Sharp rise reported in teen drug use

by Paul Monte and Jeanne Lombardo co-news editor and arts and entertainment /features editor

Teen drug use rose an alarming 105 percent between 1992 and 1995, according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, released by the Department of Health and Human Serviceson Aug. 20.

The survey found that the percentage of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 who admitted to using illicit drugs in the month preceding the survey increased from 5 .3 percent in 1992 to 10.9 percent in 1995, or 105 percent. It also found that:

D Youth drug use rose 24 percent between 1994-1995.

D Monthly marijuana use among youths is up 105 percent since 1992, and 37 percent between 1994 and 1995.

D Monthly use of LSD and other hallucinogens is up 183 percent since 1992, and rose 54 per- cent between 1994 and 1995.

D Monthly cocaine use rose 166 percent between 1994 and 1995.

Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole called the findings nothing short of a national tragedy. In addition to making the drug priority number one, Dole also promised to hold a White House Summit on Drug Abuse in January if elected.

The Clinton Administration expressed concern about the new report's findings but said they were too important to be used merely for political attacks.

Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala, joined by drug czar Barry McCaffrey,called teen drug abuse an urgent, bipartisan issue that every adult must help solve. Shalala made the comparison of drug use to skydiving without a parachute-that there is no soft landing at the end.

McCaffrey mentioned that too many people believe these drugs

Public Safety U_pdate

Security incidents as reported by Public Safety from 8/19 to 8/26.

08/24

Disorderly Conduct

While on bike patrol, an officer observed a late model Oldsmobile being operated in a reckless manner. The driver was attempting to do 360 degree turnswith tires screeching. Minutes later, the vehicle was seen on Main St. near the mansion. The driver failed to negotiate a right turn onto Residential Blvd., leaving the paved road near House One, almost hitting the curb in the parking area near Houses Two and Three. The driverand right frontseat passengerof the vehicle both admittedto "having a few beers."

D 8/25

Alcohol Discovery

While on patrol of the wooded area in the rear of House Seven, Public Safety discovered one full keg of beer, containing 15.5 gallons of beer. The keg was marked "Anheuser-Busch, Inc." The keg was disposed of by Public Safety.

D 8/26

Suspicious Persons are not addictive, and fewer have a negative view of drug use than youths did in the '70s and '80s.

Public Safety received a call from a female studentand resident of House Five to come and investigate unknownmales outside of the house. Public Safety responded and investigated to find that the unknown men were workers (heating and air-conditioning).

Shalala and McCaffrey also released data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), an HHS division, that underscored the sharp rise in drug use by teens. The network monitors the number and pattern of drug-related emergencies and fatal overdoses in 21 major metropolitan areas.

The most current DAWN figures for 1995 found that for youths ages 12-17:

D Marijuana-related emergency room problems rose 96 percent since 1992.

D Emergency room admissions for heroin use rose 58 percent from 1992 to 1995.

D Cocaine-related admissions rose 19 percent since 1992.

Lloyd Johnston, chief researcher on a 1995 University of Michigan study on teen drug use, said that partisan sniping only delays solutions and we don't get very far as a nation when we lay blame instead of focusing our energies on youths.

In Johnston's survey of 50,000 students, one-fifth of eighth graders, one-third of high. school sophomores and nearly 40 percent of seniors said they had used an illicit drug during the last year.

A first-year student, who wished to remain anonymous, said she knew people in high school who had tried marijuana, acid, cocaine and even heroin.

"It's a certain group of people that do it," she said, "If one starts doing cocaine, they an do cocaine."

Another first-year student, who also wished to remain anonymous, admitted that she has tried marijuana, but she has never had the desire to experiment with more hardcore drugs.

"All the other stuff I never wanted to get involved with because I've seen people do it and it's a waste," she said. "It's just not worth it."

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Miscellaneous

To all my kids: You have remained "gentle on my mind" during these summer months. Looking forward to a great new semester with all my friends. My favorite thing about Cabrini is the mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual responsibility shared by all.

Billy Beard (MOM)