College-Age & Young Adults | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

College-Age & Young Adults | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

College-Age & Young Adults

06/02/2015 05:14 PM EDT

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Related MedlinePlus Pages: College Health, Drugs and Young People

College-Age & Young Adults

Illicit drug use has been rising steadily among college-aged young adults, mostly driven by increases in marijuana use. In addition, the non medical use of stimulants, including Adderall and Ritalin, has more than doubled in the past few years. This section features the most recent Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use in this age group, as well as other links of interest to educators; dorm supervisors; counselors; clinicians and researchers who work with this age group, as well as the students themselves and their parents.

View Full Infographic

Learn more about:

• Commonly Abused Drugs

Thinking about a career in Addiction Science?

• Summer Internship Program at the NIH
• Drugs & Health Blog: Colleges Offer Addiction Science Programs So Students Can Help Tackle Drug Addiction

Everything You Wanted to Know About Marijuana

Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines

Statistics and Trends

Step by Step Treatment Guides

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Other Resources

Related Publications

Marijuana (DrugFacts)

Revised April 2015. Offers facts about marijuana, including how people use it, its effects on the brain and overall health, and treatment options. En Español

Is Marijuana Medicine? (DrugFacts)

Revised April 2015. Offers facts about marijuana as a legal medical treatment and about potential and approved treatments using chemicals derived from marijuana (cannabinoids). En Español

Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications (DrugFacts)

Revised December 2014. Provides an overview of commonly abused over-the-counter (OTC) medications and prescription drugs—opioids, central nervous system depressants, and stimulants—and explains effects on the brain and reported use. En Español

Electronic Cigarettes (e-Cigarettes) (DrugFacts)

Revised September 2014. Describes how e-cigarettes work, how safe they are compared to conventional cigarettes, and whether they can help with smoking cessation. En Español

Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse (DrugFacts)

Revised May 2014. Provides facts about the abuse of cough syrups and other cold medicines, including their effects on the brain and dangers of using these products to get high.

Related NIDA Notes Articles

• Device Detects Marijuana in Breath Hours After Smoking(May 2014)
• Marijuana Use May Promote Nicotine Consumption (April 2014)
• Methamphetamine Alters Brain Structures, Impairs Mental Flexibility (March 2014)

View more related NIDA Notes

Related News Releases

• NIDA highlights drug use trends among college-age and young adults in new online resource (May 2015)
• Pain reliever investigation wins top NIH Addiction Science Award (May 2015)
• Research shows that teens and adults are uncertain about legalities of marijuana law in Washington State (March 2015)

View more related News Releases

Other Resources

• MEDLINEplus Health Information on Drug Abuse - National Library of Medicine, NIH
• www.abovetheinfluence.com - Office of National Drug Control Policy
• healthfinder.gov - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Past information on many drugs of abuse is available on ourArchives site.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies in human volunteers conducted to answer specific health questions. Learn about the NIH-sponsored clinical trials available to you.

• NIDA Clinical Trial Locator - answer a few simple questions and get contact information for Clinical Trials near you.

Other Clinical Trials information sources:

• NIH Clinical Trials and You - NIH site that helps explain about clinical trials and why people participate.
• NIDA Trials at ClinicalTrials.gov - a resource of federally and privately supported clinical trials.
• Clinical Research Studies from the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) - a NIDA coordinated network of research institutions conducting human trials on drug abuse solutions.
• Research Studies at NIDA Intramural Research Program - located in Baltimore, Maryland.