Six distinct patterns of daily substance use identified among US young adults | Research

The takeaway

A 14-day tracking study of young adults found six distinct patterns of substance use days, with multimodal cannabis days (using cannabis multiple ways) linked to the highest levels of stress and boredom.

Substance use prevention researchers, clinicians working with young adults, and public health professionals designing targeted interventions.

Cannabis was involved in 4 of 6 daily substance use patterns among young adults

What the researchers found

Six day-level patterns emerged: Vaping Nicotine (33.7%), Cannabis Smoking (23.5%), Alcohol Only (17.1%), Cannabis Vaping (11.7%), Multiple Combustibles (7.3%), and Multimodal Cannabis (6.7%). Stress and boredom were highest on Multimodal Cannabis days. Alcohol Only days were characterized by special occasions and weekends.

Why it matters

Understanding what types of substance use days look like in real life helps design interventions that match actual use patterns rather than treating all substance use as one behavior.

The numbers in context

590 individuals, 3,086 substance use days. Vaping Nicotine: 33.7% of days. Cannabis Smoking: 23.5%. Alcohol Only: 17.1%. Cannabis Vaping: 11.7%. Multiple Combustibles: 7.3%. Multimodal Cannabis: 6.7%. Stress and boredom highest on Multimodal Cannabis days.

How the study worked

Latent class analysis of 3,086 substance use days reported by 590 young adults (modal age 19) over 14 days, from the nationally representative Monitoring the Future study's 2018-2019 cohort.

What this study cannot tell us

Sample was limited to past 30-day drinkers in 12th grade, so non-drinkers and non-high-school completers are excluded. 14 days may not capture less frequent use patterns. Self-reported daily data may miss some use events.

How to read the evidence

Nationally representative sample with daily tracking and sophisticated latent class analysis, though limited to past drinkers and a 14-day window.

When this study was published

Published in 2025, data from 2018-2019.

The bigger picture

Young adult substance use is not monolithic. The finding that cannabis use takes multiple distinct forms with different emotional contexts challenges one-size-fits-all prevention approaches.

Questions still open

Do these day-level patterns predict long-term substance use trajectories? Would interventions targeting stress and boredom specifically reduce multimodal cannabis use?

Common questions

What does a typical day of substance use look like for young adults?

This study found six distinct patterns, from vaping nicotine only (most common at 33.7%) to using cannabis multiple ways on the same day (6.7%). Cannabis smoking alone was the second most common pattern at 23.5%.

Is cannabis use linked to stress in young adults?

Days when young adults used cannabis in multiple ways (smoking, vaping, edibles) were associated with the highest levels of stress and boredom, while alcohol-only days were more tied to special occasions and weekends.

Read the original research

Patterns of substance use on a given day in a national sample of U.S. young adults.

Addictive behaviors, 168, 108376

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Evans-Polce, Rebecca J; Arterberry, Brooke J; Lanza, Stephanie T; Patrick, Megan E. (2025). Patterns of substance use on a given day in a national sample of U.S. young adults.. Addictive behaviors, 168, 108376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108376