Teens Increasingly Choosing Weed Over Alcohol, New Findings Reveal Why

There is no 'right' age nor acceptable amount of alcohol that is safe for minors. Both short-term and long-term effects of drinking can affect the normal development of vital organs and functions. In addition, drinking at a young age can lead to alcohol and addiction problems later in life.

According to data gathered by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in 2019, nearly 25% of teens between 14 and 15 reported having at least one drink in their lifetime. The statistic comes as no surprise considering that around 30 million children nationwide are born to alcoholic parents.

Teenagers Are Choosing Marijuana Over Alcohol

However, recent research has revealed that alcohol abuse among young people has decreased over the years. But, there's a catch.

Findings published in the journal Clinical Toxicology suggest that cannabis use among adolescents has increased instead by a staggering 245% since 2000, reported the website Latestly.

The 20-year national study identified 338,000 intentional abuse or misuse instances amongst U.S. children aged 6-18. Nearly one-third of cases led to "worse than minor clinical outcomes," the study says.

Adrienne Hughes, assistant professor of Emergency Medicine said that between 2000 and 2013, alcohol abuse cases exceeded the number of cannabis cases. Since 2014, the numbers have been pointing to the opposite.

"Since 2014, marijuana exposure cases have exceeded ethanol cases every year, and by a greater amount each year than the prior," Hughes said.

Interestingly, the researchers found that edibles use has increased the most compared with other forms of consumption, with the majority of ingestions (58.3%) occurring in males. In addition, teens aged 13 to 18 accounted for 80% of all reported exposure cases.

Edibles Are To Blame

Researchers are attributing an increase in marijuana use to the widespread acceptance of edible cannabis products.

"These edible and vaping products are often marketed in ways that are attractive to young people, and they are considered more discrete and convenient," Hughes explained.

The expert concluded that the increase in marijuana use in children is on the rise because the effect of edibles takes longer to become apparent.

"Compared to smoking cannabis, which typically results in an immediate high, intoxication from edible forms of marijuana usually takes several hours, which may lead some individuals to consume greater amounts and experience unexpected and unpredictable highs," she said.

The Rising Trend

Meanwhile, Gen-Zers seem to be thinking the same. According to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health earlier this year, researchers at the University of Washington found that as many as 69% of young adults between 18 and 24 prefer cannabis over alcohol, while nearly 70% between 25 and 34 said the same. These findings build on a YouGov survey that revealed that nearly one-third of over 10 000 Americans think it would be ideal if people used more marijuana and less liquor.

Cannabis Vs. Cigarettes

More young people seem to be turning to cannabis and shunning tobacco. Twenty-six percent of those between 18 and 29 said they smoke cannabis, up from 17% in 2015, found a recent Gallup Poll, which is more than double the number of young adults who smoke cigarettes, with a sharp decline from 35% in 2003 to 12% today.

Photo: Courtesy of Engin Akyurt and Washarapol D BinYo Jundang by Pexels and Linkedin