Pubdate: Mon, 27 Nov 2000
Source: Plain Dealer, The (OH)
Copyright: 2000 The Plain Dealer
Contact:  1801 Superior Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114
Website: http://www.cleveland.com/news/
Forum: http://forums.cleveland.com/index.html
Author: LARRY McSHANE

MARIJUANA USE DOWN AMONG TEENAGERS

Steady Decline Offset By Concern Over 'Club Drug'

NEW YORK - Teenage marijuana use has dropped for a third straight year, but 
a jump in the use of the "club drug" ecstasy raised new concerns for 
parents, according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's annual report.

The nonprofit group's 13th survey, being released today, questioned 7,290 
students in seventh through 12th grades nationwide. The margin of error is 
plus or minus 1.5 percentage points.

Use of ecstasy, a favorite at dance clubs and all-night raves, has doubled 
among teens since 1995, the survey found. One in 10 teens has experimented 
with the drug, it said.

The report found the number of teens who have tried ecstasy at least once 
had increased from 7 percent to 10 percent over the past year. In contrast, 
the 40 percent of teens saying they had tried marijuana was down from 41 
percent last year.

It was the third consecutive drop-off in teen marijuana use since 1997, 
when 44 percent of teens said they had used the drug at least once.

"We appear to be turning a very important corner," said Richard D. 
Bonnette, the partnership's president and chief executive officer. "But as 
we turn one corner, troubling developments are coming at us from other 
directions - specifically with ecstasy."

The survey found that more teens were turned off than on by marijuana. 
Fifty-four percent felt smoking pot would make them behave foolishly, up 
from 51 percent in 1997. Fewer believe most people will try marijuana: 36 
percent now, compared with 41 percent in 1997. And just 21 percent said 
they had used marijuana in the past month, down from 24 percent in 1997.

Those numbers are significant because they address attitude changes since 
the partnership, along with the White House's Office of National Drug 
Control Policy, started a national anti-drug ad campaign in July 1998.

"This study confirms the trends we've seen over the last three years - a 
steady decline in the number of teen using drugs," said Barry McCaffrey, 
director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. "This is very good 
news."

The study found that the number of teens seeing anti-drug advertising on a 
daily basis has jumped significantly - from 32 percent in 1998 to 49 
percent this year.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, launched in 1987, is a coalition 
of communications industry professionals aimed at reducing the demand for 
illegal drugs.
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