Drug use by teenagers declines, continues its decline

Associated Press ^ | 12/20/03 | AP

[CWOJackson]

Sure pillman...if it doesn't come from Soros you don't like it.

[philman_36]

Pretty impressive data.
What do you get out of this (http://monitoringthefuture.org/data/03data/fig03_11.pdf (Figure 11: Marijuana: Trends in Annual Use, Risk, Disapproval, and Availability for Eighth, Tenth, and Twelfth Graders ) that is impressive?...
Pages 1--1 from Microsoft PowerPoint - drugprcolor
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Marijuana: Trends in Annual Use, Risk, Disapproval, and Availability Eighth, Tenth, and Twelfth Graders
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Twelfth Grade
Tenth Grade
Eighth Grade

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% who used in last twelve months % seeing "great risk" in using regularly

% saying "fairly easy" or "very easy" to get % disapproving of using regularly
Year Year

Year Year

Use Risk
Disapproval Availability

FIGURE 11 1

I can't make heads or tails of it.

[philman_36]

Sure pillman...if it doesn't come from Soros you don't like it.
Whatever, Jackson, it came from SAMHSA and you are the one, apparently, that doesn't like it being pointed out.
You don't address it, you merely berate the messenger.

BTW, I could care less about Soros. I'm showing you the government's publically available information.
Why don't you show me Soros' information, if there is any.

[CWOJackson]

Thanks for the info. As has been said already, this is very good news. Well, good news for most people...it appears some aren't that happy about it.

[sonofatpatcher2]

As my old Pappy use to say...
if some pudknocker ask you to do drugs,
just say no...

and shoot that sumbitch!

[Wolfie]

In general, I think the numbers go up, or down, when its convenient for the gov't. Wanna show that you need more funding because the anti-drug ads are working? Have the numbers go down. Wanna show that you need more funding because teenagers have a drug problem? Have the numbers go up. More funding is the bottom line.

However, if less teenagers are using illicit drugs, that is good news indeed. Maybe my connection won't run out so often.

[bdeaner]

Those should be graphs in PDF format. Obviously, you are not pulling up the graphs there. If you were to see the graphs, they are looking at four things:

1) Marijuana Use (% who used in the last 12 months):

there appears to be a gradual decline over the past 5 years

2) Risk of Marijuana use (% seeing "great risk" in using regularly):

Again, gradual decline, this time over the past 10 years

3) Disapproval of Marijuna use (% disapproving of using regularly):

Not much change

4) Availabity of marijuana use (% saying "fairly easy" or "very easy" to get):

Gradually declining over the past 5 years or so.

[philman_36]

Sure pillman...if it doesn't come from Soros you don't like it.
Whatever, Jackson, it came from SAMHSA and you are the one, apparently, that doesn't like it being pointed out.
You don't address it, you merely berate the messenger.

BTW, I could care less about Soros. I'm showing you the government's publically available information.
Here is what a Soros related organization has to say...that way you can judge for yourself.
Fed ‘Monitoring the Future’ Survey Shows Mixed Teen Drug Use Data
Even with the coordination of the Bush administration , the spin accompanying the release of the report was not all positive. Johnston pointed out, in a statement issued alongside the report, “early warning signs of possible trouble ahead,” especially in the area of drug use by eighth-grade students. “The eighth-graders have been the harbingers of change observed later in the upper grades,” wrote Johnston. “[T]he fact that they are no longer showing declines in their use of a number of drugs could mean that the declines now being observed in the upper grades also will come to an end soon.” Johnston’s thoughts, coupled with comments Walters made in a CNN interview on Sunday that “the trends as [the MTF has] predicted – good news and bad news – in the past have been borne out,” indicates that researchers and the Bush administration share the belief that short-term changes in teen drug use cannot be used to show larger trends.

[CWOJackson]

Hey, I know how disappointed you must be...that's okay. So what if grade school kids are smarter then you.

