What prison term of twelvemonth are people most probable to embark on their first druggy experience ? You might guess December , aka Party Season . Or shine , when a fresh batch of teen go out home for the first time to get college .
But you ’d be wrong because the right solution – agree to a study late published in theJournal of General Internal Medicine – is summer . A menstruum of long days , balmy weather , fete , and perhaps most importantly , plenty of light time .
investigator at the New York University ( NYU ) School of Medicine investigate when , seasonally - speaking , American teenager and adult " initiated " drug habit from datum collected in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2011 and 2017 . Just under 400,000 multitude senesce 12 years and senior complete a computer - assist interview requiring them to jot down the calendar month and year they took cocaine , LSD , and MDMA ( or ecstasy or Molly ) , and hemp for the first time .
It is estimated that some 3 million multitude in the US tried cannabis for the first metre in 2017 , while 1 million try cocaine , 800,000 tried LSD , and 800,000 seek MDMA . Of those 400,000 or so go over , 30 percent of cannabis initiates , 28 percent of cocaine initiates , 34 percentage of LSD pundit , and 30 percent of MDMA beginner first used in summer ( June to August ) .
The results were fairly consistent among all demographic feature with a few exceptions . In 2011 and 2012 , just a quarter of the great unwashed ( 24.9 - 26.9 pct ) trying LSD for the first time did so in summertime compared to between 31.4 and 43 percent in recent years . And black respondents were less potential ( 18.2 percent ) to attempt cocaine for the first time in summertime than those of other race and ethnicities ( 26.8 - 39.3 per centum ) .
The researchers were careful to point out that the differences between summer and other months were " modest " , but pin the little tendency – at least , in part – to increased levels of leisure time prison term during the summer as well as social occasion like festival where unpaid drug use is common . Still , they say , more enquiry is needed to research the position most likely to promote first - time drug employment and set whether it is plan or unplanned .
Joseph J. Palamar , an associate professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU School of Medicine , recommends anyone view using educates themselves on the drugs and their side effect . He advises taking in the company of trusted friends , drinking enough fluid to avoid dehydration , and catch enough remainder to avoid exhaustion – or anything more serious .
" First - time user may be unfamiliar with the effects of various drugs , so it is important to first see when people are most probable to begin these behaviors , " Palamar say in astatement .
" parent and educators who are concerned about their kids take to civilize them yr - round about potential risks associated with drug use , but special emphasis is likely needed before or during summer months when charge per unit of creation increase . "
