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Drug Trends
Overall, the 2005
Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey showed good
news. While there was no substantive change in
any illicit drug use between 2004 and 2005,
analysis of the survey revealed an almost 19
percent decline in past month use of any illicit
drug by 8th, 10th, and 12th graders between 2001
and 2005. This trend is driven largely by
decreasing rates of marijuana use among these
students. For example, since 2001, past month
use of marijuana has fallen by 28 percent among
8th graders and by 23 percent among 10th
graders. |
Since 1975 the MTF survey has measured drug,
alcohol, and cigarette use and related attitudes
among adolescent students nationwide. Survey
participants report their drug use behaviors
across three time periods: lifetime, past year,
and past month. Overall, 49,347 students in the
8th, 10th, and 12th grades from 402 public and
private schools participated in this year's
survey. The survey is funded by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and
conducted by the University of Michigan.
While the 2005 survey showed a continuing
general decline in drug use, there are continued
high rates of non-medical use of prescription
medications, especially opioid painkillers. For
example, in 2005, 9.5 percent of 12th graders
reported using Vicodin in the past year, and 5.5
percent of these students reported using
OxyContin in the past year. Long term trends
show a significant increase in the abuse of
OxyContin from 2002 to 2005 among 12th graders.
Also of concern is the significant increase in
the use of sedatives/barbiturates among 12th
graders since 2001.
"I'm pleased to see the decreased drug use noted
in this survey; however, the upward trend in
prescription drug abuse is disturbing," says NIH
Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni. "We need to ensure
that young people understand the very real risks
of abusing any drug."
"While cigarette smoking is at lowest levels in
the history of the survey and overall drug use
among teens and adolescents is continuing to
decline, there remain areas of concern with
specific drugs of abuse such as prescription
painkillers," says Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director
of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA),
National Institutes of Health. "Prescription
drugs are very powerful medicines that are
effective when used properly and with a doctor's
supervision. Using these drugs without a
prescription is dangerous. ItÕs imperative that
teens get this message."
Among the survey's findings were the following
changes from 2004 to 2005:
Lifetime use of cigarettes declined 2 percent
among 8th graders; declined 1.7 percent among
10th graders; and declined 2.8 percent among
12th graders;
Past year use of alcohol was down 2.7 percent
among 8th graders; down 1.5 percent among 10th
graders; and down 2.1 percent among 12th
graders;á
Lifetime use of methamphetamine fell 1.2 percent
among 10th graders and fell 1.7 percent among
12th graders;
And past year use of steroids declined 1.1
percent among 12th graders.
MTF is one of three major HHS-sponsored surveys
that provide data on substance use among youth.
Its website is http://monitoringthefuture.org.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH),
sponsored by HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration, is the primary
source of statistical information on illicit
drug use in the U.S. population 12 years of age
and older. Formerly known as the National
Household Survey on Drug Abuse, the survey
collects data in household interviews, currently
using computer-assisted self-administration for
drug-related items. More information is
available at http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), part of
HHS' Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance
System, is a school survey that collects data
from students in grades 9Ð12. The survey
includes questions on a wide variety of
health-related risk behaviors, not simply drug
abuse. More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/index.htm.
More information on MTF can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/news;
or http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
Additional details are also available at http://www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/MTF.html
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