"Whatever challenges await him, President-elect Barack Obama will not have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to keeping a lid on the use of illegal drugs. Our policy has been a success - although that success is one of Washington's best kept secrets."
Mr. Walters cited statistics that show drug use declining among eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders for the past six years. Mr. Walters also emphasized that teen use of cocaine, marijuana, and inhalants has decreased substantially, and that consumption of methamphetamine and hallucinogens like LSD and ecstasy has "all but collapsed."
However, recent data from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that Mr. Walters' statement may be a little ambitious. According to SAMHSA, from 1995 to 2005, the percentage of substance abuse treatment admissions for primary abuse of methamphetamine/amphetamine more than doubled from 4% to 9%. SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicated that approximately 510,000 youth aged 12 to 17 (2%) used stimulants (including methamphetamines) non-medically in 2006.
(Source: wsj.com; samhsa.gov)
Labels: drugs
Posted By: jgarcia