Although it remained stable in 2020, the rate of nicotine use among young people has gradually increased over the past four years and continues to show an overall upward trend in 2021. The proportion of those using cannabis significantly decreased in 2020, but has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2021.
Researchers collected survey data online from April 2021 to October 2021. The main findings for the group of young people included:
Marijuana use: over the past year, past month, and daily marijuana use (using 20 or more times within the past 30 days) has reached its highest level since monitoring these trends began in 1988. In 2021, 29% of young people reported using marijuana in the past month, compared to 21% five years ago (2016) and 17% ten years ago (2011). During these time periods, daily marijuana use has also significantly increased. In 2021, 11% of young people reported daily marijuana use, a significant increase compared to 8% in 2016 and 6% in 2011.
E-cigarettes: Although the use of nicotine e-cigarettes remained stable in 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase among young people in the past month of 2021. This continued growth reflects a long-term upward trend: in 2021, the popularity of nicotine e-cigarettes has almost tripled, reaching 16%, compared to 6% when this behavior was first recorded in 2017. In the past month, the use of marijuana among young people significantly decreased in 2020, but in 2021 it has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Since marijuana use was included in studies in 2017, the past month's popularity has doubled, from 6% in 2017 to 12% in 2021.
According to the survey, compared to 10 years ago, there has been a significant decrease in the past year in the number of young people smoking and using non-medical opioid drugs in the past month (as surveyed "excluding heroin"). The use of these two substances has been steadily declining over the past decade.
The legalization of medical and recreational marijuana has increased accessibility and reduced legal consequences for its use. This change in law has accompanied a shift in attitudes, with many people believing that marijuana is generally quite safe, according to Kevin Boehnke, a researcher at the Michigan Medicine Anesthesiology and Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center.
Boehnke's research examines the trend of using marijuana and hallucinogens to treat pain and other mental and physical health conditions. He notes that, from a safety perspective, there is evidence to support that the risk of fatal overdose from marijuana is lower than that of alcohol and almost all other drugs, making it an attractive alternative for recreational or medical use.
Ultimately, it appears that more and more people, especially young people, are becoming aware of the moral bankruptcy and scientific ineffectiveness of the war on drugs policy, and increasingly questioning the harm caused by cannabis.
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