Drug trends in 1999 among American teens are mixed.

FOR RELEASE AT 1:00 P.M., EST, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1999.

EDITORS: Results of this survey are scheduled to be announced at a news conference in Washington, D.C. Among those participating in the release of results will be Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna E. Shalala, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Barry R. McCaffrey, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Alan I. Leshner, and the principal investigator of the Monitoring the Future Study, Lloyd D. Johnston.

For further information on the study, contact Johnston at (734) 763-5043.

ANN ARBOR---With a few notable exceptions, drug use among American adolescents held steady in 1999, according to the latest results from the Monitoring the Future study, conducted at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR). Reporting on the 25th national survey of high school seniors, and the ninth national survey of eighth- and 10th-graders, ISR research scientists Lloyd D. Johnston, Jerald G. Bachman, and Patrick M. O'Malley find that, in general, the changes in 1999 are modest.

"We are down some from the recent peak levels in overall illicit drug use by American teen-agers, which were reached in 1996 and 1997," states Johnston, "but not much of that improvement occurred this year. I am hopeful that this is just a pause in a longer-term decline. In fact, we saw such a pause in the 80s, in the middle of what turned out to be a continuing decline in drug use."

The investigators note that, after several years of steady increase, the annual prevalence rates for most drugs reached their recent peak levels in the mid 1990s---inhalants in 1995; hallucinogens, including LSD and PCP, in 1996; and marijuana and amphetamines in 1996 or 1997 (depending on the age of the students). The overall proportions reporting any illicit drug use in the prior year peaked among younger teens in 1996 and among older teens in 1997. In general, the usage statistics have been receding since then, at least until 1999.

Drugs which showed little change in use this year include marijuana, amphetamines, hallucinogens, tranquilizers, and heroin.

Monitoring the Future is conducted at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR) and is supported under a series of research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

One of the brightest spots in this year's story is that inhalant use appeared to continue its longer-term, very gradual decline at all three grades (although none of this year's changes were large enough to be statistically significant).

The use of inhalants began to turn downward in 1996, following the launching of an ad campaign by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America,
(Marijuananews note: Post Partnership ergo propter Partnership? Giving the Partnership credit for this is questionable. Kids can see that inhalants are dangerous. They can also see that the Partnership lies about marijuana.) and has been gradually and steadily declining since then. Inhalants are about the only drugs that are used more by younger teens than by older ones.

The use of nitrite inhalants, specifically, which is only asked of the 12th-graders, declined significantly in 1999. Less than 1 percent (0.9 percent) reported any nitrite use in the prior 12 months.

Another bright spot in this year's results is a significant drop in the use of crack cocaine among both eighth- and 10th-graders in 1999, following several years of gradually increasing use. While the rates of crack use in the 90s never attained the peak level of the original crack epidemic in the mid 80s, according to Johnston, the increase in use was still a matter of concern, given the addictive potential of that drug.

While overall amphetamine use changed little in 1999, the use of "ice" or crystal methamphetamine, declined significantly among 12th-graders to its lowest level in five years. (Only 12th-graders are asked about using ice.) Ice comes in chunks or "rocks" which can be heated and the fumes inhaled, much as is done with crack cocaine. Also like crack, it can be highly addictive. The proportion of 12th-graders indicating any use of ice in the prior 12 months fell from 3 percent in 1998 to 1.9 percent in 1999. (The proportions taking methamphetamines in any form, including ice, is higher---3.2 percent in eighth-grade, 4.6 percent in 10th-grade, and 4.7 percent in 12th-grade. Since the question on overall methamphetamine use was added to the survey for the first time in 1999, no trend statistics are yet available for that more general class of drugs.)

A "club drug" added to the study in 1996, rohypnol---one of the so-called "date rape drugs"---showed a small decline in use in all grades this year, though only the eighth-grade decline was large enough to be statistically significant. The annual prevalence of use is only 0.5 percent in eighth-grade and 1 percent in 10th- and 12th-grades.

"Unfortunately we do not have data on the use of GHB, or gamma hydroxybutyrate, which, like rohypnol, is another so-called 'date rape drug' receiving considerable attention at present," says Johnston. "A number of the deaths associated with GHB have resulted from a person putting the drug into another person's drink without their knowledge," he adds, "so I don't know how accurately people can report whether they have taken it. But clearly it is a very dangerous drug, and the mounting accidental death toll among young people proves it. We will be asking about its use in our next survey."

