wfn.org | Teen Drug Use Declines in the United States of America

["Christian B. Schäffler" <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

January 2, 2000
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

Teen Drug Use Declines in the United States of America

Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.      News that teenagers in the 
United States are becoming less willing to experiment with 
drugs was welcomed by Seventh-day Adventist health 
spokesman, Dr. Tom Neslund.  The results of a survey 
released in November 1999 show that 40 percent of teens 
consider abstinence from drugs "really cool"-a five percent 
increase from last year.  The survey also revealed a decline in 
the reported use of cocaine, crack, LSD and marijuana among 
teens.  

"The Adventist Church continues to be active in the war on 
teen drug use," says Neslund, a director in the Church's 
Health Ministries department. "The Adventist Youth to Youth 
project, for example, utilises teen peer pressure to drive home 
the message that drugs are not only personally harmful, but 
impact one's family and neighbourhood as well."

Neslund says that ongoing education about drugs is a critical 
preventative measure.  "It's not enough just to tell teenagers 
to say 'No' to drugs.  We have to tell them why they should 
say 'No,'" Neslund says.  "That's why our education efforts 
zero in on the devastating effect drugs have on relationships, 
as well as on one's health."

The survey, taken annually by The Partnership for a Drug-Free 
America, also found that the number of teens who felt that 
"most people will try marijuana sometime" dropped from 40 to 
35 percent. Only 8 percent of teens, compared with 13 
percent last year, felt that marijuana smokers were popular.  
The results were based on a survey of  6,529 teen-agers in 
the 13 to 18-year-old bracket. (10/2000)