Survey Says Drug Use Down In Teens

A survey conducted by the University of Michigan, with funding from NIDA (National Institute on Druge Abuse) says that drug use in teens is continuing a decline that began about a decade ago.

*thumbsup* Good news, eh?

Though alcohol and illicit drug use is down, the research still turned up a reasonably high level of prescription drug abuse in teens, so it has been suggested that the area of prescription medication abuse still requires attention and care.

8th - 10th - and 12th grade students participated in the survey/study from across the USA.

Though less than a quarter percent of younger 8th grade students admitted to experimenting with "illicit drugs," very close to HALF the older, 12th grade students had taken "illicit drugs."

Alcohol use declined and the study showed that Marijuana was the most widely used "illicit" drug.

The link for the report is available:

2006 US Teen Drug Use Survey (available from Hazelden.org )

I have further questions about this survey - particularly - about the use of the term 'illicit' drugs.

I have worries that even if the numbers are correct, maybe certain conclusions of the study are NOT CORRECT.

For instance, if we determine that 'illicit' drugs equals 'illegal' drugs - then some 12th graders who drink aren't using 'illicit' drugs if they are of legal drinking age. Don't some of the US States have the age of 19 set for their legal drinking age? If the forms they fill for the surveys - or the questions they're asked in person - contain the term 'illicit/illegal' drugs, and they're drinking but not using ILLEGAL drugs, then certain data might not be well reflected in the final result of the study.

Also - DOH! Everything is illegal and illicit to an 8th grader! lol
There are few doubts that 8th graders are nowhere NEAR legal age for drinking. So even if they had a beer, they did something illicit and illegal.

Anyway, those last couple of viewpoints aren't the REAL POINT here.

Just tossing those in to see if other people ever question some of these 'studies.' I mean - not that the studies are bad or good or anything else. I just always wonder about how to go about getting CORRECT information.

In the media, if you took that same survey and applied only a portion of it in a certain newscast or something, I'm sure you could come out with a statement saying something like, "8th graders showed the lowest drug use around 21%, however, 12th graders graduated on to more serious drugs and abuses at nearly 50%..."

I just wonder about this stuff, is all - because I recently did see a 'survey report' in print - in an established, popular newspaper which attributed teen drug use to broken homes - BUT - the data was faulty, as far as I am concerned

The survey was made up of participants that were kids MOSTLY FROM BROKEN HOMES and the survey was conducted from a TEEN RESOURCE and COUNSELLING SUPPORT CENTRE, where kids were specifically referred there FROM BROKEN HOMES. The centre has a specific program for children from broken homes - for them to 'network' and 'support' other kids specifically with similar backgrounds. That itself isn't any kind of problem. Saying a certain conclusion of a survey based on a mainly 'select' group - is kind of a problem for me.

Just thought I would put that 'OUT THERE'

Not trying to undermine the details of this survey tho' - just expressing that I think it's a good idea to 'research the research' sometimes.

And that's what I'm off to do!

Apparently, this site: "Monitoring The Future"
Has more details about the study, so that's where I'm off to now...

Just to check the research methodology.

Later *waves*

Have a grrrrrrr8 Day!