HHS: Teen drug abuse declines

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Drug abuse among U.S. teens has declined significantly over the past two years, as more young people take the risk of drug use seriously, a federal study says.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and the White House drug policy director, John Walters, issued a release Friday that detailed a study indicating that illegal drug use among 8th, 10th and 12th graders had declined 11 percent. The officials said the figures mean there are 400,000 fewer teen drug abusers than two years ago.

The officials said the report -- entitled "The 2003 Monitoring the Future Survey" -- showed declines in drug abuse in "current use" (defined as the last 30 days); past year; and lifetime use.

They credited the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign for the reduction in drug abuse.

Among all three grades, the perceived risk of using marijuana increased markedly, the study found and the anti-drug campaign "had an effect on improving youth anti-drug attitudes and intentions," Walters said.

"Teen drug use has reached a level that we haven't seen in nearly a decade," Walters said. "This survey shows that when we push back against the drug problem, it gets smaller."

The study showed significant declines in marijuana use, which had been a particular target of a reworked anti-drug media campaign.