Cannabis Use Doesn't Reduce Physical Activity in Teens, Unlike Tobacco
A massive 45-country study of 358,391 young people found that cannabis use was not associated with lower physical activity levels, while tobacco use was.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 358,391 children and adolescents across 45 countries, cannabis users did not differ significantly from non-users in physical activity levels. In contrast, tobacco use was consistently linked to about 1 fewer day per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Cannabis was linked to slightly higher activity in boys only.
Key Numbers
358,391 participants (51% girls) from 45 countries, ages 10-17. Tobacco users had 1.09 fewer days/week of MVPA (95% CI: 1.06-1.11). Cannabis showed no significant difference overall; slightly higher MVPA in boys only (p=0.035).
How They Did This
Cross-sectional analysis of the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study data from 2013-2019, covering 358,391 participants aged 10-17 from 45 countries, using generalized linear mixed models.
Why This Research Matters
The assumption that substance use universally reduces physical activity appears to be substance-specific. Understanding these differences helps target public health interventions more precisely.
The Bigger Picture
This challenges the stereotype of the sedentary cannabis user, at least among adolescents. It suggests that tobacco, not cannabis, is the substance most consistently linked to physical inactivity in youth.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Self-reported substance use and physical activity may be inaccurate. Cannabis use frequency details limited. Cultural differences across 45 countries may confound results.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why does tobacco but not cannabis reduce physical activity in youth?
- ?Could cannabis users be compensating with exercise?
- ?Do these patterns persist into adulthood?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 358,391 youth studied: tobacco reduced activity by 1 day/week, cannabis did not
- Evidence Grade:
- Massive multinational sample with sophisticated statistical modeling, though cross-sectional design and self-report measures limit causal claims.
- Study Age:
- 2025 analysis of HBSC data from 2013-2019 across 45 countries.
- Original Title:
- Exploring the link between recreational substances and physical activity in children and adolescents: insights from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study (2013-2019).
- Published In:
- BMC public health, 26(1), 74 (2025)
- Authors:
- Miño, Camila, Yañéz-Sepúlveda, Rodrigo, Gutiérrez-Espinoza, Héctor, Olivares-Arancibia, Jorge, Rúa-Alonso, María, Calatayud, Joaquín, López-Bueno, Rubén, López-Gil, José Francisco
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07145
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis use make teenagers less active?
This massive study of over 358,000 youth across 45 countries found no significant difference in physical activity between cannabis users and non-users. Tobacco, not cannabis, was consistently linked to less exercise.
Are there sex differences in cannabis and physical activity?
Boys who used cannabis showed slightly higher physical activity than non-users, while no significant difference was found in girls. The reasons for this sex difference are unclear.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- 420-sober-survival-guide
- CBT-cannabis-recovery
- cannabis-relapse-cycle-pattern
- cold-turkey-vs-taper-quit-weed
- dating-sober-after-quitting-weed
- exercise-quitting-weed-anxiety-brain
- grieving-quitting-weed-loss
- help-someone-quit-weed
- how-to-quit-weed
- how-to-talk-to-teenager-about-weed
- journaling-weed-withdrawal
- kids-friends-smoke-weed-parent-guide
- marijuana-anonymous-SMART-recovery-compare
- meditation-mindfulness-weed-withdrawal
- parent-smokes-weed-kids-hypocrite
- partner-still-smokes-weed
- partner-still-smokes-weed-quitting
- pink-cloud-sobriety-cannabis
- quit-weed-cold-turkey
- quit-weed-or-cut-back-which-is-better
- quit-weed-regret-went-back
- quitting-weed-20s
- quitting-weed-30s
- quitting-weed-after-years
- quitting-weed-during-crisis-divorce-job-loss
- quitting-weed-exercise
- quitting-weed-grief-loss-coping
- quitting-weed-legal-state
- quitting-weed-parent
- quitting-weed-success-stories
- quitting-weed-teenager-young-adult
- quitting-weed-triggers-environment
- relapsed-smoking-weed-what-to-do
- relapsed-weed
- should-i-quit-weed
- sober-music-festival-concert-without-weed
- supplements-weed-withdrawal
- teenager-smoking-weed-parent-guide
- telling-friends-quitting-weed
- weed-relapse-prevention-plan
- weed-relapse-why-it-happens
- weed-ritual-replacement
- weed-ruined-relationships
- weed-social-media-triggers-quit
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07145APA
Miño, Camila; Yañéz-Sepúlveda, Rodrigo; Gutiérrez-Espinoza, Héctor; Olivares-Arancibia, Jorge; Rúa-Alonso, María; Calatayud, Joaquín; López-Bueno, Rubén; López-Gil, José Francisco. (2025). Exploring the link between recreational substances and physical activity in children and adolescents: insights from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study (2013-2019).. BMC public health, 26(1), 74. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25448-4
MLA
Miño, Camila, et al. "Exploring the link between recreational substances and physical activity in children and adolescents: insights from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study (2013-2019).." BMC public health, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25448-4
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Exploring the link between recreational substances and physi..." RTHC-07145. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mino-2025-exploring-the-link-between
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.