10-3-06

Drug Usage

Drug use in the U.S. is declining among teenagers, while baby boomers' drug use is increasing.

Use of drugs and alcohol among the 12 to 17 age group continues to decline according to a new study by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Ron Kanwischer, assistant professor of psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, says that is very good news because it has a great impact on the future lives of young people.

SOUND BITE: ". . . the earlier somebody gets involved with drugs and alcohol, the greater their chance of having a life-long problem with that. So if we can prevent that, if we can delay that, even until age 18 to 25 years, we are reducing significantly the number of people who have life-long difficulties."

Kanwischer says the latest study shows only 9.9 percent of youths, age 12 to 17, are using drugs. The downward trend in this age group began about five years ago. He attributes the decrease to improved prevention strategies, which involve parents in helping reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs in this age group. But he says the newest challenge is the baby boomer group, whose drug use is increasing.

SOUND BITE: ". . . as baby boomers get ready to retire and their children leave home, they fall back to some of the things they did previously and substance abuse was very big in the 60s and 70s. And so now what’s happening is these people are returning to doing some of that stuff thinking that it won’t interfere with their lives so much."

Kanwischer says substance abuse and dependency continues to be a major health problem in this country. He advises family members to encourage a drug dependent person to see a physician or mental health counselor for evaluation and possible treatment.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.