In the US, regular cannabis use is on a path to replace regular alcohol use among every age group 19 to 65. Just in time for Dry January, a massive, authoritative December 23 study, published in the journal Addiction, found young adults (those under 30) have set aside regular alcohol use in favor of rolling one up instead. Gen X has matching cohorts of regular drinkers and smokers. And even retirees are relinquishing more and more scotch for the indica.

Studying substance use trends in the US

About 10 percent of the country drank near-daily in the mid-20th century. In the 1980s and 90s, drinkers far outnumbered weed smokers. But starting in 1996, voters approved over 40 medical cannabis states and 24 adult-use ones. Cannabis has become increasingly more accessible and popular.

To better understand these trends, Megan Patrick, a researcher at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, analyzed newly completed data from the Monitoring The Future Panel Study. Since 1976, the US has asked around 20,000 people ages 19-65 about their drug use.

The survey adds a fresh cohort of 12th graders each year and surveys them every 2 years until age 30, and then every 5 years until age 65. In 2023, the first complete data set for the first cohort became available.

The data set is superb for comparing drug trends for different age groups over time. In total, the analysis done by Patrick included 389,649 responses from 1988 to 2023.

Young adults: Smokers now outnumber drinkers 3 to 1

After analyzing the data, Patrick’s findings paint a clear picture. Daily cannabis use is becoming more and more common, just as daily alcohol use is declining. The shift is more obvious in younger generations. About one in ten young adults regularly smoke weed. By contrast, just 1 in 30 regularly drink.

In Patrick’s analysis, someone was considered a daily or near-daily user of cannabis or alcohol if they used that substance more than 20 times in a month.

Back in the ‘80s, twice as many adults aged 19-30 drank near-daily than smoked. Those rates evened by 2010. Since 2011, cannabis has swiftly replaced daily alcohol use. By 2023, 10.4% of young adults were using daily or near-daily cannabis, compared to only 3.6% for alcohol.

Middle-aged adults: The cross-fade kids

Middle-aged adults followed similar trends, but they started with a much higher rate of daily or near-daily alcohol use compared to cannabis. In 2008, almost one in ten mid-adults drank daily or near daily. By contrast, maybe 1 in 40 mid-adults smoked daily.

Drinking also spiked among adults 35 to 50 during the pandemic. But over the last few years they have begun to drink less. Meanwhile, cannabis use climbs among Gen X. In 2023, daily or near-daily Gen X drinking or weed smoking rates converged for the first time—7.6% of 35-50-year-olds used alcohol regularly, and 7.5% used cannabis regularly.

Adults 55 to 65: Time is on weed’s side

The oldest group in this study consisted of adults aged 55-65. This group continues to have higher levels of daily or near-daily alcohol use (11.4%) compared to daily or near-daily cannabis use (5.2%).

But Patrick suggests that “if trends continue this may shift in the coming years.”

Younger adults already prefer cannabis to alcohol, and if trends hold, even seniors on the golf course will be hitting a vape instead of a brewski.

With winter coming, one must stay active and engaged to get through the season. The colder months would slow down, but if one had the right approach, winter could be a perfect season for growth and well-being opportunities. From staying motivated to playing fun indoor games to enjoying the seasonal changes outside, one can easily strike a balance during winter. Let us see the seven tips regarding health and wellness that can help youngsters make the best of winter.

Stay active with fun indoor workouts or winter sports

This winter season, it’s essential to remain active and happy, which can easily be done by trying indoor workouts or sports.

From indoor workout spaces and mini golfing to even going skiing or boarding, there are many ways to help young children ignore the cold. Moreover, these winter activities are treasured outings that allow youngsters to move beyond their comfort zones and try new activities.

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Incorporate warm, comforting foods

Including warm and delectable food in one’s daily meal is a perfect alternative in winter. As the cold weather sets in, one can easily switch to warm and delicious food items like soups, stews, casseroles, and many other varieties, which also enhances the home’s mood.

Children can make use of varied recipes, for instance, making a warm casserole with some vegetables or even baking the casserole or making a warm soup.

Make hydration a priority with seasonal drinks

Youngsters can remain hydrated over the winter months by being regularly exposed to seasonal drinks, which help them focus on hydration. Herbal teas, hot chocolate, and spiced apple cider are warm drinks that can be a healthy substitute.

Those seasonal refreshments warm the body and are entertaining as they encourage trying out new tastes. Slurping hot cocoa after a snowball fight or drinking warm tea while studying can bring much-needed variety to the plain winter days.

Set aside time for creative hobbies and projects

Establishing time for leisure activities such as creative projects or hobbies over winter is a great way for children to be productive and let out their artistic side. It may be painting, writing, sculpturing, or playing an instrument in winter—consider it an opportunity.

There are also longer nights to spend on such relaxing and rewarding indoor projects. Whenever new things are produced, they not only serve as a pastime but also give a feeling of achievement, which makes the winter months more active and useful.

Spend time outdoors, even in the colder weather

Even in chilly temperatures, winter outdoor activities help children stay active. They can go for a leisurely walk, have a winter hike, or play in the snow, which will invigorate them with fresh air.

Wearing nice winter clothes helps you go outside without feeling too cold. People who like to relax outside on a winter day can enjoy the view with a CBD vape pen.

Build strong connections through social activities

The winter is an excellent time for youngsters to strengthen their bonds on social events. Since the cold drives people inside, this is a perfect time to organize indoor bonding activities with family and friends.

One such idea is to have a movie or a gaming night on the weekends, encouraging people to be social and fight the winter fog. Even short family gatherings or virtual meets can bring some form of fellowship, ensuring that younger people do not feel alone during the winter.

Create a cozy evening routine for relaxation and downtime

For many children, especially during the winter, the evenings can be quite ‘active’ moments in the household as they wind down after a series of busy and tiring activities. It seems to be a better idea for everyone to set up a quiet space to read or watch movies during this time.

Moving forward, it becomes easier for children to unwind before their parents read them bedtime stories. Hence, one begins to wonder if it really makes sense to struggle through those cold winter evenings.

Why Is It Important For Youngsters To Maintain Health And Wellness This Winter?

Youngsters must be crucial to stay healthy through the winter, enabling them to be active, engaged, and concentrated throughout the season.

More often than not, harsh weather with shorter days pulls back one’s sense of activity, and disconnection is common.

But if health and wellness are emphasized, youngsters can harness their grip and motivation on the season to its fullest.

Physical activity, a proper diet, and effective social interaction are some active ingredients that help formulate a wholesome lifestyle that enhances their routine life and prepares them to fully utilize the winter, indoors or outdoors.

Factors Youngsters Should Consider During The Winter Season

While enjoying the winter season, there are a few key aspects that kids should keep in mind during the winter.

1. First and foremost, it is necessary to look for proper attire in which one feels comfortable going outside: for instance, wearing many warm clothes, gloves, and scarves.
2. Another aspect that needs to be considered is remaining active, whether it means participating in outdoor winter activities or making sure one does not stop moving indoors.
3. Social connections should also be on the agenda because winter weather can sometimes be quite lonely, so staying in touch with friends and family while doing activities together or via video chats is good.
4. Lastly, adding variety to the winter with snug activities such as reading, crafting, or cooking should do the trick so that the time spent during winter does not go to waste.

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Bottom Line

Various tips can be adhered to during the winter season. Staying outdoors or even socializing can be quite refreshing. Some of the tips stated before are exciting as they instill a sense of hope to be capable of going touch without structures. Therefore, it is good advice to infuse winter with a sense of joy and optimism so as to fuse it with several memories along its course.