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Medscape
15-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Six Patterns Define Young Adult Substance Use in the US
Among six distinct patterns of substance use identified in young adults in the United States in 2019, nicotine vaping and cannabis smoking were the most common, new research showed. Additionally, stress, boredom, and loneliness were linked to specific substance use patterns. METHODOLOGY: To identify patterns of substance use at the day level and potential associations with mood, researchers analyzed data of nearly 600 young adults (mean age, 19.3 years; 66% women; 70% White) who reported alcohol use in the previous 30 days as 12th grade participants in the Monitoring the Future study (2018) and completed daily surveys for 14 days in a 2019 follow-up study. Individuals reported alcohol, cannabis, and/or nicotine/tobacco use across 3086 days (mean, 4 substance use days contributed). Stress, boredom, loneliness, and type of day (special occasion or difficult day) were included as covariates. TAKEAWAY: Six distinct patterns were identified: Nicotine vaping (34% of substance use days), cannabis smoking (24%), alcohol only (17%), cannabis vaping (12%), multiple tobacco combustibles (7%), and multimodal cannabis use (cannabis smoking plus cannabis vaping, 7%). In all, 52% of participants experienced more than one type of substance use day. Mean stress, boredom, and loneliness levels were higher on days of multimodal cannabis use than on most other days of substance use. Days of alcohol use showed lower levels of stress, boredom, and loneliness, with these days more likely than other substance use days to be a special occasion or weekend. Days characterized by multimodal cannabis use had higher probabilities of nicotine vaping and alcohol use, suggesting an increased risk for acute harms and increased risk for cannabis use disorder, the researchers noted. IN PRACTICE: 'Understanding these patterns is important for developing intervention strategies that are responsive to specific substance use on a given day,' the investigators wrote. 'Just-in-time or adaptive interventions that aim to be delivered during moments of stress, boredom, or loneliness, and help individuals to identify and develop alternative coping strategies in that moment may be particularly salient for reducing high-risk patterns of cannabis use,' they added. SOURCE: This study was led by Rebecca J. Evans-Polce, PhD, Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was published online on April 29 in Addictive Behaviors . LIMITATIONS: This study relied on self-reported substance use data, which may be affected by social desirability bias or memory recall issues. Additionally, it focused on individuals with a mean age of 19 years and was conducted in 2019, potentially limiting the generalizability of the study to young adults of other ages or to different time periods. Low prevalence hindered the inclusion of substance use beyond alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine/tobacco. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by research grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Cancer Institute. The investigators reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
To Save America's Youth, Lawmakers Should Invest in Drug Prevention
Prevention remains one of the most effective and cost-conscious tools we have in our fight against the drug crisis. This National Prevention Week, we urge lawmakers to renew their investments in prevention and push back against industry-backed efforts to normalize drug use. To maximize their effectiveness, prevention programs must reach adolescents before they are exposed to substance use in their peer groups. Yet nearly one-third of 12- to 17-year-olds reported that they did not see or hear any substance use prevention messages in school, according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This lack of prevention education has serious implications for health equity, as racial and ethnic minority youth are less likely to report seeing these messages in their schools. Prevention takes a village. All sectors of a community must be aligned in order to set healthy norms. This approach guides the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, which involves sectors from businesses and media to schools and religious organizations. Unfortunately, numerous actors that pursue private profits at the expense of public health actively undermine these efforts. These include marijuana shops and, more recently, psychedelics shops. Our children are given conflicting messages when we tell them not to use addictive substances now being promoted throughout their neighborhoods. Given the increasing embrace of mind-altering drugs at the state level, it's no surprise that drug use has risen. A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that recreational marijuana legalization was associated with a 13 percent increase in past-month marijuana use among youth ages 12 to 17, and a 22 percent increase among young adults ages 18 to 25. Between 2012 and 2023, the prevalence of marijuana use among 19- to 30-year-olds increased from 28.1 percent to 42.4 percent, while it more than doubled from 13.1 percent to 29.3 percent among 35- to 50-year-olds, according to the Monitoring the Future survey. Over this same period, annual overdose deaths nationwide more than doubled from 41,502 to 105,007. As highlighted in the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions' The Hyannis Consensus: The Blueprint for Effective Drug Policy, the nation's drug policy "should promote a health standard that normalizes the non-use of substances." Our drug policies should not make it easier to use licit and illicit substances. A person holds a glass pipe used to smoke meth following the decriminalization of all drugs in downtown Portland, Oregon on January 25, 2024. A person holds a glass pipe used to smoke meth following the decriminalization of all drugs in downtown Portland, Oregon on January 25, 2024. