From States News Service on Yahoo!:
January 6, 1999
Marijuana Is No Laughing Matter - (CENTER CITY) -- Smoking marijuana is no laughing matter if you are a parent whose kid is hooked on the weed. That’s according to officials at the Hazelden Treatment Center in Center City. Prevention specialist Kay Provine says many people wrongfully consider marijuana a "soft" drug that won’t cause harm. But she says marijuana is a "major problem" and "not just in Minnesota."

Hazelden officials say more adolescents and young adults are in treatment for marijuana addiction than for cocaine treatment.

December 30, 1998
From The Saint Paul Pioneer Press
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By Wayne Wangstad, Staff Writer

Crack cocaine and methamphetamine may be the drugs we discuss and fear most, but alcohol, the age-old plague of mankind, still holds the strongest grip on Minnesotans.

In a report issued Tuesday, substance abuse researcher Carol Falkowski said evidence indicates cocaine use is declining slightly in the Twin Cities. But more methamphetamine use is being seen by police, in hospital emergency rooms and treatment programs, the Hazelden Foundation researcher said.

That finding is overshadowed, Falkowski said, by the fact that alcohol use is more widespread in Minnesota than other states. A recent statewide telephone survey revealed 60.5 percent of Minnesota adults use alcohol, compared with 54.8 percent nationally, she said.

"Alcohol is a socially-sanctioned substance, it is our legal drug. It has always been the case that Minnesotans are more frequent drinkers than our counterparts," she said in an interview.

There are a lot of opinions on why that is the case, Falkowski said, "but perhaps we are more law-abiding, that is avoiding illegal drugs. I’ve been doing this (researching substance abuse) and it’s always been the case that we are higher in alcohol abuse and lower in illegal drug use."

Falkowski said alcohol accounted for 48.3 percent of admissions to metro area treatment programs this year. There also were 69 alcohol-related deaths in Hennepin and Ramsey counties from January through June.

In contrast, there were 22 cocaine-related deaths in Hennepin and Ramsey counties during the first six months of 1998. There were 74 such deaths in 1996, and 22 last year, Falkowski’s report said.
(Marijuananews note: And where are the numbers on marijuana-related deaths? There aren't any, of course)

There is evidence, Falkowski said, that cocaine-related emergency room visits are declining after a 40 percent increase from 1995 to 1996. Cocaine accounted for about 14 percent of admissions to treatment programs this year and last.

Minnesota’s propensity for alcohol may be tied to the fact that the state is removed from major distribution routes for illegal drugs, such as Interstate 95, the major route from Miami to New York, which can influence patterns of use.

"In Minnesota, we are in the middle of the North American continent and not close, geographically, to source countries for illicit drugs. This may explain our lower rate of illicit drug use and our preference for more available mood-altering substances such as alcohol," Falkowski suggested.

Alcohol, she continued, is "the Number 1 substance of abuse among adolescents and always has been, in spite of recent societal emphasis on illicit drugs."

With the new year at hand, Falkowski cautioned women to keep close watch on their drinks when they venture out Thursday evening.

The reason is that gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB), known as a "date rape drug," has been identified by St. Paul and Minneapolis police crime laboratories. Those were the first reports Falkowski had received of the drug’s appearance here.

"The presence of GHB is significant because it has showed up in other parts of the country as a date-rape drug and deaths have been reported," she said.

Typically, people come across the drug at nightclubs. She said it has been a problem in Miami, where it has caused recent deaths when it was combined with alcohol.

"Coming up to New Year’s Eve when many people drink, women should guard their beverages to make sure this drug is not unknowingly added . . . it has been used as a knockout drug," Falkowski said.

As to methamphetamine, commonly known as "crank" and "speed," Falkowski said school chemical health specialists are reporting the drug is becoming increasingly available in area high schools. Twin Cities police also are seeing increased activity in "meth" with arrests and seizures escalating.

Methamphetamine accounted for 12.7 percent of admissions to addiction treatment programs. The drug accounted for four deaths in Ramsey County the first six months of 1998, compared with two in all of 1997. There has been one such death in Hennepin County during the first six months of 1998, compared to two in 1997 and 1996, Falkowski said.

She said marijuana was cited in 20 percent of admissions to metro treatment programs this year and last. Half those entering the marijuana programs were under 18 and in treatment for the first time. The average age for first marijuana use is 13.8 years, she said.

(Marijuananews note: It is not possible to tell from this report how many admissions were for marijuana alone.)