MAKE CLEAR TO TEEN THE DANGERS OF PAINKILLERS AND INHALANTS

Drug use among teens has taken yet another dip. But hold the optimism.
The news that 1.3 percent fewer 8th, 10th and 12th graders are
experimenting with illegal drugs is offset by two other disturbing
trends. As the age-old favorite marijuana grows passe, University of
Michigan researchers found an increase in the number of teens who
admitted dabbling with narcotic painkillers such as OxyContin and
Vicodin. Five percent of the 50,000 teens surveyed from 406 public and
private schools admitted they used OxyContin. And 9.3 percent of
seniors fessed up about trying Vicodin. Anti-drug groups and health
advocates ought to sound the alarm for more broadly focused drug
awareness campaigns. The OxyContin usage reported a 4-percent increase
over 2002. Public education is the surest means of guarding against
more alarming boosts in the drug's popularity. Teens need a full
understanding of the trouble they're inviting into their lives by
playing with painkillers -- more than just dusting off the "Just Say
No" slogan.

Anti-drug officials need to go back to the basics of explaining what
constitutes a drug. The study makes clear that more needs to be
explained about the dangers of experimenting with inhalants. Usage is
down among older teens, but too many eighth graders -- 10 percent --
continue to take their chances on the immediate highs that come with
inhaling or huffing household products such as aerosol cans and
gasoline containers. Clearly, some of these kids have no idea what
they're doing, or how risky it is. A bit of education could help save
a few from traveling any deeper into a life of drugs.