# Harnessing social media to reduce cannabis use among adolescents and emerging adults in an urban emergency department

> **NIH NIH R34** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $234,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
Cannabis use poses an important public health problem among adolescents and emerging adults (A/EAs),
given increasing perceived acceptability and prevalence of cannabis use. Cannabis interventions in schools
show some promise, although half of EAs are not enrolled in school, and drug use among adolescents is
associated with school absenteeism, limiting the relevance of school-based interventions. Brief interventions
(BIs) for cannabis in healthcare settings such as Emergency Departments (EDs) have also shown promise, but
effect sizes are relatively small and dissipate over follow-up. These interventions need significant updates to
both extend the effects and address recent changes in perceptions, access, and route of administration (e.g.,
edibles, vape pens). In recent years, engagement with social media (SM) has dramatically increased, with the
majority of A/EAs utilizing several SM platforms daily. High levels of engagement with SM content provide a
dynamic platform to go beyond ED-based BIs and engage A/EAs residing in socio-economically disadvantaged
communities with cannabis reduction interventions. The specific aims of the proposed study are to: 1)
iteratively develop and focus test a SM-based intervention for A/EAs' cannabis use, and 2) test the preliminary
efficacy of the intervention versus a control condition on cannabis outcomes. Secondary aims include
identifying key mediators/moderators of outcomes (e.g., sex, motives). We will use an iterative process
informed by prior ED-based BIs to develop and refine an ED-initiated SM intervention for cannabis use among
A/EAs. This intervention will include dynamic SM-delivered content for 4 weeks post-ED visit using private SM-
messaging delivered by peer coaches via a popular SM platform (i.e., Snapchat). Based on prior work, we will
develop engaging, user-generated content using crowdsourcing via M-Turk paired with iterative focus testing.
The intervention will harness peers as health coaches to be positive influences, which is scalable given the
availability of student trainees and will focus on “up-stream” factors for cannabis use such as motives for use
(e.g., stress/coping, social), blending evidenced based approaches for cannabis risk reduction (e.g.,
motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral skills). The intervention will be tested in a pilot randomized
controlled trial versus an attention-placebo control (usual care+4-week social media entertainment/news
condition) among 16-24 year-old A/EAs who use cannabis at least weekly. Outcomes will be measured at a 1-
month post-test and 3-month follow-up, with biological verification of drug use. As opposed to one-session BIs
and static web-based interventions with limited “shelf-life”, the development of an adaptable, scalable and
efficacious intervention for cannabis use among A/EAs, meeting them where they are at, on SM, is a critical
next step in public health efforts to reduce cannabis use/consequences. This study cou...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9933847
- **Project number:** 5R34DA045712-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Erin E. Bonar
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $234,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9933847

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9933847, Harnessing social media to reduce cannabis use among adolescents and emerging adults in an urban emergency department (5R34DA045712-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9933847. Licensed CC0.

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