ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 21, 1994                   TAG: 9407210101
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

REPORT SAYS DRUG USE HAS LEVELED

Illicit drug use by Americans leveled off last year after declining for 13 years, illustrating that many of the nation's remaining drug users are chronic addicts and not casual users, the government reported Wednesday.

Releasing their annual household survey on drug abuse, officials of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the remaining 11.7 million drug users include many hard-core addicts who have been difficult to reach with education and treatment programs.

Even though overall drug use remained steady, officials said, marijuana use by high school students is on the rise in an alarming trend.

Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala said, from a peak of 24.3 million in 1979, the number of Americans who used cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs dropped gradually to 11.4 million in 1992. Drug abuse then rose to 11.7 million last year, a marginal increase not statistically significant, she said.

Results of the survey show the need to focus treatment efforts on longer-term, hard-core drug users ``if we are ever going to solve America's drug problem,'' Shalala said.

Noting a rise in the rate of marijuana use by 12- to 17-year-olds from 4 percent in 1992 to 4.9 percent last year, Shalala told reporters: ``It's worrisome news that we have not changed young people's minds about the dangers of drug use.''

Lee P. Brown, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, told a news briefing with Shalala ``there should be no question now about treatment.''

``Treatment does work and can save this country millions of dollars in lost productivity in the workplace and can reduce crime and violence in our communities,'' he said. 


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