POLL: DRUG ABUSE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING KIDS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) People think drug abuse is the biggest single
problem facing American children today, according to a survey published on
Monday.

The survey, commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the
Harvard School of Public Health, found that despite dramatic media coverage
of incidents of child abuse, most Americans do not think it is an
overwhelming threat.

``Three issues dominate the public's concern about the future of children
in this country drugs, crime and home life breakdown,'' said Robert
Blendon of Harvard University, who directed the study. ``Almost every other
concern about the problems facing children has been overwhelmed by these
issues.''

Asked what the two or three most serious problems facing American children
today were, 56 percent said drugs or drug abuse, 24 percent said crime, 17
percent said poor quality education and 16.6 percent the breakdown of home
life.

Only 1.2 percent said child abuse and 0.2 percent said sexual abuse were
the most serious problems,

``These numbers contrast dramatically with what was reported by a Harris
survey in 1986, when drugs were mentioned 52 percent of the time, home life
46 percent, child and sexual abuse 28 percent, poor quality education nine
percent and alcohol abuse nine percent,'' the foundation, a health care
charity, said in a statement. AIDS and drugs were the top health problems
named by the 1,500 adults surveyed for the poll.

Most thought American children were better off or about the same in terms
of health than 10 years ago, but 53 percent thought they were worse off
when it came to parental care and attention.

The survey of adults nationwide, conducted by Survey Research Center for
Harvard, found most believe children's health is the responsibility of
parents, but 60 percent said they would personally be willing to pay more
taxes to provide health insurance for children who lack it.