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Date: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 1995
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: SAMHSA Press Office(301)443-8956
National Drug Survey Results Released With New Youth Public Education Materials
Marijuana use among 1217 year olds nearly doubled
from 19921994, though it remains far below the peak reached
in 1979, according to the 1994 National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse.
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala and White House Drug Policy
Director Lee P. Brown released the annual survey results at a
press conference today in a Washington, D.C., high school. At
the same time, they displayed new public education materials designed
to help young people stay away from drugs.
"This survey shows just how vigilant we must be to
the constant and seductive threat of drug abuse," Secretary
Shalala said. "Even though the survey finds a broad leveling
off in drug abuse among adults, it also confirms that marijuana
is once again making inroads among our youth. That is why we're
recommitting ourselves today to new efforts to combat the myths
and misinformation circulating among young Americans."
"The increase in the firsttime use of marijuana
by youngsters 1217 years old should serve as a profound
wakeup call to parents," Dr. Brown said. "Statistically,
we call it an 'uptick' in the numbers, but it makes me fear
for the future of our children if we do not take effective action
now. We must protect our kids to assure that they do not make
the fateful decision to use illegal drugs."
The survey finds that since 1990, the percentage of youths
1217 years old that believe there is great risk of harm
in using marijuana occasionally has decreased. Findings indicate
that monthly marijuana use among 1217 year olds was at 7.3
percent in 1994, up from 4.0 in 1992.
However, in spite of the increase in marijuana use among
youth, the total number of illicit drug users has remained constant
since 1992. This leveling off follows more than a decade of decline
since the peak year for illicit drug use, 1979.
The survey was released at Woodrow Wilson High School
in Washington, D.C., accompanied by the release of a series of
new materials laying out the hazards of marijuana and other drug
use.
"Marijuana is illegal, it is not benign, it is not
harmless," Or. Brown stressed. "It's a very dangerous
drug that can cause you to fight for your health and your very
life in a hospital emergency room.
"Over the last three years, the Clinton Administration
has recognized and drawn attention to the increase in marijuana
use among American teenagers," Secretary Shalala said in
unveiling the new materials. "We have challenged parents,
teachers and leaders in the public and private sectors
including media to be active and aggressive in the
struggle against drug abuse. Today we are highlighting a new series
of innovative materials designed to help in that struggle."
The new materials include:
- A marijuana poster created in collaboration with the Weekly
Reader, to be distributed to more than 200,000 classrooms.
- Three new Tips for Teens on marijuana, inhalants and alcohol
which will soon be available through the National Clearinghousefor Alcohol and Drug Information.
- An article titled, "Drugs have No Place in a Healthy
Life," sent to 1,000 schools across the country.
- A booklet for parents on drug prevention, available inNovember.
- A 13minute informational video for parents will
be sent to 16,000 school districts on Oct. 1, plus two booklets,
which give parents and teens the facts about marijuana.
The Household survey also finds that the number of underage
drinkers, which includes 2 million heavy drinkers, remains unacceptably
high.
"Nearly 1 of every 4 Americans is directly affected
by the alcohol or drug dependency of a family member, friend or
coworker, and over 1 billion cans of beer are consumed annually
by junior and senior high school students," Secretary Shalala
said.
In addition, for the first time this survey addressed
substance abuse among pregnant women of childbearing age.
It showed that 1.8 percent of pregnant women used an illicit drug
within the past month compared with 6.7 percent of all women aged
15-44. Survey findings suggest that many substanceabusing
women of childbearing age reduce use during pregnancy yet often
return to use after giving birth.
"Over 95 percent of the children born to women in
demonstration residential treatment programs are born drugfree,"
said Nelba Chavez, Ph.D., administrator of the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration. "These programs
save lives and tremendous health and social costs."
Secretary Shalala said the survey findings for youth show
that "we need to keep up our guard and keep learning what
works best in the treatment and prevention of drug abuse."
She said budget cuts proposed by the House of Representatives
would be "shortsighted. This is not the time to cut
back on drug abuse funding ."
The HHS appropriations bill passed by the House of Representatives
on Aug. 4 included only $141 million for SAMHSAfunded substance
abuse and mental health demonstrations, which support innovative
treatment and prevention efforts a 12 percent decrease
from current funding.
"The proposed cut in SAMHSA's budget would effectively
end federal support for developing new techniques and approaches
for drug prevention and treatment," Secretary Shalala said.
"These cuts would radically scale back drug prevention services
nationwide and eliminate access to treatment for people who need
it."
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
conducts the Household Survey annually to estimate the prevalence
of legal and illegal drug use in the U.S., and to monitor the
trends in use over time. It is based on a representative sample
of the U.S. population aged 12 and older, including persons living
in households and in some group quarters such as dormitories and
homeless shelters. The 1994 survey was conducted from January
through December 1994. SAMHSA is the federal Government's lead
agency for substance abuse and mental illness prevention and treatment,
one of eight Public Health Service agencies in HHS.