SMOKING AND DRUG USE DOWN AMONG U.S. TEENS, STUDY SHOWS

WASHINGTON - Smoking is declining sharply among American teens, a finding
that health experts are hailing as good news for the public's future health.

A report also disclosed that the recent sharp increases in the use of the
drug ecstasy are slowing, heroin use decreased, notably among 10th- and
12th-graders, and a gradual decline in the use of inhalants continued in 2001.

Decreases in cigarette smoking were observed for the eighth-, 10th- and
12th-graders surveyed.

Eighth-graders: Some 12.2 percent of eighth-graders reported smoking in the
30 days before they were surveyed, down from 14.6 percent the year before.
The peak in the 1990s was 21 percent in 1996.

10th-graders: 21.3 percent had smoked in the past 30 days, down from 23.9
percent the year before and 30.4 percent, also in 1996.

12th-graders: 29.5 percent had smoked in the month before being asked. That
was down from 31.4 percent in 2000. Their peak in the 1990s came in 1997 at
36.5 percent.

"These important declines in teen smoking did not just happen by chance,"
said Lloyd Johnston of the University of Michigan. "A lot of individuals
and organizations have been making concerted efforts to bring down the
unacceptably high rates of smoking among our youth." The findings were
reported Wednesday in the annual Monitoring the Future survey conducted for
the government by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.

The report surveyed 44,300 students nationwide in grades eight, 10, and 12.

"Because the teen years are critical in the initiation of nearly all
lifetime smoking habits, what happens during that developmental period is
vital to the eventual health and longevity of each generation," Johnston said.

The decline in drug use also was lauded by public health officials.

"Overall, drug use among America's teen-agers has remained level or
declined for the fifth year in a row, and that's good news. But we must
remain vigilant to the threats that heroin, ecstasy, marijuana, alcohol and
other dangerous drugs pose to our youth," Health and Human Services
Secretary Tommy Thompson said in a statement.

John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy, characterized the
findings as "good news"bad news." The explosive increases in drug use seen
in the early 1990s have stopped, he said, but still too many people use
illegal drugs.

"It's time to make the anti-drug effort catch up to the anti-tobacco
effort," he said.

Alcohol remains the most popular drug with teens, though a slight reduction
was reported in 2001.

Some 79.7 percent of 12th-graders said they had used alcohol at some point,
down from 80.3 percent the year before. But the share who admitted to
having been drunk at some time rose from 62.3 percent to 63.9 percent.

For 10th-graders, 70.1 percent admitted some alcohol use, down from 71.4
percent.

The share who said they had been drunk fell from 49.3 percent to 48.2 percent.

And for eighth-graders, 50.5 percent had had a drink, down from 51.7
percent, and those who had been drunk declined from 25.1 percent to 23.4
percent.

The survey covered students in 424 public and private schools in the 48
contiguous states.

Among other survey findings:

Marijuana: 49.0 percent of 12th-graders had used it at some time, up from
48.8 percent the year before; 10th grade, 40.1 percent, down from 40.3;
eighth grade, 20.4 percent, up from 20.3.

Inhalants: 12th grade, 13.0 percent, down from 14.2; 10th grade, 15.2
percent, down from 16.6; eighth grade, 17.1 percent, down from 17.9.

Hallucinogens: 12th grade, 12.8 percent, down from 13.0; 10th grade, 7.8
percent, down from 8.9; eighth grade, 4.0 percent, down from 4.6.

LSD: 12th grade, 10.9 percent, down from 11.1; 10th grade, 6.3 percent,
down from 7.6; eighth grade, 3.4 percent, down from 3.9.

Cocaine: 12th grade, 8.2 percent, down from 8.6; 10th grade, 5.7 percent,
down from 6.9; eighth grade, 4.3 percent, down from 4.5.

Heroin: 12th grade, 1.8 percent, down from 2.4; 10th grade, 1.7 percent,
down from 2.2; eighth grade, 1.8 percent, down from 1.9.