Young Americans Are Smoking

Young Americans Are Smoking More Weed and Less Tobacco, Study Finds!

A new study among college students in the US found that weed use is steadily increasing while tobacco use continues its decline.

The study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control’s Georgia office, was published this week in The American Academy of Pediatrics. It compiled survey responses of 18- to 22-year-olds between 2002 and 2016. Respondents were asked if they had consumed cannabis within the past month and within the past year.

During that study period, researchers discovered that college students reported smoking weed — and not tobacco — within the past month (11.5 percent to 8.6 percent) and within the past year (14.6 percent to 10.8 percent) at slightly higher rates than young adults who were not in college. By 2016, exclusive marijuana use increased 8 percent among college students and 4 percent among adults not attending college.

However, tobacco use trends went in the other direction regarding educational status. More young adults who were not in college smoked tobacco within the last month (17.7 percent to 10.4 percent) than college students. Past year tobacco use saw similar figures with 17.4 percent of non-college adults saying they smoked tobacco versus 12.2 percent of college students.

Overall, tobacco use decreased considerably among college students. In 2002, roughly 23 percent of college students said they only smoked tobacco within the past month. By 2016, that number dropped to just 10 percent.