Young Americans' Cigarette Use Drops as Marijuana and E-Cigarette Use Rises

According to new data released by research firm Gallup, cigarettes appear to be losing their appeal among young people in the United States, as they now prefer to smoke marijuana or use electronic cigarettes.

This week, a US research company released new data regarding the tobacco consumption of young Americans aged 18 to 29. According to the findings, cigarette consumption among young people has significantly decreased from 35% to 12% over the past 20 years. Moreover, the number of young people who use marijuana now exceeds those who smoke cigarettes by more than two-fold.

According to the report, there has been a decline of 23 percentage points among young people, which is more than twice the decline seen in any other age group during the same time period. As a result of these changes, young people have shifted from being the most likely group to smoke to the second least likely group, with only the oldest Americans having a lower smoking rate.

Vaping and smoking weed have become more common activities among young people. Data shows that in fact, they are shifting from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes and cannabis.

The decrease in young people smoking traditional cigarettes is occurring simultaneously with an increase in the usage of marijuana and electronic cigarettes.

Between 2019 and 2022, an average of 26% of young people admitted to using marijuana, compared to a proportion of 17% between 2013 and 2015.

However, electronic cigarettes are also replacing traditional cigarettes among young people, as 15% of individuals aged 18 to 29 only use electronic cigarettes, while only 8% exclusively smoke traditional cigarettes.

Overall, 27% of the American population surveyed by Gallup report using cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or marijuana.

The age group of 18 to 29 prefers to only smoke marijuana (9%), followed by e-cigarettes (7%), while only 3% of the respondents said they only smoke cigarettes.

The use of marijuana has increased among adults aged 30 to 64, while it remains stable among the elderly population.

According to a report by Gallup, an increasing number of young people are using marijuana, "possibly because more and more states have legalized marijuana and e-cigarettes.

At first glance, recent research supports this analysis, as it has found that in states that regulate recreational marijuana sales, usage of marijuana has increased.

In August, a study published in the journal "Addiction" indicated that individuals residing in states where cannabis is legal consume the substance at a rate 20% higher than those residing in states where cannabis is illegal.

However, due to a lack of official data, it may be difficult to track actual consumption in states in the United States that do not have standardized legal markets. Even in states where marijuana is legal, tracking overall consumption may still be a challenge, as the illegal market continues to thrive.

A study published last year in JAMA Pediatrics reported on the use of electronic cigarettes to consume marijuana by adolescents. The study showed that over the past seven years, the number of teenagers consuming marijuana through e-cigarettes has doubled.

However, several factors may have contributed to the decrease in tobacco consumption among young people and the increase in marijuana use, including the anti-tobacco movement that has lasted for several years, a change in the method of using marijuana, and the propaganda efforts to eliminate the stigma surrounding marijuana.

Despite recreational marijuana use still being illegal at the federal level, over 21 states in the past decade have legalized marijuana.

Therefore, the normalization of marijuana use may lead to an increase in the number of young people using marijuana in the short term.

The US annual substance use survey released in August 2022 revealed that daily cannabis use has reached "the highest level since trend monitoring began in 1988.

This survey confirms Gallup's analysis, as it emphasizes that although the usage of e-cigarettes decreased during the first few months of the pandemic in 2020, there has been a significant increase in e-cigarette usage among young people in 2021. Additionally, it also reveals the prevalence of marijuana use among young people in the past month.

Further Reading:

Organizing proposals related to electronic cigarettes and marijuana in the United States midterm elections.

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