Drug use by teenagers declines, continues its decline

Associated Press ^ | 12/20/03 | AP

[bdeaner]

Drug use by teenagers declines, continues its decline

Associated Press - December 20, 2003

WASHINGTON (AP) - 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,'' John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said at a news conference. 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 8th- 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.''

On the Net:

White House Office of National Drug Control: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

Monitoring the Future: http://monitoringthefuture.org

[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
Page 1
Marijuana: Trends in Annual Use, Risk, Disapproval, and Availability Eighth, Tenth, and Twelfth Graders
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'76 '78 '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02
Twelfth Grade
Tenth Grade
Eighth Grade

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'76 '78 '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02
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'76 '78 '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02

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'76 '78 '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02

% 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.