Trends in Cannabis and Cigarette Use Among Parents With Children at Home: 2002 to 2015

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated trends in cannabis use among parents with children at home in the United States and estimated changes in prevalence of any cannabis use and daily cannabis use among parents who identified as cigarette smokers and nonsmokers with children in the home from 2002 to 2015. METHODS: The National Survey on Drug Use and Health is an annual, nationally representative, cross-sectional study conducted in the United States. Using logistic regression models, associations between cigarette smoking and any past-month and daily past-month cannabis use among parents with children in the home from 2002 to 2015 were estimated. Moderation of these associations by demographics and trends over time was examined. RESULTS: Past-month cannabis use among parents with children in the home increased from 4.9% in 2002 to 6.8% in 2015, whereas cigarette smoking declined from 27.6% to 20.2%. Cannabis use increased from 11.0% in 2002 to 17.4% in 2015 among cigarette-smoking parents and from 2.4% to 4.0% among non–cigarette-smoking parents (P value for trends <.0001). Cannabis use was nearly 4 times more common among cigarette smokers versus nonsmokers (17.4% vs 4.0%; adjusted odds ratio = 3.88 [3.16–4.75]), as was daily cannabis use (4.6% vs 0.8%; adjusted odds ratio = 3.70 [2.46–5.55]). The overall percentage of parents who used either cigarettes and/or cannabis decreased from 29.7% in 2002 to 23.5% in 2015. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to decrease secondhand smoke exposure via cigarette smoking cessation may be complicated by increases in cannabis use. Educating parents about secondhand cannabis smoke exposure should be integrated into public education programs on secondhand tobacco smoke exposure.