The use of anabolic steroids by males in their early- to mid-teens jumped some in 1999. Among eighth-grade boys, the proportion reporting any use in the prior year rose from 1.6 percent in 1998 to 2.5 percent in 1999, while among 10th-grade boys there was an increase from 1.9 percent to 2.8 percent. This increase occurred fairly broadly across different regions and communities of different sizes. No such increase occurred among the older teens (i.e., 12th-graders).

"As many had feared, we think it likely that Mark McGwire's reported use of androstenedione in the year in which he set a new homerun record affected young boys," says Johnston. Androstenedione (pronounced an-dro-STEEN-die-own) is a steroid that the body converts to testosterone, and at present it is not a controlled substance.

"Surely it gave them the idea that it could make them stronger, though we have no questions dealing directly with that belief," adds Johnston, "but it also appears to have reassured some about the safety of using steroids." Among the 12th-graders---the only grade level asked about the safety of using steroids---the proportion of all students saying that users risk harming themselves, physically or in other ways, by using steroids dropped from 68 percent to 62 percent between the 1998 and 1999 surveys---a large one-year drop. The surveys are conducted in the spring and, therefore, bracket the 1998 baseball season.

Johnston emphasizes that McGwire announced that he had stopped using androstenedione early this year, largely because of his concern about his role-modeling effect on young people. He still turned in an extraordinary performance in the 1999 season, Johnston notes.

Heroin use has remained fairly stable at all three grade levels for the last three years, after the rates had roughly doubled between 1991 and 1995. The study has shown that the amount of danger young people perceived to be associated with heroin use fell some in the first half of the 90s, quite likely as a result of the advent of non-injectable forms of heroin use. However, since 1995 there has been some recovery in the perceived risks of heroin, which likely explains the leveling off of use.

"We think that the untimely deaths of several musicians and other celebrities from heroin use, as well as the media campaign against heroin, may have influenced young peoples' view of how dangerous a drug this is, even if it is not being injected," observes Johnston.

Alcohol use among teens has been fairly stable over the past several years, as measured by the proportion reporting any alcohol consumption in the month prior to the survey. These rates stand at 24 percent, 40 percent, and 51 percent in grades eight, 10, and 12, respectively. There may have been a slight one-year "uptick" in binge drinking---consuming five or more drinks in a row sometime in the prior two weeks---in the lower grades, but the rates are still about where they were two to three years ago. They stand at 15 percent, 26 percent, and 31 percent among eighth-, 10th-, and 12th-graders.

"We do not have any ready explanation of why the use of marijuana and a number of other drugs seemed to level off in 1999," Johnston says, "but we think there is a fair chance that it simply reflects a pause in a longer-term decline." For the most part, beliefs about the dangers associated with the use of these drugs---which have been harbingers of change in the past---remained fairly stable in 1999. Disapproval of using marijuana rose a bit among eighth-graders. Disapproval of using inhalants rose among both eighth- and 10th-graders.

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The "Monitoring the Future" study is conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and has been supported since its inception under a series of investigator-initiated research grants from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, one of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Annual surveys of high school seniors began in 1975, and annual surveys of eigth- and 10th-grade students were added, beginning in 1991. At each grade level students are drawn to be representative of all students in public and private schools in the coterminous United States. They complete self-administered, optically-scanned questionnaires given to them in their classrooms in the spring of the year by U-M personnel. In 1999 the sample sizes for eighth-, 10th-, and 12th-grades, respectively, were 17,300, 13,900, and 14,100. In all, about 45,000 students located in 433 secondary schools participated in the study.

Click http://monitoringthefuture.org/data/99data.html#1999data-drugs to see the corresponding data tables and figures.

Overall use of illicit drugs among teenagers generally remained unchanged from last year, according to the 25th annual Monitoring the Future Survey released by the Department of Health and Human Services today.

