DRUG USE AMONG YOUNG TEENS FALLS

3rd Year Of Decline Applauded; Rise Seen Among Those In
50s

WASHINGTON - Overall drug use increased in the United States just a
smidgen in 2005, but another drop among young teens had federal drug
policy officials beaming Thursday.

Illicit drug use among young teens went down for the third consecutive
year - from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2005.

"This is a culture change and welcome news for our nation's
well-being," said John Walters, director of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy.

But the good news did not extend to all age groups.

The government reported Thursday that 4.4 percent of baby boomers ages
50 to 59 indicated that they had used illicit drugs in the past month.
It marks the third consecutive yearly increase recorded for that age
group by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

"Rarely have we seen a story like this where this is such an obvious
contrast as one generation goes off stage right, and entering stage
left is a generation that learned a lesson somehow and they're doing
something very different," said David Murray, with the Office of
National Drug Control Policy.

The annual survey on drug use and health involves interviews of about
67,500 people. It provides an important snapshot of how many Americans
drink, smoke and use drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and
methamphetamine.

Overall, drug use remained relatively unchanged among Americans age 12
and older in 2005. About 19.7 million Americans reported they had used
an illicit drug in the past month, which represented a rise from 7.9
percent to 8.1 percent. The increase was not only due to the boomers;
an increase was also seen among those 18-25, the age category that
always ranks highest.