Teen Use of Illicit Drugs Decreases, Survey Finds
Use of illicit drugs among U.S. teenagers has decreased by 23% since 2001, but their recreational use of prescription and nonprescription medications remains "relatively high," according to the 32nd annual federal "Monitoring the Future" survey, the Washington Post reports.
The survey, conducted by the University of Michigan for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, included responses from 48,460 eighth-, 10th- and 12th-grade students in 410 public and private schools nationwide (Lee, Washington Post, 12/22).
According to the survey, use of illicit drugs slightly decreased among eighth-, 10th- and 12th-grade students. The survey found that 36.5% of 12th-grade students said they used illicit drugs at some time during the previous year (Jakes Jordan, AP/Long Island Newsday, 12/21).
Use of marijuana decreased among all students for the fifth consecutive year, the survey found. About 31.5% of 12th-grade students said they used marijuana at some time during the previous year, compared with 33.6% in 2005 and 37% in 2001, according to the survey (Leinwand, USA Today, 12/21).
The survey also found that use of methamphetamine and crack cocaine decreased among all students and that use of LSD, inhalants, cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, narcotics other than heroin, tranquilizers and sedatives has remained about the same (USA Today, 12/21).
About 30% of 12th-graders said they were intoxicated at some time during the previous month, about the same percentage as in 2005 and a decrease from 32% in 2000 and 31% in 1996, the survey found (Washington Post, 12/22).
In addition, the survey found that one-third of eighth-grade students, more than one-half of 10th-grade students and two-thirds of 12th-grade students said they had consumed alcohol at some time during the previous month (AP/Long Island Newsday, 12/21).
About 3% of eight-grade students, 7% of 10th-grade students and 10% of 12th-grade students reported recreational use of Vicodin at some time during the previous year, according to the survey (Washington Post, 12/22).
About 4.3% of 12th-grade students reported recreational use of the prescription narcotic OxyContin at some time during the previous year, compared with 5.5% in 2005, the survey found (Howard Price/Pescatore, Washington Times, 12/22). Use of inhalants and Ecstasy increased slightly among 12th-grade students, the survey found (USA Today, 12/21).
The 2006 survey was the first to examine recreational use of nonprescription medications among teens. According to the survey, 4.2% of eighth-grade students, 5.3% of 10th-grade students and 6.9% of 12th-grade students reported recreational use of medications that contain dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant, at some time during the previous year (Washington Times, 12/22).
ABCNews' "World News Tonight" on Thursday reported on the survey.
The segment includes comments from Dan Franz, director of the Indiana program for the Pathway Family Center; Lloyd Johnston, a researcher for the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan; teens who reported recreational use of prescription and nonprescription medications; and adults whose children died from overdoses of prescription and nonprescription medications (Thomas, "World News Tonight," ABCNews, 12/21). A related ABCNews story is available online.