In the UK, young people are increasingly using drugs to escape the reality that causes anxiety

Taking drugs, not for recreational purposes, but to escape an increasingly anxious reality is becoming a growing trend among younger people. British charity The Mix has just released the results of a study showing a 50% increase in people aged 16 to 25 using drugs since 2021 in the UK.

One in five young drug addicts do it to escape reality

The most worrying thing is that young people do it less and less for recreational purposes, and more and more for “ escape from problems ” real life, reports the survey. In fact, among consumers, this reason is on the rise by 75% – it now affects one in five drug addicts, according to The Mix. As many people also report using substances to deal with mental health problems or emotional stress. In this age group, 12% of people surveyed also said they had used non-prescription antidepressants in the past twelve months.

Under discussion: the Covid-19 pandemic and its confinements, of course, but also the cost of living crisis, which further complicates the need for any treatment of mental disorders. Added to this are the climatic and political crises that have become a worrying routine, a source of anxiety and uncertainty for the future. Multifactorial reasons that can give rise to terrible cocktail effects which can probably be seen elsewhere than in the UK, like France for example …

As the media point out Stunnedthe percentage of young people who regularly use drugs has almost tripled in the UK, from 5% in 2021 to 14% in 2022. In 2021, 16% of young people reported having used drugs at least once a week , now it would be 23%.

Front page photo credit: Zendaya Coleman in the series Euphoria.