Sponsored Helpline
Anyone comparing rehab centers right now is looking at a substance use picture that has reorganized itself. New NIH data show cannabis and nicotine use is climbing while alcohol and cigarettes fall. This changes what addiction treatment programs are most often asked to handle and what questions matter when evaluating a facility.
The findings come from the Monitoring the Future Longitudinal Panel Study, an annual survey of self-reported drug use among adults ages 19 to 65 that the National Institutes of Health has supported since 1976. The 2025 results were released in August 2026 by investigators at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Cannabis Reached Its Highest Recorded Levels
Across all adults, daily, past 30-day, and past 12-month cannabis use, along with cannabis vaping, remained at or near all-time highs. The clearest movement was in early midlife. Among adults ages 35 to 50, daily cannabis use rose from 6.6% in 2024 to 8.5% in 2025, a statistically significant increase.
That age group matters for anyone researching treatment options. Adults in their late thirties and forties are frequently balancing work and caregiving, which shapes whether outpatient programs or residential care make practical sense.
Nicotine Vaping and Pouches Kept Climbing
Nicotine vaping also stayed at or near record levels. Among young adults, past 30-day nicotine vaping has tripled since 2017, and past 12-month vaping has nearly doubled over the same period.
Nicotine pouches showed the steepest recent growth. Past 12-month use among all adults more than doubled since 2023, the first year the panel asked about these products.
Cigarettes and Alcohol Continued to Fall
While cannabis and nicotine use rose during this period, cigarette smoking stayed relatively low. Past 30-day rates ranged from 8.3% among young adults to 10.6% among adults ages 55 to 65.
Among young adults, nearly every drinking measure sat at low levels. Past 12-month, past 30-day, and high-intensity drinking, defined in the survey as consuming 10 or more drinks in a row, all held steady.
Heroin Ticked Up Among Young Adults
The report identified a small but statistically significant increase in past-year heroin use among adults ages 19 to 30, rising from 0.2% in 2024 to 0.6% in 2025. That is the first significant uptick in roughly 10 years, though it remains below the all-time high of 0.7% recorded in 2013.
Nonmedical use of sleeping medications in the same age group also rose, from 2.0% to 3.0%. Past-year psychedelics use moved the other direction, falling from 8.9% to 7.2% after a decade of increases.
“It is reassuring to continue to see relatively low smoking rates and a continuing decline in alcohol use among adults. At the same time, rising rates of cannabis, nicotine, and certain other drug use warrant attention,” said Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Megan Patrick, Ph.D., principal investigator of the panel study at the University of Michigan, said studies of this kind are valuable for catching gradual shifts before they escalate.
What Rising Cannabis Use Means for Addiction Treatment
Percentage-point movements in a national survey translate into real differences in what treatment programs see week to week. A rise in daily cannabis use among adults in early midlife means more people entering addiction treatment with cannabis as a primary or contributing concern rather than an afterthought.
The heroin figure is small in absolute terms but carries outsized weight. Opioid use disorder is the condition for which medication such as buprenorphine or methadone is most strongly supported by evidence, so even a modest increase raises the practical importance of confirming that a program offers it.
What This Means for Treatment Seekers
If you are comparing programs, the substance mix documented here is worth carrying into the conversation. Ask specifically whether a facility treats cannabis use disorder as a primary diagnosis, since some programs are built primarily around alcohol and opioids.
For anyone whose situation involves opioids, confirm that medication for opioid use disorder is available on site rather than by referral. Because nicotine dependence often sits alongside other substance use, ask whether cessation support is part of the program or something you would need to arrange separately.
Finding the Right Rehab
Concrete next steps for anyone moving from research to action:
- Compare rehab centers by the specific substances they treat, not just their level of care.
- Confirm whether medication for opioid use disorder is offered directly.
- Verify insurance coverage for rehab before committing to a program.
- Ask about co-occurring mental health treatment, which shapes outcomes for many people.
Rehab.com’s directory lists verified treatment centers nationwide, searchable by location, level of care, insurance accepted, and substance treated. If you or someone you know needs help finding treatment, SAMHSA’s National Helpline is available at 1-800-662-4357.
