It turns out the kids aren’t alright. According to a new report from UK youth charity The Mix, since 2021, there has been a 50% increase in drug use among young people (ages 16-25) and a 75% increase in using drugs — including ketamine, cannabis, and methadone — as a form of escapism.
The report suggests the COVID-19 pandemic may be responsible for at least some of this increase. They’re keen to make up for time lost to years of quarantine, and embrace pleasure with friends, now that restrictions have been lifted. But they’re also emotionally burnt out, not just because of the lack of social interaction, but also because of the issues impacting people of all ages, like the real-time effects of the climate crisis and inflation. In fact, recent research from The Prince’s Trust NatWest Youth Index has found that “young people’s overall happiness and confidence has hit [the] lowest point in the 13-year history of [this] survey.”
