TEEN SMOKING DROPS SHARPLY

WASHINGTON - Smoking is declining sharply among American teens, a finding
health experts are hailing as good news for the public's future health.

A report also disclosed that the recent sharp increases in use of the drug
ecstasy are slowing, heroin use decreased, and a gradual decline in use of
inhalants continued in 2001.

Decreases in cigarette smoking were observed for the eighth-, 10th- and
12th-graders surveyed.

For eighth-graders: Some 12.2 percent of eighth-graders reported smoking in
the 30 days before they were surveyed, down from 14.6 percent the year
before. The peak in the 1990s was 21 percent, in 1996.

For 10th-graders: The survey found 21.3 percent had smoked in the previous
30 days, down from 23.9 percent the year before and 30.4 percent, also in 1996.

For 12th-graders: 29.5 percent had smoked in the month before being asked.
That was down from 31.4 percent in 2000. Their peak in the 1990s came in
1997 at 36.5 percent.

"A lot of individuals and organizations have been making concerted efforts
to bring down the unacceptably high rates of smoking among our youth," said
Lloyd D. Johnston of the University of Michigan.

The findings were reported Wednesday in the annual Monitoring the Future
survey conducted for the government by the University of Michigan's
Institute for Social Research. The report surveyed 44,300 students
nationwide in grades 8, 10 and 12.

The decline in drug use was also lauded by public health officials.

"Overall, drug use among America's teenagers has remained level or declined
for the fifth year in a row, and that's good news. But we must remain
vigilant to the threats that heroin, ecstasy, marijuana, alcohol and other
dangerous drugs pose to our youth," Health and Human Services Secretary
Tommy Thompson said in a statement.

John P. Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy, characterized
the findings as "good news-bad news."

The explosive increases in drug use seen in the early 1990s have stopped,
he said, but still too many people use illegal drugs.

"It's time to make the antidrug effort catch up to the antitobacco effort,"
he said.

Alcohol remains the most popular drug with teens.

Some 79.7 percent of 12th-graders said they had used alcohol at some point,
down from 80.3 percent the year before. But those who admitted to having
been drunk at some time rose from 62.3 percent, to 63.9 percent.

For 10th-graders, 70.1 percent admitted some alcohol use, down from 71.4
percent. Those who said they had been drunk fell from 49.3 percent, to 48.2
percent.

And for eighth-graders, 50.5 percent had had a drink, down from 51.7
percent, and those who had been drunk declined from 25.1 percent, to 23.4
percent.

The survey covered students in 424 public and private schools in the 48
contiguous states.

Among other findings:

* Marijuana: 49 percent of 12th-graders had used it at some time, up from
48.8 percent the year before; 10th grade, 40.1 percent, down from 40.3
percent; eighth grade, 20.4 percent, up from 20.3 percent.

* Cocaine: 12th grade, 8.2 percent, down from 8.6 percent; 10th grade, 5.7
percent, down from 6.9 percent; eighth grade, 4.3 percent, down from 4.5
percent.