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images Other things being equal, the harms of drug use will decline as the prevalence of drug use declines. Notably, the White House recently estimated that the societal cost of illicit opioids was $2.7 trillion––with a "t"––in 2023, which is "equivalent to 9.7 percent of GDP." Viewed through this lens, prevention is essential and must remain central to drug policy efforts. A proactive, upstream approach premised on prevention will also reduce strain on downstream systems like treatment and recovery. Policymakers must remember that prevention programs are cost-effective. A 2016 report from the surgeon general explained: Interventions that prevent substance use disorders can yield an even greater economic return than the services that treat them. For example, a recent study of prevention programs estimated that every dollar spent on effective, school-based prevention programs can save an estimated $18 in costs related to problems later in life. National Prevention Week is also a fitting time to spotlight novel approaches to prevention. The Icelandic Model is particularly promising. A 2019 study explained that "by working to increase social and environmental protective factors associated with preventing or delaying substance use and decreasing corresponding risk factors, the model prevents substance use by intervening on society itself and across a broad spectrum of opportunities for community intervention." In practice, this approach may encourage youth to join community groups and participate in extracurricular activities, which are protective factors against substance use. To scale what we know works, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy director nominee Sara Carter should relaunch a national prevention campaign, similar to the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Those public awareness efforts were particularly effective in reducing rates of tobacco use, and will help set strong anti-drug cultural norms and promote health. The current administration deserves praise for centering prevention in a recent statement of its drug policy priorities. We fully support its plan to "encourage educational campaigns and evidence-based prevention programs, particularly in schools and communities." But it's time we back it up with dollars and programs. As we recognize National Prevention Week, we must not forget about the importance of prevention and its role in helping more Americans live healthy, drug-free lives. Dr. Kevin Sabet is President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) and a former White House drug policy advisor across three administrations. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
India Today
24-04-2025
- Health
- India Today
Are we getting dumber? Study links dropping IQs to less reading, more scrolling
Here's a worrying trend: intelligence scores are falling. That's not a random guess -- it's something researchers have been picking up on for a while now. And yes, it's happening across countries and Financial Times recently pulled together data from the University of Michigan's long-running 'Monitoring the Future' survey, showing a clear dip in cognitive abilities, especially among teenagers and young it's not just about IQ points. It's attention span, memory, basic reasoning -- all taking a teens, for example, are struggling with tasks that used to be second nature: staying focused, solving simple problems, or processing basic info. Something's changing in the way our brains > READING: A MAJOR SHIFT IN HABITSRemember when people used to read actual books or even short stories? Not so much anymore.A study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that in 2022, less than 38% of Americans read a novel or short story in the past year. That's a steady drop from 45% in this habit shift is part of the problem. According to FT's analysis, today's young people spend way more time on digital screens -- mostly scrolling endlessly through social media -- than they do reading or engaging in mentally stimulating not just a change in preference; it's likely reshaping how their brains FRIEND OR FOE FOR THE BRAIN?Let's be honest -- tech has made life easier. But it might be making us mentally lazier too. Several studies now point out how excessive screen time can mess with your ability to think not just about distraction. Prolonged use of social media and endless scrolling has been linked to weaker memory, shorter attention spans, and even lower verbal fact, research published in recent years (such as studies reviewed by Psychology Today and Scientific American) suggests that our increasing dependence on digital tools is rewiring our becoming better at skimming and tapping, but worse at deep thinking, reflection, or retaining information for longer ISN'T JUST AN AMERICAN PROBLEMWorried this might be a Western or US-specific trend? Think again. A 2023 report by the OECD found that 34% of American adults scored at the lowest levels of numeracy -- up from 29% the year before. But similar dips in basic reasoning and literacy have been observed in other countries global PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) scores -- which test 15-year-olds across around 90 countries -- have also been the latest rounds, many nations reported lower scores in maths, science and reading compared to previous years. And yes, this includes both developed and developing WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON?Experts believe it's not just one thing -- it's a mix. The rise of screen culture, the fall in reading habits, and the shift in how we interact with information online all seem to be working everything's a swipe or a click away, we don't need to memorise much or think things through. And that's likely dulling the tools we used to sharpen in daily question now is: can we turn this around? Maybe, but it'll take more than deleting a few may need to rethink how we teach, work, and interact with information before this becomes a generational loss we can't recover from. advertisement
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A mom who started a cannabis club. A 78-year-old who loves to eat while stoned. Meet 11 women who swear by weed.
