FEWER TEENS USING DRUGS, SURVEY FINDS

Washington -- The use of illegal drugs by children ages 12 to 17 dropped
sharply from 1997 to 1999, the federal government said yesterday. And while
drug use among people 18 to 25 went up, it was still far below what it was
two decades ago.

The heartening trend among those 12 to 17 is the most important finding of
the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, said Donna Shalala, the
secretary of health and human services, and Barry McCaffrey, director of
the White House office on drug control policy.

Both officials said nationwide educational and preventive efforts are
working, especially among the young. ``Most of our young people are
obviously getting the message that drugs are not the stuff of dreams, but
the stuff of nightmares,'' Shalala said. % The study found a 21 percent
drop from 1997 to 1999 among those 12 to 17 who said they had used an
illegal drug in the month before they were surveyed. Nine percent of those
12 to 17 reported using an illicit drug in 1999 compared with 11.4 percent
who admitted drug use in 1997.

The use of marijuana in that age group showed a steeper decline than
overall drug use, declining by 26 percent. Since marijuana remains the most
popular illicit drug among youths, the officials found its decline in
popularity encouraging.

But the survey results among people 18 to 25 -- who are among those most
likely to commit crimes -- showed a worsening problem. Use of illicit drugs
rose 28 percent in two years; that is, 14.7 percent in this age group
reported using an illicit drug in 1997, while 18.8 percent said they had
done so in 1999.

Alaska had the highest rate of illicit drug use (10.7 percent of those 12
and older) and Virginia the lowest (4.7).