Cannabis burden rising in East Asia among young people

This epidemiological study analyzes trends in drug use disorders across East and Southeast Asia from 1990 to 2021, using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The research reveals dramatically different regional patterns in how various drugs impact public health, with amphetamines showing particularly distinct trajectories between subregions. In East Asia, amphetamine-related disease burden declined sharply by -3.08% annually, while Southeast Asia experienced increases of 0.16% per year, indicating a troubling shift in the geography of amphetamine epidemiology.

A notable finding relevant to cannabis policy is the rising burden of cannabis-related disorders in East Asia, which increased by 0.27% annually from 1990 to 2021. This trend contrasts with successes in controlling other drugs like cocaine (which fell by -3.81% annually across the region). The study identifies young people aged 15-34 years as most vulnerable, suggesting that cannabis use is becoming an increasingly significant public health concern among youth in East Asia, even as other drug epidemics are being controlled. Meanwhile, cocaine-related disease burden decreased markedly throughout the region.

The research underscores the need for targeted, subregion-specific public health interventions rather than one-size-fits-all drug control strategies. While East Asia has made progress controlling amphetamine and cocaine epidemics, the emerging cannabis trend warrants urgent attention to prevention and treatment strategies, particularly for younger populations. The findings highlight how drug epidemiology varies geographically and temporally, requiring policymakers to adapt responses based on local disease burden patterns and demographic vulnerability.