STUDY DETAILS TEENS' DRUG USE

One out of every six teenagers in the Boston area abuses drugs or alcohol
or is so dependent on these substances that in-patient treatment may be
required, according to a new study from Children's Hospital in Boston. The
results confirm past studies that show similar rates of drug use among
teens nationwide, including high rates of drinking and driving.

The Children's study found that 43 percent of teens reported they have been
in a car when the driver had been using drugs or alcohol.

In these cases, the teen reporting such experiences could have been either
a passenger or the driver. "I urge parents not to wait to consult a health
care professional. If you think something is wrong, it usually is," said
Dr. John R. Knight, lead author of the study and associate director for
medical education at the Harvard Medical School Division on Addictions.
Alcohol is the teenage drug of choice, according to the National Institute
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol-related auto accidents are a
leading cause of death among teens.

The study, which appears in the June issue of the Archives of Pediatric
Adolescent Medicine, involved the interviews of more than 500
14-to-18-year-olds who visited the Adolescent/Young Adult Medical Clinic at
Children's Hospital for routine health care between March 1999 and
September 2000. Because the clinic serves both urban and suburban youths
from a wide range of backgrounds, researchers believe the results are
applicable to teens across the country.

Overall, half of the respondents were nonusers, while 24 percent were
classified as occasional users, 11 percent were problem users, 9 percent
were abusers, and 7 percent were substance dependent, according to criteria
of the American Psychiatric Association. Researchers say this study broke
ground by using an efficient new screening test for teenagers, one they
believe is 86 percent as effective as more time-consuming tests.

The six questions can be asked in five minutes and used during routine
doctor's visits. Boston Latin High School sophomore Ana Louise Leary, 16,
said teens often ride with drivers under the influence because of peer
pressure. "They don't have other options," she said. "They don't want to
call their parents, or they don't have money." Knight urges parents not to
rely exclusively on what they hear from their children. "Teens are good at
telling parents what they think they want to hear," he said. Instead,
parents should consult their pediatrician and encourage them to screen
their teens. Because approximately 75 percent of teens see a health care
professional as part of routine care, Knight says that substance abuse
screening should be as common as height and weight measurements.