Youth Substance Use Trends: Highest Rates in History

Aug.24.2022
Youth Substance Use Trends: Highest Rates in History
Marijuana and nicotine e-cigarette usage among young people hit historic highs in 2021, according to a report.

According to a report released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the United States, in 2021, the usage rates of cannabis and nicotine electronic cigarettes among young people reached an all-time high level.


Dr. Megan E. Patrick and her colleagues at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor studied drug use prevalence and trends among young people dating back to 1975 in a monitoring group study. Participants were initially sampled in 12th grade at the age of 18, and then surveyed annually until the age of 30.


Researchers have found that in 2021, the most commonly used substances among young people in the past 12 months were alcohol, marijuana, nicotine e-cigarettes, marijuana e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and other drugs (at 81.8%, 42.6%, 21.8%, 18.7%, and 18.3% respectively). The report showed a binge-drinking rate of 32.0% and a daily marijuana use rate of 10.8%. From 2020 to 2021, there was an increase in monthly marijuana e-cigarette use, a decrease in daily alcohol consumption but an increase in binge drinking, returning to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. There was also an increase in monthly nicotine e-cigarette use, a decrease in non-medical use of narcotics other than heroin, and a decrease in non-medical use of some stimulants, including amphetamines, Adderall, cocaine, and methamphetamine.


In 2021, there was a high prevalence of cannabis, nicotine e-cigarettes, high-intensity alcohol, and hallucinogens other than LSD within a month, while smoking, excessive drinking, and the use of anesthetics other than heroin, Vicodin, and Oxycodone were at historically low levels.


Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, stated in a press release that "understanding how drug use affects young adults' future choices is crucial in helping the next generation avoid harm.


This article contains excerpts or reposts from third-party sources, and their copyright belongs to the original media and authors. If there is any infringement, please contact us for deletion. Any individuals or organizations who wish to repost must contact the author and refrain from reposting directly.


This document has been generated through artificial intelligence translation and is provided solely for the purposes of industry discourse and learning. Please note that the intellectual property rights of the content belong to the original media source or author. Owing to certain limitations in the translation process, there may be discrepancies between the translated text and the original content. We recommend referring to the original source for complete accuracy. In case of any inaccuracies, we invite you to reach out to us with corrections. If you believe any content has infringed upon your rights, please contact us immediately for its removal.

Finnish Customs Investigate Firm Suspected of Importing and Selling Nicotine Pouches Without Paying Tobacco Tax
Finnish Customs Investigate Firm Suspected of Importing and Selling Nicotine Pouches Without Paying Tobacco Tax
Finnish Customs are investigating a firm suspected of importing and selling nicotine pouches without paying tobacco tax. Two Finnish citizens have been questioned as part of the probe. The authority believes the nicotine pouches were imported into Finland from other EU countries before being distributed to Finnish retailers.
Mar.11 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Peru Parliament Considers Imposing up to 100% Tax on E-Cigarettes
Peru Parliament Considers Imposing up to 100% Tax on E-Cigarettes
Peru Parliament discusses bill to impose up to 100% tax on e-cigarettes, citing public health concerns. Youth usage at 15.9%.
Mar.20 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Cambodia Moves to Draft New Tobacco Control Strategy Targeting Illicit Products and E-Cigarette Spread
Cambodia Moves to Draft New Tobacco Control Strategy Targeting Illicit Products and E-Cigarette Spread
Cambodian Health Minister Cheang Ra has called for the development of a tobacco control strategy for 2027–2031, with the goal of reducing tobacco use by 30% by 2030. The directive was issued during a Tobacco Product Control Committee meeting in Phnom Penh. Priority areas include reducing tobacco use, protecting the public from secondhand smoke, tackling illegal and counterfeit tobacco products, and preventing the spread of e-cigarettes.
Apr.29 by 2FIRSTS.ai
FDA Opens Public Comment Period on Draft Guidance for Flavored E-Cigarette Applications
FDA Opens Public Comment Period on Draft Guidance for Flavored E-Cigarette Applications
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products announced an open public comment period for a draft guidance titled Flavored Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) Premarket Applications – Considerations Related to Youth Risk.
Apr.09 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Special Report|From Nicotine Pouches to Jelly? A China Tobacco Patent Explores Dual-Release NRT
Special Report|From Nicotine Pouches to Jelly? A China Tobacco Patent Explores Dual-Release NRT
A patent published on February 24, 2026, by China Tobacco Hubei Industrial Co., Ltd. introduces a “nicotine jelly” product designed to combine rapid and sustained nicotine delivery. By integrating both free and microencapsulated nicotine, the product aims to address key limitations of traditional nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), while also raising new regulatory and product classification questions.
Innovation
Mar.18
Special Report|Disposable Heated Tobacco? A China Tobacco Patent Reimagines the Heated-Tobacco Stick as a Self-Contained Product
Special Report|Disposable Heated Tobacco? A China Tobacco Patent Reimagines the Heated-Tobacco Stick as a Self-Contained Product
A newly published China Tobacco patent proposes a holder-free heat-not-burn stick that integrates the filter, tobacco substrate, heating element, controller and power source into one cigarette-shaped product. It stands out not just for eliminating the external heating device, but for explicitly highlighting two less common goals in heated tobacco: restoring cigarette-like social sharing and enabling post-use recovery through a recoverable component group.
Innovation
Mar.18