DATE: Wednesday, August 6, 1997             TAG: 9708060473

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DATELINE: WASHINGTON                        LENGTH:   51 lines

DRUG USE AMONG TEEN-AGERS DROPPED SLIGHTLY LAST YEAR

Teen drug use dropped slightly last year, the first decrease since 1992, according to a government report to be released today.

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse says 9 percent of American teens used drugs in 1996, down from 10.9 percent in 1995, according to an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Drug use among adults, which has been stable for years, did not change in 1996, according to the survey, which is to be released by Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala and federal drug czar, Gen. Barry McCaffrey.

Nationwide, 13 million adults used drugs last year, about half as many as in 1979, the peak year. But the good news came among teens, whose drug use fell for a decade before beginning to rise again in 1992.

Last year's survey showed that drug use among 12- to 17-year-olds had more than doubled since 1992. That included sharp increases in teen use of LSD, cocaine and marijuana, with usage about the same across ethnic and economic groups.

According to the official, the new report shows:

Marijuana use, which accounts for three-fourths of teen drug use, dropped from 8.2 percent of teens to 7.1 percent, but officials said the change was statistically insignificant.

Alcohol use among teens dropped from 21.1 percent in 1995 to 18.8 percent last year.

Tobacco use remained flat at 18 percent, although use of smokeless tobacco dipped from 2.8 percent to 1.9 percent.

There was some bad news as well. More teens tried heroin for the first time last year and the number of teens who viewed cocaine as risky dropped. Also, use of hallucinogens edged up.

The official speculated that the drop in overall teen drug use may just be cyclical, given how high the rates had reached.

``The rates got so bad, it got back on the screen of the media, which helped galvanize parents and others,'' the official said.

Last year's report immediately became cannon fodder for the presidential campaign of Republican Bob Dole, who called teen drug use a ``national tragedy'' and promised to do better in the anti-drug war.

The administration official allowed that Dole's focus on the issue may have helped galvanize anti-drug efforts ``maybe a little bit.''

But the official generally credited private and public sector efforts, including intense focus on hazards of marijuana use. ``It may just be that more teen-agers are getting the message,'' the official said. ILLUSTRATION: Donna Shalala KEYWORDS: DRUGS ILLEGAL STUDY TEENAGERS STATISTICS

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