“As the drug landscape shifts over time, this data provides a window into the substances and patterns of use favored by young adults,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “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 found that more than one in 10 (11%) young adults reported using marijuana on a daily basis in 2021 and more than two in five (43%) had used it in the past year. Rates of daily marijuana use nearly doubled over the past 10 years for this age group and past-year use jumped nearly 50%.
Vaping prevalence is growing even faster among young adults and on a steady upward trend, according to the study. After slowing in 2020, rates of nicotine vaping in 2021 were nearly triple what they were five years ago and rates of marijuana vaping were about double.
About 16% of young adults reported vaping nicotine in the past month and 12% reported vaping marijuana in the past month, according to the study.
The latest survey was conducted online between April and October of last year. But in April 2022, a loophole that vaping companies have used to…
