The national survey on adolescent drug use was formally released on Thursday. It revealed that the usage of vaping and marijuana is on the rise among teenagers. The study also showed that the number of teenagers who smoke cigarettes has significantly reduced. At least 22.9 percent of high school seniors that were interviewed admitted to have used marijuana within the past 30 days while 16.6 percent had used a vaping device. Among those who were interviewed, only 9.7 percent had smoked cigarette. The report had been sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and was conducted by the University of Michigan. About 43,703 students in eighth, 10th and 12th grade that were interviewed from both public and private schools in the country were overly concerned with the popularity of vaping devices. They said that the devices were available in very many styles, hence appealing to as many social groups as possible.
Even with this revelation, there is a shred of optimism since it became apparent that the use of substances such as alcohol, prescription opioids, stimulants as well as tobacco has fallen or remained the same as compared to last year. The number of teenagers abusing drugs currently is considered the lowest in 20 years. The rates of marijuana use have remained consistent among teenagers despite the rates raising significantly among adults in a time frame of 10 years. The director of the institute Dr. Compton said that he was overly impressed by the positive improvement. He was quick to note that there is little known about the health dangers associated with vaping.
Some experts believe that vaping devices are an alternative to the traditional cigarettes and are way healthier because they lack the carcinogens in burning tobacco. As for Dr. Compton, his concern is that the vaping device is a pathway to inducting individuals to the use of marijuana and nicotine. The vaping devices are customarily sold with nicotine. When students in12th grade were asked what was in the mist, 51.8 percent believed that it was flavoring. One student out of twenty acknowledged having used marijuana in the vaping device while one in ten had used nicotine. According to Cassie Poncelow, the vaping device is gaining popularity among social groups. Public health and education officers are pleased with the decrease in the usage of tobacco. In 1996 cigarette smoking among 8th graders stood at 10.4 as compared to 0.6 in 2017.