Not Alcohol Or Drugs! US Teens Are Abstaining From Alcohol, Tobacco And Marijuana Use
Every year since 2017, researchers have tracked the number of eighth, 10th and 12th graders abstaining from alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use
Teen drug use hasn't rebounded from its drop during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the survey released recently
It found that, 2024 saw the lowest use of these substances since tracking began
The federally funded ‘Monitoring the Future’ survey, found that 80% of 10th graders hadn’t recently used any of the above drugs or booze and 90% of 8th graders had abstained
But, the researchers did see a concerning rise in the use of nicotine pouches such as the popular brand Zyn with about 6% and that's double last year’s findings
A nicotine patch is a transdermal patch that releases nicotine into the body through the skin. It is used in nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), a process for smoking cessation
Endorsed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is considered one of the safer NRTs available for the treatment of tobacco use disorder
It releases nicotine throughout the day which is absorbed through your skin and the patch can be used daily by itself
Nicotine skin patches are used to help people stop smoking cigarettes. They provide a source of nicotine that reduces the withdrawal symptoms experienced when smoking is stopped
While nicotine pouches may help people quit, they may also unintentionally encourage young people to start using a nicotine product
Use of nicotine pouches is linked to increased heart rate and blood pressure, which may increase risk of cardiovascular issues such as hypertension, heart disease, and heart attacks