Survey results show that marijuana and substance use skyrocketed for adults

According to the statistics on the Priory Group website, marijuana was the most commonly used drug in the UK between 2018 and 2019. In fact, in 2018 alone, over 4,300 people in the United Kingdom passed away from toxic drug poisoning.

As for substance abuse disorders, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, over 60 million people used illicit drugs in 2022 – and the numbers continue to grow.

Conversely, previous studies have shown a general decline in binge drinking over the last decade among younger adults.

However, a recent Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey has revealed that adults aged between 35 and 50 in 2022 reported the highest prevalence of binge drinking, marijuana and hallucinogen use ever recorded for this age group.

The MTF study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which is also part of the National Institutes of Health and was conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan.

According to the survey, among younger adults aged 19 to 30, the reports of past-year marijuana and hallucinogen use, as well as nicotine vaping, were at their highest historic levels for this age group in 2022.

NIDA director, Nora Volkow, M.D., stated: "Substance use is not limited to teens and young adults, and these data help us understand how people use drugs across the lifespan."

"Understanding these trends is a first step, and it is crucial that research continues to illuminate how substance use and related health impacts may change over time," Volkow continued.

Since 1975, the MTF study has consistently conducted annual surveys that focus on examining substance use behaviours and attitudes, particularly amongst representative samples of eighth, tenth and twelve graders.

The MTF panel subsequently conducts a series of follow-up surveys on a subset of the participants after the 12th grade to track their drug use throughout adulthood.

After the participants complete their high school education, they are followed every other year leading up to when they turn 30, and then every five years afterwards, with the oldest participants now being in their 60s.

As for the 2022 survey, data from the adults was collected via online and paper surveys carried out from April 2022 to October 2022. Eventually, the researchers divided the data into two age groups (19 to 30 years old and 35 to 50 years old) in order to conduct a trend analysis.

Key findings from the survey showed that, for adults aged 19 to 30, the percentages of those reporting marijuana use reached their highest levels ever reported by the study.

In regards to marijuana vaping, past-year vaping was reported by 21 per cent of adults aged 19 to 30 years old in 2022, also calculating the highest levels reported since the measure was first added in 2017, as well as a notable increase from the 12 per cent five years ago.

Hallucinogen use among eight per cent of 19 to 30-year-olds was reported in the past year, whilst alcohol use interestingly showed a gradual increase for adults aged 35 to 50 over the past decade.

The study also revealed that the past-year use of cigarettes, sedatives and non-medical use of opioid medications showed a 10-year decline for both of the adult age groups.

Also included in the study were the drug use trends among college and non-college young adults, and demographic subgroups.

Megan Patrick, PhD, a research professor at the University of Michigan, said: "The value of surveys such as MTF is to show us how drug use trends evolve over decades and across development, from adolescence through adulthood."

The professor concluded by saying: "Behaviours and public perception of drug use can shift rapidly, based on drug availability and other factors. It's important to track this so that public health professionals and communities can be prepared to respond."