Pubdate: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 Source: Leader-Herald, The (NY) Copyright: 2002 - The Leader Herald Contact: http://www.leaderherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2276 DRUG USE STILL INTOLERABLY HIGH Good news in the war against drugs is hardly worth mentioning, in light of the accompanying bad news. The good news is that fewer American youngsters are using illegal drugs, according to a federal government study. But here's the bad news: Even with the decrease, more than half of high school seniors admit to having used illegal drugs. Nearly one-third of them have tried drugs other than marijuana. Ready for some more bad news? Use of cocaine and heroin - among the most dangerous illegal drugs - does not seem to have decreased. Analysts say there is some reason to believe that many young people stop using specific drugs when they become worried about health hazards. That, they say, explains why less use of the "rave" drug Ecstasy was reported during the past year. Unfortunately, that theory doesn't explain why young people continue to use cocaine and heroin in large quantities. Frankly, we're tempted to wonder if the drop-off in Ecstasy consumption is because the drug represented a fad, the novelty of which has worn off. Some studies of behavior by young people are suspect for a variety of reasons, including relatively small samples in surveys. But the annual Monitoring the Future study of youth drug use, conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is persuasive; it surveyed about 44,000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12 at 394 schools throughout the nation. Percentages of eighth- and 10th-graders using illegal drugs dropped slightly during the past year, according to the study's findings. The percentage of 12th-graders using some drugs, including Ecstasy and LSD, also dropped. But, again, overall use of illegal drugs by young people remains intolerably high. When more than half of high school seniors admit using them, there's a problem. How to handle it? A mixture of education and enforcement seems to have helped - but clearly, there is much more to accomplish. And, to judge by the fact that use of drugs such as cocaine and heroin, targeted for education campaigns, has increased, it would appear the emphasis should be on enforcement. Cutting off the supply of illegal drugs to young Americans should be a priority. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart