In a stunning report from the National Institute of Health, it was disclosed just how prevalent drug and alcohol use, including marijuana, has increased among young adults, aged 19-30.
Here is a chart summarizing some of their important findings:
The most prevalent substances used by young adults ages 19 to 30 in 2021 were:
| Past 12 months | Past 30 days | |
| Alcohol | 81.8% | 66.3% |
| Marijuana (any mode) | 42.6% | 28.5% |
| Vaping Nicotine | 21.8% | 16.1% |
| Vaping Marijuana | 18.7% | 12.4% |
| Cigarettes | 18.6% | 9.0% |
| Other Drugs | 18.3% | 7.5 % |
In addition, binge drinking (having 5+ drinks in a row in the past 2 weeks) was reported by 32.0%, and daily marijuana use (20+ occasions in the past 30 days) was reported by 10.8% of young adults in 2021. This has implications in the construction and maritime worksites, and in particular for our clients, who primarily are blue-collar workers, and who may be exposed to another worker sometimes doing stupid things. If you feel a co-worker is not physically or mentally capable of doing the job safely, and is endangering you or other workers, talk to the foreman or supervisor. Your own safety has to be #1 priority! For your review we attach a .pdf of portions of the 2021 MONITORING THE FUTURE PANEL STUDY ANNUAL REPORT, National data on substance use among adults ages 19 to 60, 1976-2021.