DRUG USE BY TEENAGERS DECLINES

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 Department
of Health and Human Services, found declines in many kinds of drugs for
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 past 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.

"We should take this as a little warning because eighth-graders have been
indicative of things to come in the past," Johnston said.

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 past year. Both numbers showed a decrease over last year.

"More kids are seeking treatment for marijuana dependency than all other
drugs combined," said John Walters, director of the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy. Walters added that in 15 cities, surveys have
found that more teens smoke marijuana than regular cigarettes.

However, he said the results were encouraging.

"This survey shows that when we push back against the drug problem, it gets
smaller," Walters said.

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
because of the energy and euphoria it gave to users, but it has harmful
side effects. It can lead to brain, heart and kidney damage.

Johnston said teens now are more aware about the risks of Ecstasy. The
reduced availability of LSD, following the breakup in 2000 of a lab that
produced large quantities of the drug, accounted for the drop in its use,
said Karen Tandy, administrator of the drug enforcement administration. The
use of LSD is at its lowest level since the federal government began a
survey of teen-age drug use 30 years ago.

LSD, known as acid, can cause hallucinations and delusions.

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.

William V. Corr, executive director of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said
the numbers reflect a "lack of federal leadership on tobacco prevention"
and decisions by cash-strapped states to cut their prevention program.

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."