FEWER YOUTHS USE MARIJUANA, REPORT SAYS

WASHINGTON - Fewer American youths are using marijuana thanks to
anti-drug messages that highlighted its risk, according to a federal
report released Thursday.

However, the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health also showed
that more Americans are abusing prescription drugs.

Although the survey reflects many positive changes, it also shows
"just how much work still remains to be done to stop drug use before
it starts and to heal America's users," Charles G. Curie,
administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA), said at a news conference.

Nearly 2.6 million Americans tried marijuana for the first time in
2002 and roughly 69 percent of the new users were under the age of 18,
the survey found. Still, the number of 12- to 17- year-olds who
reported using marijuana showed a 5 percent decline from the previous
year.

In addition, the number of youths who used marijuana 20 or more days
each month dropped nearly 20 percent last year. Also, 34.9 percent of
young respondents perceived a great risk of using marijuana once per
month, up from 32.4 percent in 2002.

Youths also reported a 41 percent drop in the use of Ecstasy, a
euphoric often associated with dance clubs, and a 54 percent drop in
the use of the powerful hallucinogen LSD.

The report linked the decrease in marijuana use among youth to the
exposure of anti-drug messages in and out of school, including strong
parental disapproval of drug use.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health was conducted by SAMHSA, a
division of the Department of Health and Human Services. The year-long
survey was based on interviews of 67,784 people aged 12 and older.

The survey found that nearly 15.7 million people used the pain killers
Vicodin, Lortab or Lorcet for nonmedical reasons last year, an
increase from 13.1 million in 2002.

The survey also found that there was no change in the number of heavy
alcohol users. An estimated 54 million people age 12 and older binged
on alcohol at least once in the month prior to being surveyed.