Women open up about the role cannabis plays in their lives — and how they're pushing back against the stigmas. (Getty Images) \n Women smoke weed. That shouldn't be a surprise, but for many it is — likely because the stereotype of the weed smoker is a stoner bro, not a mom or a young professional or a grandmother. But, according to research out of the University of Michigan, American women are consuming weed in record numbers. In fact, the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future survey found that in 2023, American women between the ages of 19 and 30 are consuming more cannabis than men for the first time since the survey began in 1975. In recent years, marijuana use has also risen dramatically in the over-65 set. \n At present, weed is legal in 39 states for medicinal use and 24 states for recreational use. And the reality is, cannabis is used in all kinds of ways by all kinds of people, both recreationally and medicinally. Ahead of \"the unofficial weed holiday,\" April 20 (aka 420 or 4/20), Yahoo Life spoke to women of different ages and walks of life to hear about what cannabis use means for them. \n \n My relationship with weed is loyal and comforting. I fell in love with the plant the summer before high school, and I'm blessed to have found a plant that can ease my stresses, my cycles and especially my PTSD. I've always been open about smoking, which is why I've been arrested all the times I have for cannabis. \n I live in New Jersey, where cannabis is now legal, and can smoke up to (and sometimes over) an ounce a week, depending on my stress levels. I'm also the CEO of cannabis company Pinks Products. We have a line of products that emulate a light, fun, girly-pop vibe. I am loud and proud about cannabis because I think the world should be. The change is now. \n \n I'm a 31-year-old, ADHD, overstimulated mom of four (including twins) and I'm constantly in go-go-go mode. Cannabis helps me pause, slow down and breathe. I only buy products that have clear and accessible lab testing. For me, it's important to know where my cannabis comes from, what the terpene profile looks like and that it's passed all safety testing. Cannabis should be used as a tool, not a crutch. \n I co-founded STL Cannamoms, a community for moms, but it's become so much more than a cannabis-positive space — it's a sisterhood. We show up for each other, whether it's at the hospital when someone gives birth, cleaning a mom's house after a loss or a newborn or helping someone get out of a domestic violence situation. We come from all different walks of life, but cannabis brought us together. We're part of a nationwide movement to end the stigma that using cannabis makes you a bad mom — because it doesn't. \n It makes the hour or two before bed completely magical ... or at least a bit 35 \n \n I work for Grasslands, a public relations firm that works with many cannabis clients, so in some respects, cannabis is literally my life. Generally speaking, I'm more inclined to choose other cannabis consumption methods over smoking. I'm more of an edible-before-bed or a vape-hit kind of a girl in terms of my routine. Smoking is a wholly different experience, though … and a special one at that. There's just a different tingly joy I get from a few puffs of weed. \n I almost exclusively consume cannabis in the evening. For me, it's the perfect treat when the work is done, the chores are complete, I've gone for a run and am ready to wind down for the night. It makes the hour or two before bed completely magical ... or at least a bit calmer. \n \n I came out of the closet with my cannabis use in 2018 and by doing so have had the ability to educate myself and others about the medicinal and recreational benefits of the plant when consuming safely and responsibly. In 2018, I started Higher Level Healthcare and began practicing as a cannabis physician and certifying people to get medical cannabis cards in Illinois. As a result of starting my business, I have helped over 800 patients get safe access to medical cannabis. I have family members that were against cannabis who started smoking for help with sleep, menopause, anxiety and depression. There is still a lot of work to do to change the stigma around cannabis, and I am grateful to be part of the change. \n \n I started smoking as a teen because I thought it was cool, and a middle finger to both a very religious family and the \"controlling government.\" As I got older and was diagnosed with severe anxiety, I realized the only times I felt calm or normal were when I smoked. Now I use it to keep anxiety and stress down, and panic attacks at bay. I smoke pretty much daily, but don't start until after 5 p.m. during the week. I never feel tempted to smoke outside of my personally designated hours. Everyone in my life (outside of work) knows that I smoke. I'm not ashamed anymore, but I keep it out of the office, the same as I would with religion or politics. \n \n I co-founded a cannabis company, Autumn Brands. I love this incredible plant. I use cannabis topicals daily. Due to an immune disorder in my esophagus, I have switched to cannabis gummies or elixirs. However, I am currently taking one year off from all intoxicants to just enjoy my authentic self. \n I believe smoking or consuming weed in moderation is a virtue and helps regulate our bodies through our endocannabinoid system. However, when cannabis is consumed all day every day or in highly concentrated products, it becomes a vice. Everything in moderation. \n I started smoking as a teen because I thought it was 43 \n \n I've been smoking weed casually since I was 13. It's legal here in Washington, and I just use it recreationally, so it doesn't seem like a big deal at all. Although I do keep it away from my 11- and 13-year-old kids, as I'd rather they wait as long as possible to explore anything mind-altering. \n I tend to smoke weed or eat an edible a couple times a week — sometimes when I'm hanging out at home, listening to