August 24, 2022
Marijuana, hallucinogen use at all-time high among young adults
Marijuana and hallucinogen use in the past year reported by young adults 19 to 30 years old increased significantly in 2021 compared to five and 10 years ago, reaching historic highs in this age group since 1988, according to the Monitoring the Future panel study. Other findings include:
- Rates of past-month nicotine vaping continued their general upward trend in 2021.
- Binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks) rebounded in 2021 from a historic low in 2020.
- In 2021 high-intensity drinking (having 10 or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks) reached its highest level since it was first measured in 2005.
Megan Patrick said, “One of the best ways we can learn more about drug use and its impact on people is to observe which drugs are appearing, in which populations, for how long and under which contexts. Monitoring the Future and similar large-scale surveys on a consistent sample population allow us to assess the effects of ‘natural experiments’ like the pandemic. ”