Daily marijuana use among college-aged young adults has been climbing in recent years. In fact, 11.8 percent of non-college youth (those 1 to 4 years beyond high school) were daily users in 2015—the highest since 1980. This section features the most recent Monitoring the Future national survey results on substance use in this age group, including patterns of marijuana use, non-medical use of prescription drugs, cocaine, and newer trends like synthetic drugs, e-cigarettes, and hookah use. This section also has federal and private sector links of interest to educators, dorm supervisors, counselors, clinicians, and researchers who work with this age group, as well as the students themselves and their parents.
Drug and Alcohol Use in College-Age Adults in 2015 Infographic
Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2015. Volume II: College students and adults ages 19-50 (PDF, 6MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
Learn more about:
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Everything You Wanted to Know About Marijuana
- How does marijuana use affect your brain and body?
- Marijuana Research at NIDA
- NIDA's role in providing marijuana for research
- Health Effects
Changing Marijuana Laws and NIDA Research
Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines
- What is Prescription Drug Abuse
- DrugFacts: Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse
- Emerging Trends - "Sizzurp", "Purple Drank"
- Prescription Stimulants (Abuse) Health Effects
- Prescription Sedatives, sleeping pills*, or anxiolytics (Abuse) Health Effects
- Prescription Opioids (Abuse) Health Effects
- Over-the-counter Cough/Cold Medicines (Dextromethorphan or DMX) Health Effects
Trends and Statistics
- Monitoring the Future (MTF)
The MTF study measures drug, alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes among college students nationwide. Survey participants report their drug use behaviors across three time periods: lifetime, past year, and past month. The annual survey is funded by NIDA and conducted by the University of Michigan.2015
- View Infographic
- Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2015. Volume II: College students and adults ages 19-50 (PDF, 6MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
- Marijuana use continues to rise among U.S. college students; use of narcotic drugs declines [Monitoringthefuture.org]
2014
- View Infographic
- Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2014. Volume II: College students and adults ages 19-50 (PDF, 9MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
- Daily marijuana use among U.S. college students highest since 1980 [Monitoringthefuture.org]
- Drugs & Health Blog: Alcohol and Drug Use in College-Aged Young Adults: 2014 Monitoring the Future Survey Results
2013
- View Infographic
- Monitoring the Future national survey results on Drug Use, 1975-2013: Volume II, college students and adults ages 19-55 (PDF, 7MB) [Monitoringthefuture.org]
- College students' use of marijuana on the rise, some drugs declining [Monitoringthefuture.org]
- National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
SAMHSA’s NSDUH (formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse [NHSDA]) is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use and abuse in the general U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population, age 12 and older. - The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS)
The TEDS system includes records for approximately 1.5 million substance abuse treatment admissions annually. While TEDS does not represent all substance abuse treatment activities, it does comprise a significant proportion of all admissions to substance abuse treatment programs and includes those admissions that rely on public funds. Data are reported by sex, age, and race/ethnicity for each of 15 substance abuse categories. TEDS is maintained by the Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA. - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
New Survey: Misuse and Abuse of Prescription Stimulants Becoming Normalized Behavior Among College Students, Young Adults.
Step by Step Treatment Guides
- What to do if you have a problem with drugs:
- What to do if someone you know has a problem with drugs:
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) - The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIDA’s sister institute at the National institutes of Health, has many programs and initiatives related to alcohol use on college campuses and among other young adults. Since this population group often mixes alcohol and other drugs, the links below are invaluable to understanding substance use in this age group.
Additional Articles of Interest
- Is 4/20 an Event-Specific Marijuana Holiday? A Daily Diary Investigation of Marijuana Use and Consequences Among College Students, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, By Adrian J. Bravo, Ph.D., Matthew R. Pearson, Ph.D., Bradley T. Conner, Ph.D., & Jamie E. Parnes, M.S., December 12, 2016
- Energy Drink Use Patterns Among Young Adults: Associations with Drunk Driving, PubMed (abstract), By Arria AM, Caldeira KM, Bugbee BA, Vincent KB, and O'Grady KE, September 27, 2016
- Bugbee, B.A., Caldeira, K.M., Soong, A.M., Vincent, K.B., Arria, A.M. (2016). Collegiate recovery programs: A win-win proposition for students and colleges. College Park, MD: Center on Young Adult Health and Development. Available at http://www.cls.umd.edu/docs/CRP.pdf (PDF, 139KB). doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.21549.08160
- Maryland Collaborative to Reduce College Drinking and Related Problems. (2016). Sexual assault and alcohol: What the research evidence tells us (PDF, 131KB). College Park, MD: Center on Young Adult Health and Development.
- The Cannabis and College Student Love Affair, Beacon Transcript, By Clayton Meason, September 10, 2016
- College High: Students Are Using More Marijuana, Fewer Opioids, NPR, By Angus Chen, September 9, 2016
- Pot Use Rises on College Campuses, While Other Drug Use Declines: Study, NBC News,By Susan Donaldson James, September 8, 2016
- Colleges use sober dorms to combat opioid epidemic, PBS Newshour, By Teresa Wiltz, Stateline, June 15, 2016
- Drinking Like an Adult? Trajectories of Alcohol Use Patterns Before and After College Graduation, PubMed (abstract), By Arria AM, Caldeira KM, Allen HK, Vincent KB, Bugbee BA, and O'Grady KE, February 19, 2016
- Marijuana use trajectories during college predict health outcomes nine years post-matriculation, PubMed (abstract), By Arria AM, Caldeira KM, Bugbee BA, Vincent KB, and O'Grady KE, December 23, 2015
Other Resources for College Students and Parents
- American College Health Association: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs/Substance Use
This page is an index of ACHA and other resources on this topic. Resources include association projects, programs, publications, guidelines, and more. - Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR)
The Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR), at the University of Maryland at College Park, is dedicated to addressing the problems substance abuse creates for individuals, families, and communities. - The College Life Study at the Center on Young Adult Health and Development
The College Life Study at the Center on Young Adult Health and Development is an NIH-funded project at the University of Maryland that aims to understand the health-related behaviors of young adults during a critical life transition. - College Parents Matter
Tools and scripts to improve communication with your college student. - JED foundation’s U Lifeline
ULifeline is a project of the Jed Foundation, a leading organization working to protect the emotional health of America's college students, and was developed with input from leading experts in mental health and higher education. ULifeline is an anonymous, confidential, online resource center - where college students can be comfortable searching for the information they need and want regarding emotional health. - The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
This national nonprofit research and policy organization is focused on improving the understanding, prevention, and treatment of substance use and addiction. They conduct and synthesize research, inform and guide the public, evaluate and improve health care, and analyze and recommend policies on substance use and addiction. - Shatterproof
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit dedicated to reducing the devastation that addiction to prescription drugs, illicit drugs, and alcohol causes to families. - U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA): College Women’s Campaign
FDA’s College Women’s Campaign provides information on health topics such as safe medication use, sleep problems, contact lens safety and birth control. Sample messages are also provided for student leaders and college health professionals to use in their outreach.
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