[bdeaner]

TABLE 2:
Trends in Annual Prevalence of Use of Varius Drugs for 8th, 10th and 12th Graders

Marijuna/Hashish

8th grade:
1991: 6.2
1992: 7.2
1993: 9.2
1994: 13.0
1995: 15.8
1996: 18.3
1997: 17.7
1998: 16.9
1999: 16.5
2000: 15.6
2001: 15.4
2002: 14.6
2003: 12.8 (lowest in 10 years)

10th grade:
1991: 16.5
1992: 15.2
1993: 19.2
1994: 25.2
1995: 28.7
1996: 33.6
1997: 34.8
1998: 31.1
1999: 32.1
2000: 32.2
2001: 32.7
2002: 30.3
2003: 28.2 (lowest in 9 years)

12th grade:
1991: 23.9
1992: 21.9
1993: 26.0
1994: 30.7
1995: 34.7
1996: 35.8
1997: 38.5
1998: 37.5
1999: 37.8
2000: 36.5
2001: 37.0
2002: 36.2
2003: 34.9 (lowest in 8 years)

[CWOJackson]

NO, NO! It can't be true, it can't be true!

Great news for this time of year.

[philman_36]

Monitoring the Future is one of three major HHS-sponsored surveys that provide data on substance use among youth.
The national YRBSS (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System ) is one of three major HHS-sponsored surveys that provide data on tobacco and other substance use among youth. The other two are the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) (see SAMHSA link above) and the Monitoring the Future (MTF) Study.

All they have so far though is the 2001 survey results.
Guess what! The SAMHSA report is one of those three "major" HHS-sponsored surveys!
The article is reporting on Monitoring the Future (MTF).
And? Since the concept is to "show a trend" and since the SAMHSA data can't be used to do so it is there little wonder that the article is reporting on the MTF survey.
Also mentioned...
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.
What about the Pride Surveys? They're mentioned, though they're not HHS-sponsered so they don't qualify, right?
http://www.pridesurveys.com/main/supportfiles/pr0203ns.pdf
Comparing Pride Survey to MTF
Results of the Pride Survey are usually consistent with the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF), which has not been published for the 2002-03 school year.
ANY ILLICIT DRUG ANNUAL USE – PRIDE VS. MONITORING THE FUTURE (MTF) 2001-2002 2000-2001 1999-00 1998-99 1997-98
Grade 8 10 12 8 10 12 8 10 12 8 10 12 8 10 12
Pride 16.5 32.0 37.4 19.8 34.4 41.4 19.3 33.9 40.2 22.1 35.0 40.2 25.1 37.2 41.0
MTF 17.7 34.8 41.0 19.5 37.2 41.4 19.5 36.4 40.9 20.5 35.9 42.1 21.0 35.0 41.4
Diff. +1.2 +2.8 +3.6 -0.3 +2.8 0.0 +0.2 +2.5 +0.7 -1.6 +0.9 +1.9 -4.1 -2.2 +0.4
The 2002-03 Pride Survey was released in a news conference Sept. 3, 2003, at the National Press Club in Washington, D. C.

Guess that "trend" of being "usually consistent" is falling away too.
And do I see conflicting reports within the house of HHS?!

[philman_36]

So what if grade school kids are smarter then you.
Grade school kids are even smarter than you too! (isn't your game fun!)
Take your ball and bounce it off your forehead again, Tex.

[philman_36]

Thanks for your help. I'd like to see the information in a slightly more presentable/viewable format myself.

[philman_36]

In general, I think the numbers go up, or down, when its convenient for the gov't.
See the bottom of 50...researchers and the Bush administration share the belief that short-term changes in teen drug use cannot be used to show larger trends.

[philman_36]

Buddy, I'm not interested in debating this with you.
It's Phil, not Buddy. Many folks aren't interested in debating this with me or anyone else. In fact, many aren't interested in debate at all.
I don't want your facts and figures.
They're not my facts at all, they're the government's facts.
You pinged me claiming that the news article was false.
BZZZT...What I said was "This reporting is pure BS!" meaning that this is nothing more than more propaganda being funneled to the American public.
See..."Agitprop, pure and simple!"
It isn't.
Oh, I don't doubt the results that were obtained, I doubt the veracity of "the claim" of the report in general.
Do you actually believe that kids wouldn't and don't lie on these dumbassed surveys! Only a foolish person would believe that the kids all answered the surveys truthfully.
Did you answer the surveys truthfully when you were given them in school?
Let's leave it at that.
You're leaving it at that, I won't miss you.
Have a nice holiday.
Merry Christmas to you also.

[Conservative til I die]

Harry Browne is deeply saddened.

Friggin troll.