TEEN TOBACCO, MARIJUANA USE FALLS

Study Compares 1997, 2001 Habits

High school students are smoking less tobacco and marijuana, but in many
other cases their unhealthy behaviors have not changed or have increased,
the government reported Thursday.

Between 1997 and 2001, the percentage of teens who smoked cigarettes
dropped from 36.4 percent to 16.7 percent, and the percentage who smoked
marijuana decreased from 26.2 percent to 23.9 percent, according to the
Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But the rate of teen drinking has not changed significantly, according to
the same survey, and the rate of cocaine use is inching up.

"We have two sides of the story here," said Laura Kann of the CDC's
division of adolescent and school health. "We are seeing some improvements
in some health risk behaviors among kids --- but it doesn't mean some
things are not still getting worse."

The numbers released Thursday come from the Youth Risk Behavior
Surveillance System, a study of students in grades 9 through 12 compiled by
the CDC every second year. The study includes results of a national survey,
surveys by 34 states including Georgia, and 18 surveys done in major cities.

The ongoing study monitors teen behavior from year to year in areas that
affect their long-term health: accidental injuries and violence; use of
tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs; sexual behavior; and diet and exercise.

In 2001, for instance, 33 percent had been in at least one fight in a year;
17 percent had carried a weapon within a month; and almost 7 percent had
stayed home from school at least once because they felt unsafe. Almost 10
percent had been physically hurt by someone they were dating, and almost 8
percent had been forced to have sex when they did not want to.

More than 47 percent of students had drunk alcohol at least once in the
past 30 days; 30 percent had five or more drinks at one time, and 30
percent had begun to drink before they turned 13. Almost 15 percent of
students had used an inhalant drug at least once, compared with 10 percent
who had used methamphetamine, 5 percent who used body-building steroids and
2 percent who had injected an illegal drug at least once in their lives.

In addition, the survey found, 28 percent of teens smoked regularly, 10
percent were overweight and 79 percent had not eaten the recommended amount
of fruit or vegetables in the previous week.

Some of the numbers in the new survey reveal long-term, positive changes in
teen behavior, Kann said. The percentage of students who admit they seldom
wear seat belts dropped, along with the proportion who are willing to ride
in a car with a driver who has been drinking. Fewer teens were willing to
participate in a fight or carry a weapon than 10 years ago, and they were
less likely to think about or attempt suicide. Teens were less likely to
have sex while in high school, and much more likely to use condoms when
they did.

But comparing the current findings with earlier ones also uncovers negative
trends.

Though tobacco and marijuana use have declined since 1997, rates of use are
still higher than they were in 1991. In addition, the percentage of teens
using cocaine has almost doubled over 10 years, from 5.9 percent to 9.4
percent. How much alcohol teens drank, and how frequently, was effectively
unchanged since 1993.

"What stands out is the complexity of these behaviors," Kann said. "All the
trends reflect an interaction of personal, social, cultural, economic and
environmental variables, from peer norms to adults' behaviors to the media
to state and local laws and whether they are enforced."

ON THE WEB: For more information: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/yrbsaag.htm

SEAT BELTS TO SEX: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT BEHAVIOR, 1991 AND 2001

Behaviour Percentage in 1991 Percentage in 2001

Rarely wear seat belts..............25.9%..........14.1%

Ride with driver who had been drinking
alcohol....................39.9%..........30.7%

Participated in a fight.............42.5%..........33.2%

Seriously considered suicide..........29%............19%

Carried a weapon....................26.1%..........17.4%

Ever used marijuana.................31.3%..........42.4%

Ever used cocaine....................5.9%...........9.4%

Ever had intercourse................54.1%..........45.6%

Had four or more sexual partners.....................18.7%..........14.2%

Recently used condoms...............46.2%..........57.9%

Recently smoked cigarettes..........27.5%..........28.5%

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South Risk Behavior
Surveillance Survey 2001