Surge in young Americans using marijuana as first drug
Proportion of young people who tried cigarettes as their first drug fell over the same period, US study says
The Guardian (UK)
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Thursday, May 17, 2018
The proportion of young people using marijuana as their first drug doubled in the 10 years from 2004, a US-based study has found. The government study reveals that among people aged between 12 and 21, the proportion of those who tried cigarettes as their first drug fell from about 21% to just under 9% between 2004 and 2014. However, the proportion who turned first to marijuana almost doubled from 4.4% to 8%. While some studies have suggested that, overall, use and abuse of marijuana has fallen among teenagers in the US, the latest research sought to look at trends in which drug, if any, young people turned to first.