music and doing art, sometimes when I'm going out with friends. It makes me more relaxed, creative and silly! \n \n Cannabis is part of my daily life. I smoke in the morning before I get my day started and in the evening before dinner. I consider cannabis to be a basic human right. Our bodies need this medicine and this plant. Cannabis has been used in various ways since humans started walking the earth. It is the only plant that can feed us, heal us, give us clothing, a roof over our head and clean our soil. I have been studying this plant for nearly 10 years and have come across all kinds of varieties, and this plant amazes me every time with its magical powers. \n \n I have a love affair with cannabis. In addition to my boutique, Elevated by the CannaBoss Lady, I devote a large part of my time as an entrepreneur and cannabis expert to educating my clients on the benefits of cannabis. I host local events to discuss how cannabis can support women in menopause. \n To be totally honest, cannabis saved my life. It healed my anxiety and debilitating stomach aches caused by an abusive childhood. I struggled with severe anxiety and panic attacks, and I discovered relief through cannabis — despite doctors finding nothing wrong with me. This experience motivated me to become a certified consultant and brand ambassador for CBD brands. In 2020, I established TheCannaBossLady Wellness Boutique, and in 2023, I opened a licensed dispensary, both being the first independent, woman-owned cannabis storefronts in Maplewood Village and Essex County, N.J. \n I also love cooking, and it'd be a sin not to be stoned for those 78 \n \n I started using cannabis more regularly when I got into the business. I now help run the cannabis company Dr. Norm's. I am a proud, flag-waving, stigma-busting, cannabis user and try to make that known to all. It's important for someone my age to help break down the fears that people have about using the product. \n I smoke or eat cannabis for two primary reasons. One, recreationally: I love a good sativa and smoking with friends and laughing so hard. Two, medically: I use cannabis to help with the uncomfortable (and inevitable) symptoms of aging. It is amazing how much it helps with the suffering from daily aches and pains, severe migraines stemming from hormonal changes and uncomfortable, sleepless nights. \n \n My first husband was a smoker. I got married at 23 and he and I would smoke together. I've smoked consistently since, except for during my pregnancies. \n I came out as a smoker in the most extravagant way possible. The first chapter of my book, a memoir about smoking called Just Say Yes, was published in the New York Times. Most people in my life really didn't know I was a smoker before then. But I love to smoke; it enhances almost anything that's good. Smoking is particularly useful for me as a writer — it gives me that cocoon-like confidence — so I smoke before I sit down to write at about 3 in the afternoon or so. I also love cooking, and it'd be a sin not to be stoned for those meals. So I always smoke before dinner because it's going to make the food taste even better!
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Human Intelligence Sharply Declining
No, it's not just you — people really are less smart than they used to be. As the Financial Times reports, assessments show that people across age groups are having trouble concentrating and losing reasoning, problem-solving, and information-processing skills — all facets of the hard-to-measure metric that "intelligence" is supposed to measure. These results, the FT reports, are gleaned from benchmarking tests that track cognitive skills in teens and young adults. From the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study documenting concentration difficulties of 18-year-old Americans to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) that measures the learning skills of 15-year-olds around the world, years of research suggest that young people are struggling with reduced attention spans and weakening critical thinking skills. Though there has been a demonstrably steep decline in cognitive skills since the COVID-19 pandemic due to the educational disruption it presented, these trends have been in evidence since at least the mid-2010s, suggesting that whatever is going on runs much deeper and has lasted far longer than the pandemic. Obviously, there's no single answer as to why people seem to be struggling with cognitive skills, but one key indicator is the sharp decline in reading and the world's changing relationship to the way we consume information and media. In 2022, for example, the National Endowment for the Arts found that just 37.6 percent of Americans said they'd read a novel or short story in the year prior — a share down from 41.5 percent in 2017 and 45.2 percent in 2012. It would be easy enough to blame this decline on people reading less (and, presumably, scrolling online brainrot more). But according to 2023 results from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the same international consortium that puts out the PISA survey, 34 percent of adults in the United States scored at the lowest levels of numeracy, which essentially means that they lack the ability to work with numbers. A year prior, that share was just 29 percent. Beyond changes in media consumption and the mediums in which we take it, it appears, as the FT notes, our relationship to information generally is shifting too. While there certainly are ways to use tech that don't cause harm to cognition, studies show that "screen time" as we know it today hurts verbal functioning in children and makes it harder for college-age adults to concentrate and retain information. There isn't any reason to suggest that human intellect has been harmed, the publication counters — but in "both potential and execution," our intelligence is definitely on the downturn. More on intelligence: People With This Level of Education Use AI the Most at Work
