Posted on 09/07/2006 9:03:19 AM PDT by Incorrigible
By KEVIN FREKING,
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Some moms and dads might want to take a lesson from their kids: Just say no. The government reported Thursday that 4.4 percent of baby boomers ages 50 to 59 indicated that they had used illicit drugs in the past month. It marks the third consecutive yearly increase recorded for that age group by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Meanwhile, illicit drug use among young teens went down for the third consecutive year — from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2005.
"Rarely have we seen a story like this where this is such an obvious contrast as one generation goes off stage right, and entering stage left is a generation that learned a lesson somehow and they're doing something very different," said David Murray, special assistant to the director for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
The annual survey on drug use and health involves interviews of about 67,500 people. It provides an important snapshot of how many Americans drink, smoke and use drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Overall, drug use remained relatively unchanged among Americans age 12 and older in 2005. About 19.7 million Americans reported they had used an illicit drug in the past month, which represented a rise from 7.9 percent to 8.1 percent. The increase was not only due to the boomers, but an increase was also seen among those 18-25, the age category that always ranks highest when it comes to illicit drug use.
Among the 18-25 group, drug use rose from 19.4 percent to 20.1 percent. Federal officials commenting on the report emphasized the drop in use among younger teens without citing the increase in the next older age group.
"The news today is there is a fundamental shift in drug use among young people in America," Assistant Surgeon General Eric B. Broderick said in a statement.
Murray called the 18-25 group the gauntlet through which everybody runs. He said the peak of drug use among youth in the United States occurred in the late 1970s.
"And they brought it with them like baggage when they hit 50 and 60," Murray said.
Drug use by baby boomers increased from 2.7 percent in 2002 to 4.4 percent last year. Marijuana was by far their drug of choice, Murray said.
That's true overall. There were 14.6 million people who reported using marijuana in the past month, about 2.4 million cocaine users and 6.4 million people who used prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes, such as pain relievers, tranquilizers or sedatives. In 60 percent of those cases, the drugs came from a relative or friend for free. Only 4.3 percent reported buying the drug from a drug dealer or other stranger.
While drug use went up slightly in '05, so did alcohol use. Slightly more than half of Americans age 12 and older reported being current drinkers of alcohol. That translates to 126 million people, up from 121 million people the year before.
Officials noted that alcohol use among those 12-17 did decline from 17.6 percent to 16.5 percent.
The percentage of Americans who acknowledged driving drunk at least once in the past year also dropped slightly in 2005 — from 13.5 percent to 13 percent.
Meanwhile, tobacco use held steady at about 29.4 percent, even though among youths 12-17, tobacco use did drop from 14.4 percent to 13.1 percent.
____
On the Net:
Office of National Drug Control Policy: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/
Not for commercial use. For educational and discussion purposes only.
Ansel...
Yes the 18-22 year olds were not involved remotely in the anti-war movement of the late 60s... it was all the 30somethings and 40somethings sitting in on college campuses and rioting in the street....
Be serious.
You need to up your history knowlege, Hillary was indeed involved in drawing up the impeachment articles against Nixon.
Most were willing dupes in it more for the sex and drugs than anything else... but hey, dupe or no, that doesn't negate the impact their actions had.
Last time I checked the weather underground wasn't made up of 40somethings etc etc etc...
Look at my posting history, many days will go by when I am not on FR. Or I post one or two comments, in and out. It is all laid out for everyone to see. I am very, very rarely on here 24, 7. I don't post on FR from the minute I get up until I go to bed, I just can't, I have too much to do.
BTW...I hope FR is around forever!!!!
I wonder if I should alert the mods to your name calling....? Na, I find it entertaining.
Ole yeller used to claim she was at work when she posted until someone pointed out that she was stealing time from her employer.
Now, I see she's claiming she's a college grad working on her master's degree.
I am literally dying here here LOL-ing.
I knew you couldn't resist posting to Howlin.
You're too easy.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
And the Boomers have no reason to trash the generations before them, the generations before them were great and did many great things for America and gave the Boomers a great life.
Plus, I would be weary of thinking you know what your children or I guess I should say step-children are doing all day.....:)
Just because you drew the short straw in the parents' line doesn't mean everybody back then was like them.
Can I lay the blame for Puff Daddy and JoLo trashing the culture at your feet?
How about the boys at Columbine? Friends of yours?
John Walker Lindh? Same values as you?
Are you one of the kids who can't behave in school and has to be sedated?
Watch. She'll soon claim you have FR mailed me and that I am your echo.
Oh, and HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Weary? Why would you be weary?
They have five children between them, they have five restauarants between them, they each have a vacation home already, they both have their masters.
And they are still in their early 30's.
I guess that would make YOU weary, wouldn't it?
Plus, be careful what you say, some of your best buddies on FR are at work, you wouldn't want to imply they are doing that would you?
Go ahead, call the mods; when they look at your posting history, they'll find quite a few snotty names being called by you.
weary=leary.....oops!
At least they think. Gen X should be called Gen why?
Are you serious? Who do you think is leading the war right now? The Gen X'ers. Who do you think is filling the churches every Sunday? The Gen Xer's. Who do you think is finally getting the country to the RIGHT side of politics? The Gen X'ers. Who do you think is having more than 2 children? The Gen X'ers. Who do you think has finally brought family values to the forefront? The Gen Xer's. We are 99 percent more conservative than our predecessors? The Gen X'ers. You Boomers just can't handle the fact that you screwed it up for the future generations who are now cleaning up the Boomers MESS!!! The good news is that we will.
I wouldn't waste my time calling the mods on you...everyone knows what you are all about....bitter, bitter, bitter. But it is a good show every now and then.....:)
Geez, weren't you just threatening to call the mods about name calling?
Can't you even remember one post to the next what you say?
BTW, back to CP with you.
Right back at ya.
But....Polls are usually wrong. Especially when describing people as a monolithic anything.
I am a 'boomer'...and yet I don't 'do' drugs and I vote pretty darn conservativly.
I have friends that smoke dope and vote straight Republican. I have friends who don't do drugs and vote Democrat.
Human society is W-A-Y to complicated to explain away in some silly poll.
Just look at FR. Supposedly we are all 'conservative'......and yet look at all the disagreement.
redrock
You had the Boomers rebelling and meanwhile, a potent minority of Hawkeye Pierce types embedded in the Silent Generation and the so called "Greatest Generation" fed them Communist pap, all the while poisoning the institutions. Read about Venona.
Here is the table from the 2005 NSDUH that covers the info you want: http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k5NSDUH/AppG.htm#TabG-10
Just going with the flow on name-calling. I see it is you who are threatening to call the mods. Can't handle the heat?
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