Alcohol is really bad for you in large quantities–causes an immense number of serious health problems from your brain to your liver. Marijuana and THC products are common substitutes for alcohol, especially among younger people. It too has serious health consequences, both cognitively, for mental health and increasing evidence shows it is linked to physical illness as well. None of us wants to have to deal with employees, drivers, or others under the influence of either alcohol or marijuana; it is a danger to us and to the user. But a new survey from the federal government finds that a frightening proportion of the population is using marijuana on a daily basis, which almost certainly means it affects them at work and in other activities.
The survey asks adults and teens about their use of various substances and their mental health. It is worth reading the summary in its entirety in case you have missed the fact that our population is in serious trouble. Among people 12 or older, 56% said they used tobacco, used alcohol, or used an illicit drug in the last month. 44% drank alcohol, which is fully legal, 16% used tobacco, which is astounding considering the known health consequences, and 16% used an illegal drug. 21% of people over 12 had used marijuana in the last year (remember that this is legal in many states, so won’t be in the illegal drug category). Marijuana use and hallucinogen use is increasing. Oh great. 15.3% of the population said they had a substance abuse problem in the last year. Think about that–one in every six people you meet may have a substance abuse issue.
Aside from substance abuse, I look first at the mental health numbers. Among 12-17 year olds, 18% reported moderate or severe anxiety and 15% a major depressive episode. Now some of this is due to social media and school indoctrination, but some is due to excessive pestering of kids about how they feel. Among all adults 18 or over, 6.6% had moderate or severe anxiety and 21% reported a mental illness in the past year with 6.9% saying it was serious. Okay, you can read more of this depressing stuff yourself, I have read enough to get added in the category of having a major depressive episode.
The good news is that use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana seems to be declining among 12 to 17 year olds. This group also experienced a decline in suicide thoughts and actions and in major depression episodes. Among 18 to 25 year-olds, there was also a decline in use of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana and in major depressive episodes or suicide thoughts. (SAMHSA Survey)
