For Release December 19, 2006

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will convene a press conference on Thursday, December 21 to announce the results of the 2006 Monitoring the Future Survey. The Monitoring the Future Survey, funded by NIDA, part of the National Institutes of Health, tracks annual drug abuse trends of eighth, 10th, and 12th grade students, including attitudes and perceived risk of specific illicit drugs. It is one of three major surveys through which the Department of Health and Human Services monitors the nationÕs substance abuse patterns. Information from these surveys helps identify potential drug problem areas, assesses whether federal drug prevention efforts are effective, and ensures that resources are targeted to areas of greatest need.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and further information on NIDA research can be found on the NIDA web site at http://www.drugabuse.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov