TEEN DRUG USE SLIDES 20% BUT CLIMBS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

In The Past Two Years, Drug Use Climbs Nearly 30% Among 18- To
25-year-olds, Government Finds.

WASHINGTON -- Illicit drug use by American teen-agers fell by more than 20%
between 1997 and 1999, the government reported Thursday, marking the first
time in nearly a decade that health officials have detected back-to-back
declines in teen use of drugs such as marijuana, heroin and cocaine.

At the same time, the study suggested a disturbing increase in drug use by
young adults. In the past two years, drug use is up nearly 30% among 18- to
25-year-olds, according to the survey of 67,000 households.

In both cases, use of illicit drugs remains substantially below the highs
reached in the late 1970s, but above levels recorded in 1992.

Administration officials said the declines in teen drug use demonstrated
that anti-drug messages delivered by teachers and parents were hitting the
mark. "We now have a consistent downward trend in drug use among teen-agers
that is very gratifying," said Donna Shalala, secretary of health and human
services.

President Clinton said the government must engage "communities, parents,
teachers and young people in our efforts to drive youth drug and tobacco
use down to even lower levels."

According to the National Household Survey, 9% of youths ages 12 to 17
reported using illicit drugs at least once during the month before taking
the survey. That's down from 11.4% in 1997.

It also appeared to have fallen from last year's 9.9%, but officials said
the change was not statistically significant.

The downward drift was buttressed by separate data showing that the number
of emergency-room visits for drug reasons fell 12% in the last year for
teens 12 to 17. Marijuana use among teens led the illicit-drug decline
(down 25% over the last two years to 7%). Cigarette use also fell
substantially during the same period, to 15.9%.

Drug czar Barry McCaffrey said the marijuana decline was especially good
news because between 1995 and 1998, the rate at which American youths were
having their first contact with the drug reached the highest levels since
the late 1970s.

The news was less upbeat on the alcohol front, where both overall
consumption and binge drinking remained unchanged the past two years, with
19% of teens reporting drinking in the previous month.

Taken as a whole, the nation's drug use remained relatively flat last year,
with the survey pointing to 14.8 million users of illicit drugs. The vast
majority, nearly 60%, were marijuana-only users. Americans' drug habits
reached a peak in the late 1970s, with about 25 million users.

While McCaffrey said the survey was filled with "extremely encouraging
news," the new data contained sobering numbers about the growth of illicit
drug use among 18- to 25-year-olds.

"We first began to see increased drug use among this age group several
years ago when they were teens," McCaffrey said. "Sadly, now that this age
group has established drug-use patterns, they and our society will be
dealing with the harms associated with increased drug use -- disease,
overdoses, health-care costs, crime and the like -- for years to come."