The 1999 study of drug use among 8th, 10th and 12th graders found that illicit drug use, including the use of marijuana, generally remained unchanged in the last year. The survey marks the third year in a row that overall drug use among teenagers has declined or stayed level in all categories: lifetime, past year and past month use. Among the few statistically significant changes reported were increases in the use of MDMA (ecstasy) among 10th and 12th graders; decreases in the use of crack cocaine among 8th and 10th graders; and increases in the use of steroids among 8th and 10th graders.

Among 8th graders, disapproval of trying marijuana once or twice increased for the second year in a row.

Teens' use of alcohol and cigarettes also remained unchanged for the most part among the three grade levels, although daily use of alcohol decreased among seniors, and past month use of cigarettes decreased among 8th graders from 1998 to 1999.

"Today's report confirms that we have halted the dangerous trend of increased drug use among our young people," HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala said. "Our job now is to continue the momentum we have built up with local communities, parents and teachers, and to work even harder to let teenagers know the real danger of alcohol, tobacco and drugs."

"The findings are extremely encouraging and serve as an indicator that the country's team effort and National Drug Strategy are working," said Barry McCaffrey, White House Drug Policy Director. "One note of alarm is the rise in the use of steroids among youth. That's why the agreement which IOC President Samaranch and I reached this week to move towards a drug-free Olympics is so important."
(Marijuananews note: Translation – they will test more for marijuana.)

For a third year in a row, attitudes toward use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes generally remained unchanged or improved in all three grades.

"One of NIDA's priorities is getting our scientific research about drugs into the hands of parents, teachers and children, and we will continue to use every means possible -- including our Web site (http://www.drugabuse.gov) -- to inform the public about the dangers of drugs," said Dr. Alan I. Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

See
NIDA Refuses To Sell 400 Grams of Medical Marijuana For FDA Approved Migraine Research.
Giving A Prohibitionist Propaganda Organization A Veto on Medical Research.

From 1998 to 1999, there were a few notable decreases and increases in specific drugs.

Past year crack cocaine use finally began to decrease among 8th graders after the rate tripled between 1991 (0.7 percent) and 1998 (2.1 percent). In 1999, the rate decreased to 1.8 percent. Additionally, past month crack cocaine use decreased from 1.1 percent in 1998 to 0.8 percent in 1999 among 10th graders.

Past year and past month use of steroids increased among 8th and 10th graders in 1999.

Past year use increased from 1.2 percent in 1998 to 1.7 percent in 1999 among teens in both

grades. Among teenage males specifically, past year use among 8th graders increased from 1.6 percent in 1998 to 2.5 percent in 1999. Among 10th grade males, past year use increased from 1.9 percent in 1998 to 2.8 percent in 1999.

For the first time since 1996 when collection of data on MDMA (ecstasy) began, increases in the use of this drug were observed among 10th and 12th graders. Past year use of ecstasy among 10th graders increased from 3.3 percent in 1998 to 4.4 percent in 1999. Past month use among 12th graders increased from 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent in 1999.

The following are highlights of the 1999 Monitoring the Future Survey. Unless otherwise noted, all changes are statistically significant.

Illicit Drug Use

• Lifetime, past year, past month, and daily use of marijuana/hashish did not change from 1998 to 1999 in all three grades. The same held true for the measure of any illicit drug. Seniors' rate of lifetime marijuana use (49.7 percent) remains well below the high value observed in 1979 (60.4 percent).
• Between 1998 and 1999, use of marijuana, cocaine, cocaine other than crack, inhalants, heroin, other narcotics, hallucinogens, LSD, PCP, amphetamines, barbiturates, and tranquilizers remained stable for all three grades and all recency-of-use categories (lifetime, past year, past month, and daily use, where measured).
• In 1999, past month use of marijuana, the most frequently used illicit drug among teenagers, was 9.7 percent for 8th graders, 19.4 percent for 10th graders, and 23.1 percent for 12th graders. Perceived risk of using marijuana did not change dramatically at any grade level.

Ice

• Use of Ice (crystal methamphetamine) in the past year decreased among 12th graders from 3.0 percent in 1998 to 1.9 percent in 1999.

Steroids

• Lifetime use of steroids increased among 10th graders from 2.0 percent in 1998 to 2.7 percent in 1999. From 1998 to 1999, past month use increased among 8th graders (from 0.5 percent to 0.7 percent) and among 10th graders (from 0.6 percent to 0.9 percent).

