STUDY: FEWER YOUNG PEOPLE ABUSING MARIJUANA, LSD AND ECSTASY

Wade Hampton High senior Matthew Fischer, 17, says he wouldn't think of
using drugs. His mom says activities such as band help keep children out of
trouble.

Try marijuana, LSD or ecstasy? No way, said Matthew Fischer, a senior
at Wade Hampton High.

Aside from the serious trouble he'd face if his parents ever found
out, he's seen what illegal drugs are doing to some of his peers.

"All you have to do is look at them, and you know it isn't good for
you," Fischer said. "They never seem to have their eyes open, and they
look like they don't bother to take a bath. They are just rough around
the edges, and you can see it really messes them up."

For Matthew and many other teens, that visual message has been
priceless. Fewer American youths are using marijuana, LSD and ecstasy,
according to a government report released Thursday. However,
indications are that more are abusing prescription drugs.

The study found a good reason to talk to your kids about the dangers
of drug abuse: Youths who believed their parents would strongly
disapprove of marijuana used it 80 percent less than others.

Fischer, 17, plays Lacrosse for the Wade Hampton Generals in addition
to being in the marching band. His mother, Kathy Fischer, said she has
always encouraged such activities, which she believes help keep
children out of trouble.

Amanda Glasgow, who works as a guidance counselor at Mauldin High,
said drug abuse still isn't something most teen-agers seem to feel
comfortable talking about with school officials.

Still, she believes many are more aware of the risks of using drugs
because of the increased focus over the last decade by the media on
anti-drug campaigns.

But for 16-year-old Lindsey Christiano of Simpsonville - like Matthew
Fischer - the most effective anti-drug campaign is the human face of
drug abuse.

Seeing people who take drugs makes Lindsey wonder about how their
lives will turn out.

"It just doesn't look like they're going to have any potential," said
Christiano, a junior at Mauldin High. "Their future doesn't look as
bright as mine does."

Staying away from drugs has always been "a given" in her life, she
said. Christiano's mother, Lynn Poplin, said she began talking to her
about drugs back in elementary school.

The anti-drug programs taught at school were the starting point, and
Poplin expanded on them with her daughter, using school handouts. Now
that Christiano is a teen-ager, she knows she can call her mother if
she's ever exposed to drugs.

The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that youths and
young adults today are more aware of the risks of using pot.

A highlight of the study was a 5 percent decline in the number of 12-
to 17-year-olds who have used pot. Among 12- and 13-year-olds, current
marijuana smokers - those who said they used it within a month of the
survey - declined nearly 30 percent.

"It is encouraging news that more American youths are getting the
message that drugs are dangerous, including marijuana," Health and
Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told the Associated Press.

For youths age 12 to 17, use of ecstasy and LSD in the year leading up
to the survey dropped significantly - by 41 percent for ecstasy and 54
percent for LSD, the study said. The study, which also included
adults, found that overall nearly 20 million people aged 12 and over
use illegal drugs.

But there was a 20 percent decline between 2002 and 2003 in the number
of youths that were 'heavy users' of pot - those who smoke it either
daily or at least 20 days each month, according to the findings
released by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Survey results on alcohol use showed the numbers of binge and heavy
drinkers not changing between 2002 and 2003. About 54 million
Americans ages 12 and older binged on alcohol at least once in the 30
days before being surveyed. These people had five or more drinks on
five or more occasions in the past month.

People 18 to 25 showed the highest prevalence of binge and heavy
drinking.

But while the findings on drinking showed little change, the study did
find increased use of prescription pain relievers among people who did
not need them for medical reasons. The most striking increase was a 15
percent rise in prescription drug abuse by people 18 to 25. In the
broader population of 12 and over, 5 percent more people took those
drugs recreationally.

The study found that young people who were exposed to the anti-drug
messages outside school took notice - with rates of current pot use 25
percent lower than those who did not get those messages.

Kathy Fischer said she began having conversations with both of her
sons when they were still youngsters about why they should stay away
from illegal drugs.

"I think parental influence plays a huge role," she said.

That's an opinion endorsed by Carol Reeves, executive director of the
Greenville Family Partnership, a private nonprofit tobacco, alcohol
and drug prevention organization.

But Reeves said she isn't convinced marijuana, LSD and ecstasy use is
declining locally.

"We do very little surveying in the state, and of course we are banned
from surveying in the schools," she said. "But every time we have
youth together, we survey them to the best of our ability - and get
their opinions. And we're not hearing about a decline at all."

What they are hearing is that the use of marijuana and other illegal
drugs is leveling off, she said.

"But I don't take that as a good sign, because at the same time we are
seeing a lot of studies about kids entering into treatment centers
because of marijuana abuse," she said. "But I do believe we are making
progress in slowing the escalation of marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol
use. I'm hoping that its from parents becoming more involved and
schools becoming more vigilant."

Unfortunately, she said, Greenville does appear to be following the
national trend of increased prescription drug abuse among teens.

"It is all about availability," she said. "As a parent, you have a
responsibility to be cautious about your liquor cabinet and where you
leave your prescription medication."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.