SOME GOOD NEWS ON TEEN DRUG USE

Each year the National Insttitue on Drug Abuse conducts a survey of
drug use among teen-agers, to better track drug use trends.

The good news, cigarette smoking, steroid use and methamphetamine use
and overrall drug use is steadily declining among teens. The bad news
is that within the overall decline, the abuse of prescription drugs
such as Vicodin and OxyContin is rising.

The message? Keep up the successful efforts to stem cigarette use
among young people -- as those who smoke cigareettes are also more
likely to try other drugs. Keep up the message about alcho use and
educatie on the dangers of drugs such as methamphetamine.

And there needs to be a campaign to educate students on the dangers
of improperly using prescription drugs, just as there are campaigns
to alert adults and younger people to the dangers of tobacco or other drugs.