A nationally representative US survey found that past-month cannabis use among parents with children at home increased from 4.9% to 6.8% from 2002 to 2015, with the increase concentrated among cigarette-smoking parents (11% to 17.4%).
Read this if you are a parent who uses cannabis or are interested in trends in parental substance use and children's secondhand exposure.
Cannabis use among parents rose from 4.9% to 6.8% while cigarette smoking fell from 27.6% to 20.2%
What the researchers found
Researchers analyzed nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to track cannabis and cigarette use trends among parents with children at home from 2002 to 2015.
Past-month cannabis use among parents increased from 4.9% in 2002 to 6.8% in 2015, while cigarette smoking declined from 27.6% to 20.2%.
The increase in cannabis use was most pronounced among cigarette-smoking parents, rising from 11.0% to 17.4%. Among non-smoking parents, cannabis use also increased but remained lower (2.4% to 4.0%).
Cannabis use was nearly 4 times more common among cigarette smokers versus non-smokers (17.4% vs. 4.0%), and daily cannabis use showed a similar disparity (4.6% vs. 0.8%).
The overall percentage of parents using either cigarettes or cannabis or both decreased from 29.7% to 23.5%, as the decline in smoking outpaced the increase in cannabis use.
Why it matters
Children's exposure to secondhand smoke in the home has been a major public health focus. As cigarette smoking declines but cannabis use rises among parents, public health messaging about secondhand exposure needs to expand to include cannabis smoke.
The numbers in context
Cannabis use among parents: 4.9% (2002) to 6.8% (2015). Among smoking parents: 11.0% to 17.4%. Among non-smoking parents: 2.4% to 4.0%. Cannabis 4x more common in smokers vs. non-smokers (OR 3.88). Combined cigarette/cannabis parent use: 29.7% to 23.5%.
How the study worked
Analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual nationally representative cross-sectional study. Logistic regression estimated associations between cigarette smoking and cannabis use among parents with children at home from 2002 to 2015.
What this study cannot tell us
Self-reported data may underestimate substance use. Cross-sectional annual surveys cannot track individual parents over time. Cannabis use was measured as any past-month use, not specifically use in the home or around children. Legalization status was not directly analyzed as a predictor.
How to read the evidence
Nationally representative data with 14 years of trends published in Pediatrics provides moderate evidence on population-level substance use patterns among parents.
When this study was published
Published in 2018 with data through 2015. Cannabis legalization has expanded significantly since, likely accelerating the trends observed.
The bigger picture
The diverging trends (smoking down, cannabis up) among parents suggest a partial substitution effect, though the overall decline in combined use indicates a net improvement. However, the concentration of cannabis use increase among cigarette-smoking parents means the highest-risk households for secondhand exposure are getting more exposure, not less.
Questions still open
- Is the rise in parental cannabis use associated with increased secondhand cannabis smoke exposure in children? Does parental cannabis use affect child health outcomes independently of tobacco smoke? How has parental cannabis use changed since 2015 as more states legalized?
Common questions
Are more parents using cannabis?
Are fewer parents using substances overall?
Read the original research
Trends in Cannabis and Cigarette Use Among Parents With Children at Home: 2002 to 2015.
Pediatrics, 141(6)
Citation
Goodwin, Renee D; Cheslack-Postava, Keely; Santoscoy, Samantha; Bakoyiannis, Nina; Hasin, Deborah S; Collins, Bradley N; Lepore, Stephen J; Wall, Melanie M. (2018). Trends in Cannabis and Cigarette Use Among Parents With Children at Home: 2002 to 2015.. Pediatrics, 141(6). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-3506