SURVEY SHOWS DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTH IS DOWN

The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan
released the 2009 Monitoring the Future survey on Monday. This survey,
which has been distributed annually since 1975 to about 50,000
eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders across the nation, in 2009 showed that
while there were slight decreases in the use of cocaine and
methamphetamine among youth across the country, marijuana and
prescription drug abuse showed no signs of slowing down.

Overall, drug use remained steady, but several drugs showed signs of
increasing with attitudes softening for drugs such as marijuana,
Ecstasy, inhalants and LSD. For example, the percentage of
eighth-graders who view occasional marijuana use as potentially
harmful dropped to 44 percent, compared to 48 percent last year.

In addition, the perception of "great risk" associated with marijuana
use declined among eighth- and 10th-graders.

"So far, we have not seen any dramatic rise in marijuana use, but the
upward trending of the past two or three years stands in stark
contrast to the steady decline that preceded it for nearly a decade,"
said University of Michigan researcher Lloyd Johnston, the lead
investigator on the Monitoring the Future survey.

The survey also showed no declines in the abuse of prescription and
over-the-counter drugs. In fact, past year non-medical use of Vicodin
and OxyContin increased during the last five years among 10th-graders
and remained unchanged among eighth- and 12th-graders. Nearly one in
10 high school seniors reported using Vidodin non-medically; one in 20
reported abusing OxyContin.

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy, cautioned that while there were no big jumps in drug use, that
shouldn't be cause for celebration.

"We are containing drug use, but is containment really what we're
after? I would say certainly not," he told the audience during a press
conference in Washington, D.C. "If we're not making progress, we're
probably losing ground."

Another drug showing no signs of letting up was over-the-counter cough
and cold medicines containing dextromethorphan, with annual prevalence
rates remaining unchanged since 2006, when use of these drugs was
first measured.

Researchers are also concerned about the abuse of prescription
stimulants to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. While
the annual prevalence rate of Ritalin abuse fell from 5 to 2 percent
among 12th-graders, more than 5 percent of 10th-and 12th-graders
reported abusing Adderall, which is also used to treat ADHD and was
included in the survey for the first time.

Other areas of concern from the survey were:

From 2008 to 2009, lifetime, past month and daily use of smokeless
tobacco increased among 10th-graders.

The decline in alcohol use, including binge drinking, has leveled off
among 10th- and 12th-graders, with only eighth-graders showing a
continued decline.

Fewer 10th-graders viewed weekend binge drinking as harmful, and fewer
high school seniors disapproved of having one or two drinks every day.
On the other hand, researchers noted that the perceived availability
of alcohol among eighth-graders decreased.

"It would appear that state and local efforts to crack down on sales
to underage buyers, perhaps along with greater parental vigilance,
have had an effect," Johnston noted.

The perceived risk associated with using inhalants, ecstasy and LSD
continued to decline.

Our nation and a generation of young people cannot afford to lose
ground on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Beliefs and attitudes are
going in the wrong direction. Let's not ignore these warning signs.
Coalitions like ours, Freeborn County Partners In Prevention, play a
critical role in addressing the local conditions and directing energy
toward changing attitudes and availability.

We are collecting data on our own local drug problems and are poised
to address them, whether it is underage drinking, prescription drugs,
inhalants, or marijuana. But we need to increase our investment in
prevention to get out in front of these problems. More young people
need to get the message that these drugs are harmful if we are to
reverse these trends.

Our coalition can help address our local substance abuse problems
through evidence-based prevention efforts, but we can't do it alone.
We need help from everyone in the community.

To view the full survey visit www.monitoringthefuture.org.