HEROIN, PILL USE DOWN AMONG STATE'S YOUTH

Use of steroids, LSD, Ecstasy and heroin among young people dropped by
50 percent between 2000 and 2004 while use of depressants by youth is
up, Florida's drug czar told participants Tuesday in the state's
annual drug summit.

Alcohol remained one of the most difficult substances to beat. Use
dropped only 6 percent during the years tracked. ''Everyone thinks
that rite of passage has become a 'right of passage,''' said state
Drug Control Director Jim McDonough.

Methamphetamine production, along with its accompanying environmental
and explosive hazards, also presents a rising problem. Some 332 labs
were seized last year, up from just 28 in 2001, Gov. Jeb Bush said.
Bush said he would sign legislation requiring that some decongestants
used to make the drug be sold in small amounts and kept behind a counter.

Alcohol and drug abuse is behind many of the state's violent crimes
and tragic tales, Bush said. ''The more we can do to lessen that
affliction, the more likely it is that we'll see less of those stories
on the news,'' he said.