TEEN DRUG USE RISES, US AGENCY SAYS

Drug use among teenagers is on the rise and more so among minorities,
according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Overall teen drug use increased from 2008 to 2009. One in 10 youths
ages 12 to 17 and one in five young adults ages 18 to 25 reported
drug use in the past month.

Among black females ages 12 to 17, drug use increased from 7.3
percent in 2008 to 10.4 percent in 2009, and drug use by Hispanic
males in the same age group rose from 9.2 percent in 2008 to 12.8
percent in 2009.

The findings come from data compiled by the U.S. Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Agency's most recent National Survey on Drug
Use and Health.

U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said he is urging parents and
community leaders to act immediately to prevent drug use.

"These data confirm that in addition to overall increases in youth
drug use nationwide, certain minority populations are suffering from
illegal drug use at even higher rates," Kerlikowske said.

Richard Perkins, deputy director of Aliviane Inc., which operates
youth drug rehabilitation programs, said "I would agree that El Paso
is following the national trends. The kids in high schools and middle
schools say they have no trouble getting drugs here."

About 85 percent of the youths at Aliviane are males between 10 and
16 years old, and 99 percent are Hispanic.

Roger Martinez, chief of the county Juvenile Probation Department,
said the trends reported by the White House did not surprise him.

"With all the talk about legalizing marijuana, there seems to be a
laxness toward drug use," Martinez said. "We're also at the border
gateway where the drugs come through."

Juarez-El Paso is considered a major drug-smuggling corridor, where
U.S. officials report drug seizures almost every day.

According to the Texas Addiction Research Institute's 2010 report
"Substance Abuse Trends in Texas," "The magnitude of the (overall)
substance abuse and mental health problem on the border is of serious concern."

The institute also found that heroin use by youths statewide is
increasing, and that the number of teen admissions for treatment rose
by 61 percent between 2005 and 2009.

On the positive end, the county Juvenile Probation Department
reported a steady decline in the number of teenagers detained at the
El Paso international bridges with illegal drugs, from 124 in 2001 to
24 in 2009.

Martinez said he is confident that El Paso has sufficient resources
to deal with the growing number of teenagers who are using drugs,
including a drug court, treatment centers, and prevention and
intervention programs that all school districts are familiar with.

Kerlikowske wants the new drug-use findings to serve as a wake-up call.

"As we continue to aggressively reach out to underserved populations
with vital drug prevention and treatment resources, we ask parents,
teachers, coaches, religious leaders, and community leaders to do
their part by taking action today to protect these at-risk youth
groups from a lifetime of drug-related consequences," he said.