The vast majority of teens are now abstaining from drugs and alcohol—a trend that began during the early pandemic years.
According to a recent survey, about two-thirds of 12th graders claimed they hadn’t used alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, or e-cigs in the last 30 days. As for 10th graders, 80 percent reported they hadn’t used those substances recently, while 90 percent of 8th graders reported never using them.
The only increase reported was nicotine pouch use, and even then, only 6 percent of 12th graders admitted using it. Teen drinking, cigarette smoking, and drug use were on the decline even before the pandemic. Marijuana use, however, was steady, and vaping was actually on the rise. Until lockdown, that is, when those dropped too.
It was easier for teens to abstain from using drugs and alcohol while at home in lockdown, but “I think everyone expected at least a partial rebound” after isolation ended, said University of Michigan’s Richard Miech, leader of the survey.
Additionally, “The pandemic stopped the cycle of new kids coming in and being recruited to drug use,” Miech said.
Another theory is that the pandemic increased anxiety around drug use. Many individuals with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression might shy away from experimenting with such substances, Dr. Duncan Clark, a University of Pittsburgh psychiatrist, told AP News.
“Some teens with anxiety are worried about the effects of substances. They may also be socially inhibited and have less opportunity to use drugs,” Clark said. “It’s a complicated relationship.”
The post Teens Aren’t Drinking or Doing Drugs Anymore appeared first on VICE.
The post Teens Aren’t Drinking or Doing Drugs Anymore appeared first on VICE.
