A survey that began collecting data in 1975 has published its findings on the drug use trends of young adults over time.
Most of the information is not entirely surprising, but continues to show that the drug of choice for young adults (ages 19-30) is leaning more towards marijuana and away from alcohol.
According to the survey, marijuana use in this age bracket was at an all-time high, with 42% using marijuana at least once in the past 12 months.
Also interesting is the rise in hallucinogen use, which stands at 7.6% and had a steady increase over the last five years. Tranquilizers, sedatives, and amphetamines were declining in use over the last five years.
Alcohol was down significantly last year, although steady the past four years before that, so this may be explained away by reduced social-time during the pandemic. That being said, a plateau of alcohol-use within the past five years could still show the beginning of a lack of enthusiasm for alcohol.
These trends paint the picture of changing beliefs in what is “healthy” when it comes to drug use. With more and more studies being conducted on the benefits of LSD and psilocybin, comfort levels around psychedelics are rebounding from the War on Drugs scare tactics of the last couple decades.
Read the full, lengthy study here.
