SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS DIFERENT FOR GIRLS: STUDY

WASHINGTON -- Girls and young women get hooked on cigarettes, alcohol and
drugs more quickly and for different reasons than boys, and should receive
specialized treatment that reflects that, according to a study released
Wednesday.

Teenage girls often begin smoking and drinking to relieve stress or
alleviate depression, while boys do it for thrills or heightened social
status, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at
Columbia University.

Girls "get hooked faster, they get hooked using lesser amounts of alcohol
and drugs and cocaine, and they suffer the consequences faster and more
severely," said Joseph A. Califano Jr., chairman of the center.

Califano said prevention and treatment centers need to design their programs
to deal with female risk factors for abuse.

"With some exceptions, the substance abuse prevention programs have really
been designed with a unisex, one-size-fits-both-sexes mentality," said
Califano, who served as Health and Human Services secretary under President
Carter. "We now know that girls are different than boys -- let's recognize
it and let's help them."

The study, based on a nationwide survey of more than 1,200 females age 8 to
22, found little difference in the percentage of boys and girls who smoke,
drink and use drugs.