For the first time in a decade, the number of teenagers who initiated use of alcohol and nicotine did not drop, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) 2014 Behavioral Health Barometer. The report shows that the numbers did not shift from 2013 and relates this to an increased use of marijuana by teenagers and a shift in perception regarding the harms of the drug.
Youths aged 12 to 17, young adults aged 18 to 25, and adults aged 26 or older were less likely to perceive great risk of harm from monthly or weekly marijuana use in 2014 than in 2002 to 2013. The report says that past month marijuana use increased over time for those aged 12 or older and for adults aged 26 or older; however, this pattern did not hold for youths or young adults.
In 2014, the percentage of people aged 12 or older who perceived great risk from binge drinking was lower than in previous years. The percentage of people aged 12 or older who perceived great risk from smoking one or more packs of cigarettes a day remained steady between 2009 and 2014. Cigarette use and binge drinking rates were not as closely related to changes in risk perceptions as was the case with marijuana.
The Behavioral Health Barometer provides a snapshot of the state of behavioral health in the nation, with a focus on substance use issues. The shift in attitudes among young people towards nicotine, alcohol, and especially marijuana underscores the importance of increased substance abuse prevention efforts.