us is that the problem of substance abuse among young people has gotten worse in this country, and that the pandemic, with all its mental stressors and turmoil, has likely contributed to the rise.”
More About Cannabis
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- Use on the Rise: Federal survey data on substance use shows the growing mainstream acceptance of cannabis and hallucinogenic compounds among young adults.
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The online survey of people ages 19 to 60 was conducted from April to October 2021.
Substance use research experts said the mounting use of marijuana in young adults was especially notable. The survey found that 43 percent in the 19-30 age group reported using cannabis within the last 12 months, up from 34 percent in 2016. In 2011, that figure was 29 percent. Daily marijuana consumption (defined as 20 or more times in the last 30 days) also jumped significantly, to 11 percent from 6 percent in 2011.
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Published Aug. 23, 2022
Updated Aug. 25, 2022, 12:39 p.m. ET
Images Credit:
- The annual survey of drug use indicated that daily consumption of marijuana among young adults nearly doubled over the previous decade. Credit... Peter Morgan/Associated Press
Source : The New York Times
Link to original article: Use of Marijuana and Psychedelics Is Soaring Among Young Adults, Study Finds
