An annual US survey of teen drug use dating back to 1975 delivered unexpected results - teen use of marijuana, alcohol and vaped nicotine fell by the largest amounts ever recorded, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th December, 2021) An annual US survey of teen drug use dating back to 1975 delivered unexpected results - teen use of marijuana, alcohol and vaped nicotine fell by the largest amounts ever recorded, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Wednesday.
"We have never seen such dramatic decreases in drug use among teens in just a one-year period. These data are unprecedented and highlight one unexpected potential consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic," National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow said in a press release.
At first glance the survey results appear counterintuitive, especially since NIDA has reported record drug overdose deaths during the pandemic, topping 100,000 in a 12 month period ending last spring.
Volkow said seismic shifts in the day-to-day lives of adolescents during the pandemic obviously played a role in declining teen drug use, but she was at a loss in explaining why.
"Moving forward, it will be crucial to identify the pivotal elements of this past year that contributed to decreased drug use - whether related to drug availability, family involvement, differences in peer pressure, or other factors - and harness them to inform future prevention efforts," Volkow said.
The annual survey showed that in 2021, 7.1 percent of eighth graders reported using marijuana in the past year, down from 11.4 percent in 2020, the release said.
Similar declines were recorded for 10th graders, with 17.3 percent reporting marijuana use in the past year compared to 28.0 percent in 2020. For 12th graders marijuana use fell to 30.5 percent in 2021 compared with 35.2 percent in 2020, the release said.
Alcohol use in the previous year fell to 17.2 percent from 20.5 percent for eighth graders; to 28.5 percent from 40.7 percent for 10th graders; and to 46.5 percent from 55.3 percent for 12th graders, the release added.
Also in 2021, 12.1 percent of eighth graders reported vaping nicotine compared with 16.6 percent in 2020. For 10th graders 19.5 percent reported vaping, compared to 30.7 percent in 2020, and 26.6 percent of 12th graders said the same in 2021, compared to 34.5 percent in 2020, according to the release.
� �The annual survey is conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, and funded by the NIDA, which is part of the NIH.
