Six distinct patterns of daily substance use identified among US young adults
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.
Quick Facts
What This Study 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.
Key Numbers
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 They Did This
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.
Why This Research 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 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.
What This Study Doesn't 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.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do these day-level patterns predict long-term substance use trajectories?
- ?Would interventions targeting stress and boredom specifically reduce multimodal cannabis use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis was involved in 4 of 6 daily substance use patterns among young adults
- Evidence Grade:
- Nationally representative sample with daily tracking and sophisticated latent class analysis, though limited to past drinkers and a 14-day window.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025, data from 2018-2019.
- Original Title:
- Patterns of substance use on a given day in a national sample of U.S. young adults.
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 168, 108376 (2025)
- Authors:
- Evans-Polce, Rebecca J(2), Arterberry, Brooke J(2), Lanza, Stephanie T(3), Patrick, Megan E
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06421
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked 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.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06421APA
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
MLA
Evans-Polce, Rebecca J, et al. "Patterns of substance use on a given day in a national sample of U.S. young adults.." Addictive behaviors, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108376
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Patterns of substance use on a given day in a national sampl..." RTHC-06421. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/evans-polce-2025-patterns-of-substance-use
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.