National study: Binge drinking, cannabis use reach record levels among middle-aged adults

Binge drinking, vaping, cannabis use and hallucinogen consumption reached an all-time high among adults in the U.S. last year, reflecting a significant upward trajectory in substance use in recent years (Source: “Middle-aged US adults binge drinking, using marijuana at record levels, new study finds,” USA Today, Aug. 18).
 
New research from the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel found that adults ages 35 to 50 are using cannabis and hallucinogens at record levels. Binge drinking had spiked to the "highest prevalence...ever recorded for this age group," the study reported.
 
For younger adults ages 19 to 30, cannabis use and nicotine vaping saw a sharp increase in the past five years, climbing to their highest levels ever seen.
 
"Substance use is not limited to teens and young adults, and these data help us understand how people use drugs across the lifespan," Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in a news release.