SURVEY INDICATES DROP IN DRUG USE BY TEENS

But Rate Of Abuse Still Far Ahead Of Early '90S

WASHINGTON -- Pointing to a drop in teenage drug use last year, the Clinton
administration expressed optimism Wednesday that the nation has "turned the
corner" after increases in teen drug use since the early 1990s.

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that 9.9 percent of youths
ages 12-17 reported using drugs within the previous month, down from 11.4
percent in 1997.

Teen drug use remains well above the 1992 low of 5.3 percent.

U.S. drug use overall held steady, though it increased among young adults
age 18-25, according to the annual survey of 25,500 Americans age 12 and up.

Donna Shalala, secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, and
Barry McCaffrey, the White House national drug policy director, said the
report provides evidence of a shift among teenagers, a key target of drug
education efforts.

"In the battle against illicit drugs, we've turned the corner," Shalala said.

But some drug policy analysts said one year's numbers don't make a trend.
Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) faulted the administration's upbeat presentation,
saying, "We still have a long way to go" in dealing with the drug problem.

Overall, the survey concluded that about 13.6 million people were drug users
in 1998, compared with 13.9 million in 1997. The number peaked in 1979 at
24.3 million and declined to a 1992 low of 12 million.

Among young adults ages 18-25, the survey found that 16.1 percent of them
were using drugs, continuing the gradual rise among that age group from 13.3
percent in 1994.

Marijuana continues to be the drug used most often, with 81 percent of
survey respondents saying they used it, similar to the number the previous year.

But the number of 12- to 17-year-olds trying marijuana for the first time
dropped, from 79 users per 1,000 potential new users in 1996 to 64 in 1997,
the last year for which data were available. That rate had increased to 71
from 38 between 1991 and 1994 and stayed about the same until 1996.

The survey concluded that teen inhalant abuse decreased to 1.1 percent in
1998 from 2 percent.

Overall, tobacco use also decreased in 1998 to the lowest rate ever
recorded. About 27.7 percent of Americans were smokers in 1998, down from
29.6 percent in 1997. Numerically, the survey results indicated an estimated
66 million Americans were smokers last year, down from 71 million the year
before. Cigar use edged up.

Among young adults, however, the percentage of cigarette smokers has
increased, to 41.6 percent last year from 34.6 percent in 1994.

Shalala pointed to several anti-tobacco and anti-drug campaigns that have
targeted children, saying that keeping teenagers away from drugs continues
to be a focal point for government policy.

"We are still very focused on very young people and getting them to say no
to all drugs," she said.

Although teenagers may have been using fewer drugs over the past year, the
survey indicated increasing rates in tobacco, alcohol and cocaine use among
18- to 25-year-olds.

Cocaine use increased to 2 percent in 1998 from 1.2 percent in 1997.

Rates of binge drinking in 1998 were higher for 18- to 25-year-olds as well,
rising to 31.7 percent in 1998 from 28 percent in 1997. This year's rate was
similar to the number in 1996.

The rates of cocaine use and alcohol use did not change significantly in the
past year when looking at all Americans over the age of 12.

Drug use among blacks has risen to 8.2 percent in 1998 from 5.8 percent in 1993.

The Hispanic population also saw a jump in drug-use rates, to 6.1 percent
from 4.4 percent in the past five years.

Although McCaffrey said he was encouraged by decreasing rates for teenagers,
he expressed concern about drug use in the 18-25 age group and in minority
groups, cautioning that "we must not let down our guard."