According to a 2020 study from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), substance use patterns reported by sexual minority adults (those identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual) differ from those reported by heterosexual adults. The data suggests that rates of both marijuana use and opioid misuse were higher in sexual minority adults than in the overall adult population. Similarly, a 2019 National Institutes of Health study indicates LGBTQ+ youth are more likely than their heterosexual peers to start using substances at a younger age. Their substance use also tends to escalate faster than it does for their non-LGBTQ+ peers.