Teenagers' Substance Use Drops During Pandemic, But Young Adults' Use Increases

Teenagers' use of substances such as marijuana and tobacco dropped significantly during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new study. However, young adults' use of cannabis, other illegal drugs, and alcohol, including binge drinking, either stayed the same or increased compared to the two years before Covid-19. The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, which follows tobacco and other substance use over time among 49,000 US youths and adults.

Key Takeaways:

• Teenagers' use of marijuana dropped by 3.4 percentage points in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019, while tobacco use declined by about 4 points.
• The use of other illegal or misused prescription drugs also fell 2.5 percentage points in teenagers ages 13 and 14.
• Use of marijuana in teens ages 16 and 17 dropped 7.3 percentage points in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019.
• Tobacco use fell by over 10 points and misuse of drugs sank by nearly 3 percentage points in teenagers ages 16 and 17.
• Binge drinking dipped by 1.6 percentage points across the age group.
• The study suggests that availability of substances may have played a significant role in the decrease in teenage substance use.

Statistics:

• The study analyzed data from 49,000 US youths and adults.
• Teenagers' use of marijuana dropped by 3.4 percentage points in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019.
• Tobacco use declined by about 4 points in teenagers ages 13 and 14.
• The use of other illegal or misused prescription drugs fell 2.5 percentage points in teenagers ages 13 and 14.

Sources:

• Compton, W., et al. "Trends in substance use and substance use disorders in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic." JAMA Network Open, 2023.
• Palamar, J. (as cited in the study). Associate professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.