Substance Misuse/Abuse

Data Show Drastic Increase in Cannabis Use Among Adolescents Over 20-Year Period

12/16/2022

Although alcohol abuse among teens has steadily declined, marijuana misuse among US teens has increased dramatically—approximately 245%—since 2000, according to a recent study.1

Using data from the National Poison Data System (NPDS) between January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2020, the researchers reported more than 338,000 instances of intentional misuse or abuse from children aged 6 through 18 years.

Data was split into four age cohorts: (1) aged 6 to 9 years, (2) aged 10 to 12 years, (3) aged 13 to 15 years, and (4) aged 16 o 18 years. Additionally, the researchers assessed demographic trends, clinical efforts, treatments, management sites, and health outcomes.

Of the total instances (n = 338,727), the researchers found that 58.3%, or the majority, of intentional misuse/abuse occurred in males, and more than 80% of exposure cases reported occurred in young adults aged 13 to 18 years. In the older groups, there was a greater number of severe medical outcomes, and 32.6% of ingestions resulted in worse than minor clinical outcomes.

Interestingly, the data showed that adolescent cannabis use increased 245% since 2000 in the United States, while alcohol abuse has steadily declined over the same period.1,2

Although there were more major or life-threatening exposures (including some resulting in death) among males, deaths were rare (n = 450). Overall, marijuana exposure rates were found to have the highest average monthly increase, and the most dramatic rise took place between 2017 to 2020.

There were limitations in this study, including the researchers’ understanding that the definition of exposure does not necessarily represent poisoning or overdose. Further, they note that not all substances coded were verified by a toxicology report. Despite the limitations presented, the researchers stress that NPDS data is a valuable tool for evaluating the epidemiology of substance misuse/abuse in the United States.

“Although alcohol exposure cases have been slowly decreasing, marijuana exposure cases, especially those involving non-combustible products such as edibles and vaping products, are increasing,” the researchers concluded. “This trend has been most apparent in recent years in the wake of legalization and decriminalization in US cannabis laws and future research is needed to better understand how legal cannabis laws may be contributing to these trends.”

 

—Jessica Ganga

Reference:

  1. Hughes AR, Grusing S, Lin A, et al. Trends in intentional abuse and misuse ingestions in school-aged children and adolescents reported to US poison centers from 2000-2020. Clin Toxicol. Published online December 5, 2022. doi:10.1080/15563650.2022.2120818
  2. Teen cannabis abuse has increased 245% over 20 years, study finds. OHSU. December 7, 2022. Accessed December 16, 2022. https://news.ohsu.edu/2022/12/07/teen-cannabis-abuse-has-increased-245-over-20-years-study-finds