NATIONAL DRUG SURVEY SHOWS FUTURE TRENDS

More young people tried prescription drugs for the first time last
year than marijuana.

That was one of several enlightening results from the National
Survey on Drug Use and Health, released recently by the federal
government to mark the close of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction
Recovery Month.

One of the categories in the survey is substance use initiation,
meaning the first time someone uses a drug. Knowing when first-time
use occurs for each drug helps policymakers, researchers and
addiction professionals by letting them know what areas to focus on
in their drug prevention efforts.

In 2005, an estimated 2.9 million persons aged 12 or older used an
illicit drug for the first time within the past 12 months, nearly
8,000 initiates per day. More than half first-time users were
younger than age 18, and the majority of new users -- 56.2 percent
- -- were female.

According to the survey, the specific drug categories with the
largest number of recent initiates among persons aged 12 or older
were non-medical use of pain relievers (2.2 million) and marijuana
use (2.1 million), followed by non-medical use of
tranquilizers (1.3 million), then by use of inhalants (.9
million) and cocaine (.9 million).

This means that prescription drugs have surpassed marijuana in the
"drug of choice" category for young people to try first, according
to Narconon Hawaii, a nonprofit founded in Honolulu two years ago to
fight illegal drug use.

"There is a reason why we teach young people about the dangers of
all drugs," NH executive director Bobby Newman said in a press release.

Since opening an education office in Honolulu nearly two years ago,
Narconon Hawaii's drug prevention program has worked with thousands
of students throughout the islands. Recent efforts
include producing and distributing over 6,000 free parent kits with
materials to help them speak to their kids about drugs. The kit
comes complete with a DVD of Narconon's prevention presentations and
information about different types of drugs.

For more information, call Narconon Hawaii at (808) 550-5005 or
visit www.drug-free-kids.org.