Adults over 35 are binge drinking more, consuming more cannabis and using more psychedelics than last year, according to a recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The findings were released on Thursday and are based on the Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study, an annual survey that examines substance use behaviours and attitudes of adults aged 19 to 60.
The study found that while binge drinking has generally decreased among younger adults over the past decade, adults aged 35 to 50 reported the highest prevalence of binge drinking ever recorded for their age group in 2022.
Younger adults –those aged 19 to 30– have also reported increased use of marijuana, hallucinogens and vaping in the past five years.
The study emphasizes that understanding these trends is crucial for equipping adults with knowledge related to substance use.
The MTF study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health and is done by researchers at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor.
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Daily cannabis use up among adults
For adults aged 35 to 50, the use of hallucinogens in the past year hit a record high in 2022, with 4 per cent reporting use. This is a significant jump from 2 per cent in 2021 and no more than 1 per cent in both 2017 and 2012.
In the 19 to 30 age group, the study found record-high levels of past-year and daily marijuana use in 2022. About 44 per cent reported using marijuana in the past year, marking an increase from 35 per cent in 2017 and 28 per cent in 2012.
Daily use in 2022 stood at 11 per cent, up from 8 per cent in 2017 and 6 per cent in 2012. For those aged 35 to 50, past-year marijuana use peaked in 2022 at 28 per cent, a rise from 25 per cent in 2021, 17 per cent in 2017, and more than double the 13 per cent in 2012.
Nicotine vaping reaches all-time high
Vaping trends also showed significant changes. In 2022, 21 per cent of adults between 19 and 30 reported vaping marijuana in the past year, a jump from 12 per cent when first measured in 2017 and 19 per cent in 2021. Nicotine vaping in this group also reached an all-time high of 24 per cent in 2022, nearly doubling the 14 per cent reported in 2017.
However, for the 35 to 50 age bracket, past-year marijuana vaping remained consistent at 9 per cent since 2019, and nicotine vaping has been steady at 7 per cent since its initial report, with the same percentage in 2022.
In the age bracket of 19 to 30, there was an 8 per cent reported use of hallucinogens in the past year. This is a rise from 5 per cent in 2017 and 3 per cent in 2012.
Participants mentioned using various hallucinogens such as LSD, MDMA, mescaline, peyote, shrooms or psilocybin and PCP. In 2022, the majority of users in this age range reported consuming hallucinogens other than LSD, accounting for 7 per cent.
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The MTF study has been examining substance use patterns and perceptions among nationally representative groups of eighth, 10th, and 12th graders annually since 1975. This longitudinal study also follows up with a select group of these participants post-12th grade to monitor their drug use as they age. After graduating from high school, these individuals are surveyed biennially until they turn 30 and then every five years. Currently, the eldest participants are in their 60s.
“Substance use is not limited to teens and young adults, and these data help us understand how people use drugs across the lifespan,” said NIDA director Nora Volkow.
“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. We want to ensure that people from the earliest to the latest stages in adulthood are equipped with up-to-date knowledge to help inform decisions related to substance use.”
