Summary
Teen drug, alcohol, and tobacco use in the U.S. continues to decline, with record-low usage levels reported in 2023, according to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey.
Among 12th graders, 66% reported no recent use of alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, while 80% of 10th graders and 90% of 8th graders avoided these substances entirely.
Experts attribute the decline partly to reduced peer pressure during the pandemic.
However, nicotine pouch use has doubled among 12th graders, raising concerns.
Despite pop culture’s glamorization of smoking, teen cigarette use remains low.
On the one hand, cigarettes are bad and everyone should quit. And alcohol should be used in moderation. And many drugs are very dangerous and addictive and should be avoided. So this is probably good.
On the other hand, if this means are just sitting home alone, maybe having parasocial relationships with influencers, that’s sad.
Teenagers going out to party - bad
Teenagers sitting at home - also bad.
What the hell are kids supposed to do? Just not exist from the period where we stop finding them cute till adulthood?
I got my vasectomy, did you?
Not born.
Already being worked on. Fertility rates are below replacement rate and keep dropping.
Well…yeah. Have you SEEN this world??? I don’t want to bring new kids into this awful planet. Do YOU???
Going out to party isn’t bad. Sitting at home using drugs and alcohol compulsively because you are addicted is bad. It’s a fine line to walk but lots of people do it. I did every drug under the sun as a youth and turned out fine, and this applies to pretty much my entire university cohort. Not a single one of them ended up as a junkie.
Should we encourage kids to drink and do drugs? I don’t know tbh. That experience was genuinely positive for me because it gets me out there in the world, made me friends and memories and taught me lessons about moderation. From my point of view the people who ended up getting the shit end of the stick were the handful of people I know who got addicted to WoW and online gambling, not the one who did drugs on occasion. But apparently those things are becoming common and culturally acceptable while partying isn’t. Take that as you will.
For my kid who is very athletic, I always phrased it as “don’t destroy your cardio by inhaling any ashes or burning stuff”
But he is so strait laced and so careful with his health that it’s not really an issue.
My other kid is a different story. Luckily he doesn’t like the smell of cigarettes or pot smoke, but I found out his vice when he offered me a gummy. First: cool, second: shit, I was supposed to yell at you
You can go out to party without doing heroin.
Damn. TIL.
Sure if you want to be lame
I’m already so sleepy, I don’t need to feel even sleepier.
Sports, Music, Hobbies like board games, Outdoor activities like camping and hiking.
There is plenty of fulfilling things to do together that dont involve alcohol or other drugs or “partying” in the sense of loud music, bad hookups and regrettable videos the next day.
Why assume people can’t socialize in person without the use of drugs?
Why do you single out alcohol as “should be used in moderation”? It’s literally a hard drug and way worse than cigarettes.
Does “hard drug” have an agreed upon definition?
I’m pretty sure cigarettes are worse. Much more addictive, harmful to the user and nearby people, and the cigarette butts I think are an environmental hazard.
Alcohol use is as old as human civilization. I don’t think light usage is that hazardous.
There you go.
TLDR: Alcohol is a psychoactive, addictive carcinogen that will give you cancer no matter the consumption (though of course the more you drink the worse it becomes). It’ll also fuck up your liver, but that’s not mentioned in this article as it focuses on cancer.
That aside, where did you get that cigarettes are more addictive than alcohol? Only one of these will literally kill you if you quit cold turkey unprepared and it’s not cigarettes.
Most people I’ve known who smoke are addicted. They get moody and other withdrawal symptoms. No one I know has a similar relationship with alcohol. This is not a scientific study, but that’s been my experience. I know there are alcoholics in the world.
Also nicotine and cigarettes are known to be addictive https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-nicotine-e-cigarettes/nicotine-addictive
I’m pretty sure “stopping drinking cold turkey will kill you” is kind of hyperbolic. Most people aren’t drinking that heavily. This thread started on the point of moderate drinking.
I acknowledge that even light drinking is unsafe. I wasn’t aware it that plausibly that hazardous. Unfortunately, many things are unsafe and I don’t think alcohol is going away any time soon. Going out for a drink with friends, there’s probably a bunch of hazards there. Unhealthy foods, car exhaust, staying up late.
Fair enough, but that’s mostly phycological addiction, which is a whole different beast. Nicotine addiction on its own is pretty easy to get over afaik.
True enough, but it’s important to make it clear it’s not good for you even in light doses so people can make an informed decision.