DRUG USE IS DOWN

One of the largest national surveys of youth shows a 23 percent drop
in drug use since 2001 and local officials say they also expect to
see a drop in a survey of area students due out soon.

A recently released study by the University of Michigan showed the
decline, among eightth, 10th and 12th graders. It translates into
about 840,000 fewer youth using drugs in 2006 than 2001.

The study also shows a 25 percent drop in marijuana use, although it
remains the most common drug used by teens.

"Statistically, that's really good news," said Cathy Harper,
coordinator of the Right Path for Washington County, a community
board devoted to youth prevention programs. "It's good overall, but
you still have to take a look at your own community."

The Right Path is doing that, with its own survey wrapping up with
results expected to be released later this winter.

The group surveyed Washington County sixth-, seventh and eighth
graders about drug use, community involvement, antisocial behavior
and academic performance and will compare the results to the same
survey, given to the same grades in 2003.

"When we set goals in 2003 we set them pretty low, at 2 percent,"
Harper said. "But that is a big change and I feel confident we'll see that."

The 2003 Washington County survey found that more local children
used alcohol and inhalants than the national average, but there were
fewer using marijuana and methamphetamine, than across the country.

Other results from the University of Michigan study included the
lowest methamphetamine rate in years and showed a drop of 50 percent
since 2001, with fewer than 1 percent of students using meth at
least once in the 30 days before the interview.

"There has been a substance abuse sea change among American teens,"
said John P. Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy.
"They are getting the message that dangerous drugs damage their
lives and limit their futures."

The age group studied are very important ones, said Walters.

"We know that if people don't start using drugs during their teen
years, they are very unlikely to go on to develop drug problems
later in life," he said. "That's why this sharp decline in teen drug
use is such important news. It means there will be less
addiction, less suffering, less crime, lower health costs
and higher achievement for this upcoming generation of Americans."

Youth use of alcohol was also down, according to the "Monitoring the
Future" study, which had 48,460 students from 410 schools as participants.

Lifetime, past year, past month, daily and instances of drinking
more than five drinks in a row in the last two weeks were all lower
than in 2001 in all three grades.

Use of cigarettes and steroids was also down in all three grades and
hallucinogens, including LSD and Ecstasy, took huge tumbles,
decreasing by 50 percent to two-thirds.

The only drug to see an increase in all grades was Oxycontin, which
4 percent of students said they used in 2006, compared to 3 percent in 2001.

The lifetime use of sedatives among seniors increased 18 percent and
the past year use of Vicodin remained steady in all three grades,
with 3 percent, 7 percent and 10 percent of eighth, 10th, and 12th
grades, respectively, reporting use.

Harper said she thinks efforts like the Right Path, which has a
sixth-grade curriculum in place and a Youth Involvement Group plan
safe, fun activities, have made a difference in recent years.

"We're giving them some of the right tools and a lot of good things
are happening," she said. "But there's still a lot of work to do.
There have been some recent incidents with underage drinking, so
we're going to move that to the forefront next. But we have a great
group of kids and a community that understands what we're doing and
I think we can accomplish what we're trying to."