US College Students Using More Marijuana, Less Tobacco

US College Students Using More Marijuana, Less Tobacco

Marijuana use among college students is on the rise in the United States.

Studies of American college students show that daily marijuana use was more popular than cigarette smoking for the first time last year.

Studies found that 5.9 percent of college students said they use marijuana nearly every day. Students claimed to have smoked at least 20 times in the prior¹ 30 days. That is a 3.5 percent increase from 2007, and the highest rate since 1980.

Only five percent of college students reported using tobacco daily.

More students are experimenting with the drug for the first time, as well.

Twenty-one percent of students reported having used marijuana once or more in the prior 30 days. That is a 4 percent increase from 2006. Thirty-four percent of those questioned said they used marijuana in the prior year, four percent more than in 2006. However, the levels appear to have leveled off since 2014.

The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study reported the findings². Lloyd Johnston was the lead researcher. He said, "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. And this largely³ parallels⁴ an increase we have been seeing among high school seniors."

Less Dangerous Than Tobacco

Mr. Johnston said the main driver for the increased use of marijuana is the belief that it is not as dangerous as tobacco. He pointed⁵ to studies of high school graduates between the ages of 19 and 22. In 2006, 55 percent of those questioned said regular use of marijuana was dangerous. Eight years later, that number dropped to 35 percent.

He said this is probably a result of increased legalization of medical and recreational marijuana use. It is legal to use marijuana for recreational purposes in four U.S. states and three U.S. cities. Twelve other states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.

Words in This Story

marijuana – n. a plant that, when dried, can be used as a drug or medicine

cigarette – n. a smoking product made from finely cut tobacco leaves

parallels – v. to move or extend⁶ in the same direction as something else

seniors – n. students in their final year of high school

graduate(s) – n. someone who has completed a study program

legalization – n. the process of removing a rule or law against something

1 prior   

adj.更重要的，较早的，在先的；adv.居先；n.小修道院院长；大修道院副院长

参考例句：

• The duty to protect my sister is prior to all others.保护我的妹妹是我最重要的责任。
• I took up one-year prior course in German in this college.我在这所大学读了一年的德语预科。

2 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

3 largely   

adv.大部分，主要地

参考例句：

• It is largely dependent on the weather.这多半取决于天气情况。
• Their conclusions were largely founded on guesswork.他们的结论大部份基于猜测。

4 parallels   

n.导轨；类似（点）( parallel的名词复数 )；平行线[面]；比较；极相似的人[事物]v.与…平行( parallel的第三人称单数 )；与…媲美；（为找出相似处）将…作比拟

参考例句：

• The street parallels the railway. 这条街与铁路平行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These parallels cannot be merely coincidental. 这些相似之处不可能只是巧合。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 extend   

v.伸开；展开，伸展；扩大；加大

参考例句：

• Can you extend your visit for a few days more?你能把你的访问再延长几天吗？
• The examinations extend over two weeks.考试持续两个星期。