STUDY FINDS FEWER TEENS ARE USING DRUGS

Survey results released in December by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) indicate that teen drug use is on the decline.

According to the HHS, results from the annual Monitoring the Future
(MTF) survey indicate an almost seven percent decline of any illicit
drug use in the past month by 8th, 10th and 12th graders combined from
2003 to 2004.

Trend analysis from 2001 to 2004 revealed a 17 percent cumulative
decline in drug use, and an 18 percent cumulative drop in marijuana
use in the past month.

"These positive findings demonstrate the commitment by many, including
researchers, federal agencies, states, parents, teachers, local
communities and teens themselves to work together to reduce drug use
among our youth," HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said. "We need to
continue our efforts to educate parents and teens about the
consequences of drug abuse."

The MTF survey is designed to to measure drug, alcohol and cigarette
use and related attitudes among 8th, 10th and 12th grade students
nationwide.

This year, 49,474 students from 406 public and private schools
participated in the survey, which is overseen by NIH's National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and conducted by the University of
Michigan. Survey participants report their drug use behaviors across
three time periods: lifetime, past year, and past month.

"There are now 600,000 fewer teens using drugs than there were in
2001," said John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy.
"This is real progress.

"We know that if we can prevent kids from trying drugs in their
teenage years, we dramatically reduce the likelihood that they will go
on to have problems later in life. The results released today are good
news for American parents and teens, and great news for our country."

The positive findings comparing 2004 to 2003 related to individual
drugs show:

Past month use of marijuana declined significantly among 8th
graders;

Steroid lifetime use decreased among 8th and 10th graders;

Past year steroid use decreased for 8th graders;

Lifetime use of LSD decreased significantly among 12th
graders;

There were significant increases in the perception of harm from
cigarette smoking among 8th and 10th graders;

Methamphetamine use in the past month, past year and lifetime
decreased among 8th graders; and,

Past year use of GHB and ketamine declined among 10th
graders.

In 2004, lifetime cigarette smoking decreased in 10th graders,
following declines in lifetime use in all grades from 2002 to 2003.

There was also evidence of a decrease in heavier smoking among 10th
graders with a significant decline in smoking one pack of cigarettes
or more per day.

The survey noted some areas that raise concern. For example, while the
rates of Vicodin abuse did not change significantly from 2003 to 2004,
Vicodin was used by 9.3 percent of 12th graders, 6.2 percent of 10th
graders and 2.5 percent of 8th graders in the past year.

OxyContin was used in the past year by 5 percent of 12th graders, 3.5
percent in 10th graders and 1.7 percent of 8th graders in 2004.

These rates were not significantly different from the rates in 2003;
however, when all three grades were combined, there was a significant
increase in past year OxyContin use between 2002 and 2004.

"We're pleased that the survey indicates that overall drug use is
continuing to decline.

However, it does show an increase in the use of painkillers.

We need to target children and young people and warn them about the
dangers of abusing these powerful medicines that can help those who
need them and can potentially harm those who take them without talking
to their doctors first," said NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni.