Tobacco use, binge drinking decrease as Americans consume more marijuana, survey finds

Americans are binge drinking and smoking tobacco less but consuming marijuana significantly more, according to a new federal survey on drug use and mental health.

Overall, roughly 48.4 million Americans, or 16.8% of the population, met the criteria for a substance use disorder in the past year. The most common substance use disorders were alcohol, then marijuana, followed by opioids.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, or NSDUH, is an annual report on the population’s mental health and use of substances. It is the first report released since widespread layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services eliminated nearly the entire NSDUH staff.

Notably, the report’s opening pages credit numerous former staff at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration who lost their jobs, along with roughly 10,000 other HHS employees who were laid off and another 10,000 who accepted buyouts.

https://www.statnews.com/2025/07/29/marijuana-tobacco-binge-drinking-federal-report/