College students smoke pot more than cigarettes: study

There are currently 42.1 million adult smokers in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . This means that almost 18 out of 100 American adults 18 years and above smoke cigarettes. However, a new study has found that more young adults are turning to marijuana as an alternative to cigarettes.

FOX News reports that a study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, titled "Monitoring the Future," found that 5.9 percent of respondents smoked marijuana on a daily or near-daily basis, the highest this year since 1980. Only 5 percent of the respondents smoked cigarettes on the same frequency. This showed a drop in cigarette use, which was at 19 percent in 1999. This is also the first time that the percentage of daily and near-daily usage of pot outpaced the habitual usage of cigarettes.

"It's clear that for the past seven or eight years there has been an increase in marijuana use among the nation's college students," study principal Lloyd Johnston explained. "And this largely parallels an increase we have been seeing among high school seniors."

According to the study, 21 percent of the college students admitted they had used marijuana at least once in the last 30 days, and 34 percent said they had used it in the past 12 months. The study also showed that there has been a decrease in the abuse of alcohol, with 5 percent of respondents saying that they engaged in extreme binge drinking, which is equivalent to drinking 15 or more services in a row in the last 14 days.

Cocaine use has increased, however, from 2.7 percent in 2013 to 4.4 percent in 2014. NBC News further reports that since 2007, the use of amphetamine has almost doubled, and Johnson explained that this might be due to "students trying to improve their studies and test performance."

The increase of usage among college students may be attributed to the changing views of the youth when it comes to drugs. LiveScience reports that in 2006, 55 percent of 19- to 22-year-olds viewed marijuana as dangerous, compared to only 35 percent of youth in 2014. Additionally, marijuana has been legalized in more states for medical and recreational purposes.

A survey conducted in Washington High School in 2013 revealed that students were twice as likely to smoke marijuana than cigarettes, according to the Huffington Post. Roger Roffman, a professor emeritus of social work and a therapist in private practice, said: "More adolescents reducing their use of tobacco is an indicator, as I see it, of the effectiveness of well-funded, science-based education."

Washington Health Secretary Mary Selecky said: "As the perception of harm goes down, use goes up." According to the survey, there is a low number of high school students who believe that using marijuana is risky. Because of this, Washington aims to increase its youth drug prevention efforts.