ILLEGAL DRUG USE ON DECLINE AMONG TEENS, STUDY FINDS

WASHINGTON -- American teenagers are cutting back on their use of illicit
drugs and cigarettes, but alcohol consumption is holding steady, the
government says.

An annual survey of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders done for the Health and
Human Services Department found declines in use of many kinds of drugs by
high school students, especially for Ecstasy and LSD.

Overall, the Bush administration said the annual survey funded by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse showed an 11 percent drop in illegal drug
use in the last two years, slightly surpassing President Bush's goal of a
10 percent reduction during that period.

The survey, known as Monitoring the Future, tracked drug use and attitudes
among 48,500 students from 392 schools.

There was one troubling sign: slowing declines in the use of certain drugs
by eighth-graders -- and a slight increase in their use of inhalants, said
Lloyd D. Johnston, who directed the study by the University of Michigan's
Institute for Social Research.

In addition, there was an overall increase in the illicit use of the
synthetic painkillers OxyContin and vicodin, reflective of patterns seen in
the general population.

The survey showed a different picture of drug use from another poll of
teens that also is used to measure the effectiveness of White House drug
control policy. A private study by Pride Surveys in September showed
illegal drug use and cigarette smoking among sixth-through 12th-graders
increased slightly during the last school year compared with the year before.

But both surveys agreed that marijuana remains by far the most widely used
illegal drug. Monitoring the Future reported that it had been tried at
least once by 46 percent of 12th-graders and used by more than a third in
the last year. Both numbers showed a decrease over last year.

"More kids are seeking treatment for marijuana dependency than all other
drugs combined," John Walters, director of the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy, said at a news conference.

Johnston and administration officials offered differing explanations for
the decline in use of Ecstasy and LSD. Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, is a
synthetic drug considered part hallucinogen and part amphetamine. The drug
became popular at dance parties, but it has harmful side effects. It can
lead to brain, heart and kidney damage. Johnston said teens now are more
aware of the risks of Ecstasy.

The percentage of teens who smoke cigarettes has fallen dramatically from
the mid-1990s, the result of advertising campaigns and the rise in
cigarette prices.

But the survey showed that, among eighth- and 10th-graders, the decline
slowed significantly. Johnston, the study's director, said that despite
progress in keeping teens from smoking, "one-quarter of our kids, by the
end of high school, are smoking cigarettes."