TEENS GETTING ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE

Repetitive public-service announcements on television warning America's
youth of the dangers presented by alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs might
seem like tedious statements of the obvious to some adults, and even some
youngsters. But judging from a sustained decline in the use of those
substances by the nation's teenagers in a survey of 8th-, 10th- and
12th-graders, those education campaigns are conveying an effective lesson.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently released a study, conducted
for it by the University of Michigan, showing that the use of alcohol,
cigarettes and illegal drugs in all three grades has declined over the past
two years. As John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy,
explained on the Institute's Web site: "There are now 600,000 fewer teens
using drugs than there were in 2001. This is real progress."

The most dramatic progress has come in smoking rates, which are now roughly
half of what they were a decade ago for younger teens. That decline is
clearly related to a rising realization among America's children that
smoking is a dangerous habit, a realization strengthened by those
public-service announcements from a variety of sources.

But the use of inhalants, such as glue and aerosols, is rising, as is the
use of OxyContin, a synthetic narcotic. And while overall trends show drug,
alcohol and tobacco use in decline among U.S. teens, the survey still found
significant numbers are using those substances in violation of the law and
at risk to themselves and, in some cases, others.

That's why more public-service efforts are needed to maintain the downward
trend in teen drug, alcohol and tobacco use. Of course, some positive
guidance from parents couldn't hurt.