A new study has found that young adults were using marijuana and hallucinogens more than ever before in 2021. It also discovered that vaping has skyrocketed amongst those in the age range.
The Monitoring the Future study was conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan. It found that 11% of young adults ages 19 to 30 used marijuana daily in 2021.
The survey also found that 43% reported having used it in the past year. Data shows that daily marijuana use has nearly doubled over the past decade in this age group, while those who reported using in the past year jumped almost 50%.
Nicotine vaping has also become more popular among younger adults, nearly tripling in use over the past five years and increasing from a low usage year in 2020 to 2021. The survey reported 16% of young adults saying they had vaped nicotine in the past month, while 12% reported marijuana vaping.
Dr. Nora Volkow serves as the director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse and shared with CNN that the world of drugs is changing, and users are continuing to get younger.
"As the drug landscape shifts over time, this data provides a window into the substances and patterns of use favored by young adults," Volkow said. "Young adults are in a critical life stage and honing their ability to make informed choices. Understanding how substance use can impact the formative choices in young adulthood is critical to help position the new generations for success."
The survey concluded that while young adults are using hallucinogens like LSD, PCP, and psychedelic mushrooms, at record rates, they tend to gravitate towards the use of marijuana more. Nonetheless, the study says 8% of young adults reported using hallucinogenic substances in the past year. In 2011 that number was 3%.
Drug overdose deaths have continued to rise among all ages since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 108,886 people dying in the U.S. in 2021. That number is more than double the deaths from the same cause in 2015, the CDC reported.
Researchers shared that the study is beneficial to understanding drug use and its impact on people, according to the principal investigator and University of Michigan research professor Megan Patrick.
"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," Patrick said. "We can examine how and why drugs are used and highlight critical areas to guide where the research should go next and to inform public health interventions."
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