Use of drugs rising among young adults

By LAURA MECKLERthe Associated Press

SOCIAL ISSUES: But a federal report says drug abuse is dropping slightly
among teenagers.

WASHINGTONDrug use among young adults in America is rising,the government
said Wednesday,a counterpoint to news that illegal drug use is dropping
slightly among teenagers.

And the news among teens is not all good: More tried heroin for the first
time last year than ever before.

Separately, the Justice Department reported Wednesday that fewer people
arrested were using cocaine, suggesting the crack epidemic that rocked
large cities may be abating.

The annual National Household Survey on Drug Abuse showed drug use among
18 to 25yearolds at its highest level since 1988, with 15.6 percent of
young adults using drugs.

That included increased use of marijuana, cocaine and heroin by young adults.

Barry McCaffrey, President Clinton's drugpolicy adviser, suggested that
drugusing teenagers are growing up and continuing their habits.

Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala said she was alarmed by
the heroin numbers and said a national conference on the issue is planned
for September.

More teenagers and young adults tried heroin for the first time in 1996
than ever before, and heroin use among young adults increased.

Heroin's availability has doubled in ten years, McCaffery said.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department reported that fewer young people and
fewer adults tested positive for cocaine or crack when they were arrested
in 1996, with dramatic drops from 1987.

SURVEY FINDINGS

Some findings from the 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse:

13 million Americans used illegal drugs in 1996,about the same rate as 1995.

Illegal drug use among 12to 17yearolds dropped from 10.9 percent in 1995
to 9 percent last year.

The rate for young adults,ages 18 to 25,was up to 15.6 percent in 1996,
from 13.3 percent in 1994.

About 9 million Americans younger than 21 drank alcohol in 1996,including
4.4 million:binge drinkers"who at least five drinks on one occasion in the
past month.

Marijuana use, which accounts for threefourths of teenagers drug use,
dropped from 8.2 percent of teenagers to 7.1 percent,but the change was
statistically insignificant.Overall,10.1 million Americans older than 12 or
4.7 percentsmoked marijuana.

Teenagers'tobacco use remained flat at 18 percent.There were 62 million
American smokers of all ages29 percent of the population.

The 1996 survey is based on interviews of 18,269 people ages 12 and up.It
is conducted by a division of the Health and Human Services Department.

In a separate report,the Justice Department said fewer people arrested had
tested positive for cocaine in 1996,compared with 1987:

Overall,the rate fell from 55 percent in 1987 to 33 percent in 1996.

The most dramatic drop occurred in Detroit,where the percentage of 18to20
yearolds testing positive dropped from 45 percent in 1987 to 5 percent in
1996.

In New York,the percentage among young adults dropped from 70 percent in
1987 to 21 percent in 1996.

The Associated Press