Partnership for a Drug-Free America(R) Responds to 2008 Monitoring the Future Stu...( Statement of Steve Pasierb President ...),Health

Statement of Steve Pasierb, President

NEW YORK, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2008 Monitoring the Future study (MTF) indicates the continuation of a promising trend of declining usage rates of certain drugs -- particularly stimulants like methamphetamine, cocaine and crack -- among our country's teens. However, it also indicates several areas of growing concern.

Progress

The long-term decline in methamphetamine use, especially among 12th graders, carries particular importance. Since 1999, use of the highly addictive drug that devastated regions of the country in the past decade has dropped by two-thirds among this age group. Through the combined efforts of parents regularly talking about the risks of using meth with their teens -- paired with local education initiatives like the Partnership's Meth360(R) program operating in 24 states -- there is strong hope that this progress will continue.

Positive trends were also reported in two other key areas -- use of over-the-counter cold and cough medicines to get high, and teen use of anabolic steroids. The abuse of OTC cold and cough medicines is one of the most concerning trends in teen drug use, and news that prevalence of this behavior among 8th and 12th graders has declined even a small percentage is an indicator that prevention efforts have begun to have an impact, and that these must continue.

Additionally, steroid use has been in steady decline since 2001, and since that time, use has dropped by one-third among 12th graders, and by half among 8th and 10th graders, which bodes well for the health of young athletes.

Reasons for Concern

Despite this good news, the 2008 MTF study highlights three areas of concern that should serve as a call-to-action for all parents and the substance abuse prevention field at large -- strong reminders that we must not divert our
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