Use of Marijuana and Alcohol Soar Among Adults Age 35 to 50

Use of marijuana and binge drinking among adults ages 35 to 50 reached record highs in 2022, according to new research funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers found almost 30% of people in this age group said they engaged in binge drinking in 2022, compared with 23% in 2012, The New York Times reports. Use of marijuana reached 28% in this age group, up from 13% in 2012, the study found. Use of hallucinogens doubled from 2% in 2021 to 4% last year.

“Substance use is not limited to teens and young adults, and these data help us understand how people use drugs across the lifespan,” Nora Volkow, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in a news release. “Understanding these trends is a first step, and it is crucial that research continues to illuminate how substance use and related health impacts may change over time. We want to ensure that people from the earliest to the latest stages in adulthood are equipped with up-to-date knowledge to help inform decisions related to substance use.”