U.S. DRUG WAR REQUIRES PERMANENT VIGILANCE

In the United States, few issues worry the parents of teenagers more than
drug abuse.The thought that your son or daughter could be among the 15
million Americans hooked on illegal drugs is terrifying.

But a recent national survey of teenagers' behavior offers some hope that
educational efforts may be getting better results than expected.

The survey, sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, found that
smoking, drinking and the use of illegal drugs among teenagers is at its
lowest level since the annual tally began 27 years ago.

What is particularly encouraging is that the use of ecstasy, the synthetic
psychoactive drug that can cause permanent brain damage, has declined
significantly.

As positive as those findings are, Americans must not get complacent.
That's because the study - called Monitoring the Future and carried out by
the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research - also reveals
that the use of heroin, cocaine and crack has not declined.

This is particularly worrisome for Bexar County because, as health
officials have pointed out, heroin use is a major threat here.

South Texas, like many other communities in the United States, needs a
major anti-heroin campaign like the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's
warnings against the use of ecstasy.

Although some officials believe that last year's terrorist attacks
contributed to the decline, campaigns to educate young people about the
dangers of drug use also deserve credit. And the importance of parental
involvement can't be overestimated.

Future educational effort should focus on all illegal substances, not just
a drug or two. Ecstasy has been the trendiest drug in recent years. But
heroin, cocaine and crack can do just as much or more harm to young people.