Ecstasy

• Lifetime, past year, and past month use of MDMA (ecstasy) increased among 12th graders. Lifetime use increased from 5.8 percent in 1998 to 8.0 percent in 1999. Past year use rose from 3.6 percent in 1998 to 5.6 percent in 1999.

• Use of alcohol has also generally remained stable in the past few years among 8th and 10th graders, and more recently among 12th graders. Although daily use among seniors did decrease from 3.9 percent in 1998 to 3.4 percent in 1999, alcohol use among all teenagers remains at unacceptably high levels. Past month use of alcohol in 1999 was 24.0 percent for 8th graders, 40.0 percent for 10th graders, and 51.0 percent for seniors.
• After decreasing to 38.3 percent in 1998, the proportion of 10th graders reporting having "been drunk" sometime during the past year increased to 40.9 percent in 1999.
• Perceived harm and disapproval of alcohol use (including binge drinking and other heavy use) did not change among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders.

Use of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco

• As with other indicators in 1999, the overall rate of cigarette use remained unchanged or declined somewhat among teenagers. Among 8th graders, past month use of cigarettes decreased from 19.1 percent to 17.5 percent and perceived availability of cigarettes also declined from 73.6 percent to 71.5 percent in 1999.
• In 1999, past month use of cigarettes was 25.7 percent among 10th graders and 34.6 percent among 12th graders.
• Disapproval of using smokeless tobacco regularly increased among 8th and 10th graders. Also, fewer 8th graders thought cigarettes were at least fairly easy to get (from 73.6 percent in 1998 to 71.5 percent in 1999).

Perceived Harmfulness, Disapproval, and Perceived Availability of Illicit Drugs

• Perceived harmfulness of taking steroids decreased among 12th graders from 68.1 percent in 1998 from 62.1 percent in 1999.
• Among 12th graders, perceived harmfulness in trying crack cocaine once or twice declined from 52.2 percent in 1998 to 48.2 percent in 1999.
• Among 10th graders, reporting "great risk" in trying inhalants once or twice increased from 45.8 percent in 1998 to 48.2 percent in 1999. Disapproval of trying inhalants once or twice increased among 8th and 10th graders. <
• Perceived availability of cocaine, LSD, PCP, other psychedelics, amyl/butyl nitrites, heroin, and tranquilizers decreased among 12th graders.

Long-term Trends (seniors only)

• After more than a decade of declining use (1980-1992), marijuana use among high school seniors rose from 1993 to 1995, remained level from 1995 to 1996, increased again from 1996 to 1997, and remained unchanged in 1998 and 1999. For past year prevalence, self-reported marijuana use by seniors peaked at 50.8 percent in 1979 and then declined to a low of 21.9 percent in 1992. Past year marijuana use then increased steadily to 38.5 percent in 1997 with no statistically significant change in the 1998 and 1999 rates (37.5 percent in 1998, 37.8 percent in 1999).
• In 1997, daily cigarette smoking among seniors reached its highest level (24.6 percent) since 1979. In 1979, 25.4 percent of seniors reported daily cigarette use. Daily smoking decreased in 1980 (21.3 percent) and then remained basically level for many years. During the early 1990s increases were observed, followed by a decrease in 1998 to 22.4 percent. In 1999 the daily smoking rate was 23.1 percent, which is unchanged from the 1998 rate.
• Alcohol use peaked in the late 1970s (lifetime use was 93.2 percent in 1980, past year use was 88.1 percent in 1979, and past month use was 72.1 percent in 1978), followed by a steady decline throughout the 1980s. In the 1990s, alcohol use remained flat with 1999 rates of lifetime, past year and past month use among 12th graders estimated at 80.0 percent, 73.8 percent, and 51.0 percent, respectively.

The Monitoring the Future Survey, conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), at the National Institutes of Health, has tracked 12th graders' illicit drug use and attitudes towards drugs since 1975. In 1991, 8th and 10th graders were added to the study. The 1999 study surveyed more than 45,000 students in 433 schools across the nation about their lifetime use, past year use, past month use, daily use of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

"Lifetime" refers to use at least once during a respondent's lifetime. "Past year" refers to an individual's drug use at least once during the year preceding their response to the survey. "Past month" refers to an individual's drug use at least once during the month preceding their response to the survey.

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