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It’s an all-time high for America.
New research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse reveals that marijuana and hallucinogen use have now reached never-before-seen levels in the US.
And it’s not just teenagers or young adults who are copping a buzz: Middle-aged adults between 35 and 50 are busting drug-use records nationwide.
“Substance use is not limited to teens and young adults, and these data help us understand how people use drugs across the lifespan,” Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in a news release.
Americans are traveling a variety of pathways to altered states of consciousness — from pot to psychedelics like LSD, ecstacy, peyote and psilocybin mushrooms.
But good, old-fashioned alcohol — and lots of it — remains a popular route as well, particularly among the middle-aged.
Among this older group, binge drinking climbed to its highest levels yet, reaching 29% of middle-aged people during 2022, continuing its steady climb over the past several years.
Meanwhile, overall rates of alcohol use — including daily drinking and binge drinking — have been on an overall downward trend for younger adults between 19 and 30 years old, the report reveals.
The data came from the Monitoring the Future panel study, an annual survey of substance use behaviors and attitudes of US adults 19 to 60 years old.
Since 1975, the MTF study has conducted annual surveys of substance use among samples of eighth, 10th and 12th graders. The study then followed-up on participants after high school to track their drug use into adulthood.
The participants are followed every other year through age 30, then every five years. The oldest survey participants are now in their 60s.
Overall, one undeniable fact emerges from the study — Americans love mind-altering substances, and at increasing rates.
For example, daily marijuana use among younger adults reached its highest level in 2022 (11%), which was greater than five years ago (8% in 2017) and 10 years ago (just 6% in 2012).
And among middle-aged adults, past-year marijuana use reached an all-time high in 2022 (28%), more than double the rate 10 years ago (13% in 2012).
Past-year use of hallucinogens has also doubled in this older age group, reaching 4% in 2022, compared to 2% in 2021.
The survey also includes use of sedatives, cigarettes and non-medical use of opioids in its database. These substances show a a 10-year decline for both adult age groups.
But use of amphetamines shows an interesting divergence. While past-year use of amphetamines continued a steady 10-year drop among 19- to 30-year-olds, there was a 10-year increase among 35 to 50-year-olds.
“The value of surveys such as MTF is to show us how drug use trends evolve over decades and across development — from adolescence through adulthood,” Megan Patrick, a research professor at the University of Michigan and principal investigator of the MTF panel study, said in the news release.
“Behaviors and public perception of drug use can shift rapidly, based on drug availability and other factors,” Patrick noted. “It’s important to track this so that public health professionals and communities can be prepared to respond.”
“Understanding these trends is a first step, and it is crucial that research continues to illuminate how substance use and related health impacts may change over time,” Volkow of the National Institute on Drub Abuse added.