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.
"I agree with you about the entertainers...they just seem to be in the media making boomers look bad which was the main point."
Yeah, but then we have Brintney Spears and the Hilton girls. It's the same all the time.
They just make all humans look bad regardless of generation. ;-)
Paris was arrested for a DUI.
Do you think we should judge ALL of them by her actions?
LOL. I was thinking the same thing but was afraid she wouldn't have worked through to the "W" words in the dictionary yet.
That is an assumption that one could make without looking at your posting history. That is an assumption that one could make just by being on FR for a day or two and seeing you everywhere day and night.
Just admit, your life revolves around FR. It is nothing to be ashamed of, just a fact of life.
Also, I get a kick out of the assumptions you make about people's personal lives (I have seen you do it with other people also). Not everyone feels the need to tell everyone on FR what they are doing every minute of the day.
I remain delighted that this man of accomplishment fell in love with me....slacker-boomer-enchantress. LOL!
You don't even have the grace to be embarrassed by your own post. LOL.
TK go reread what I wrote, you can blame your parents for ammending laws... but you can't blame your parents for your actions under them.
Your parents weren't the ones divorcing at ratest that were the highest in the world..... They weren't the ones embracing abortion as birth control.
I have said it from the begining of this thread... My issues with the boomers (and yes I know there are many great ones) are not so much in the legal politcal world, but in the societal world and the legacy their own direct actions have brought.
You can't say... Well yea, our generation had the highest rates of divorce.. but its all because the latter part of our parents generation made it easier for us to do it... That completely ignores personal responsibility in the matter. Just because something is LEGAL does not mean you do it.
Your generation ran with these things... not only lived under them.. RAN WITH THEM.. and even after the fact, adn with the overwhelming damage done by them, try to pass the buck on em.
I'm sorry, but you just can't do that and be honest.
I agree that its only been since about the 80s that boomers have been starting to measurably accumulating politcal power at the national level... and there may still be time for the generation to close strong.. and personally I hope they do.
My criticism of the boomer generation is not the laws coming out of Congress. Its the behavior and atttitudes and the effects they have had on the social make up of this nation. Many of which have been horrible detrimental.
Jerk Wad is so 80's.....anyway, I don't think the death of a spouse covers most people who speak of step-children, etc....
LOL.
Nah - I'm not nice to race baiters. Or class baiters.
I'm thinking they're just jealous because we've been successful and CAN do things they'd love to do but probably won't ever be able to.
That I have friend on FR and we tell each other stuff really gets to you, doesn't it? Your jealousy over those of us with lives and husbands and family really eats at you.
Bingo!
We love politics and FR and have the time and money and support of our husbands to spend whatever time in here we wish and the little jerkwads are so jealous it's practically oozing out of the screen.
You know what's really strange about them?
We're all for personal savings accounts and SS reforms which will save them money. I do not want my children and grandchildren paying for our retirements!
Good point. Maybe it not something they can understand because of their drug use.
Don't flatter yourself into thinking I am jealous of a bunch of "old" (howlin's words) people.
Well, maybe you don't pay as much attention to my posts as it sounds like you pay because we travel when we feel like it - the beach on weekens and going up north to see the foliage and family in a few weeks actually.
And go out to dinner? Hah! We eat out at least 3 times a week and go to lots of neighborhood parties with the "old people".
But go right back to race and class baiting because it's clearly all you have; facts mean nothing to you.
I am jealous because you have a cyber friend? LOL! Your posts just get crazier and crazier by the minute. Some of us could spend all day on FR, we just choose to do other things.
Is that or is that not your post? Why yes. Yes it is.
So when I responded that you seem jealous that I actually talk with friends about what I'm doing, you tell ME my posts are getting crazy? You can't even keep up with your own posts can you? Pathetic.
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