Teen girls turn to drugs, cigarettes

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The latest U.S. national survey on alcohol and drug use finds that teenage girls are more likely than boys to smoke and abuse prescription drugs.

They had already equaled boys in drinking and illegal drug abuse, The Washington Post reports.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health has been conducted every year since 1971. The figures on teenage girls are based on the 2004 study, which interviewed 70,000 households.

Experts say that teenage girls are more likely than boys to use drugs and alcohol to escape from family problems and other pressures in their lives. They also may take up smoking to help keep their weight down.