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1991.01.24 :  Data on High School Drug Use

Contact:  Mona W. Brown  Monica Revelle (301) 443-6245
January 24, 1991

     HHS Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., today released findings
from the national high school senior drug abuse survey indicating
a continuing drop in the percentage of high school seniors and
young adults who are using illicit drugs.  
     "For the first time in the 16 years this annual survey has
been conducted, less than half of the students surveyed have tried
any illicit drug.  This is truly a sign of progress toward the goal
of becoming a drug-free society," Secretary Sullivan said.
     The 1990 survey found that 47.9 percent of high school seniors
had used an illicit drug at least once in their lives.  This is
part of a continuing decline since the early 80s when up to 66
percent of seniors had tried an illicit drug at least once.
     Assistant Secretary for Health James O. Mason, M.D., Dr. P.H.,
said, "The data from the 1990 high school senior survey provides us
with encouragement to continue and strengthen our efforts to reduce
drug use."
     Some categories of alcohol use--annual and current--also
declined significantly.  Although daily and binge drinking have
declined substantially from their peaks in the early 1980s, the
changes this year were not statistically significant.  
     Secretary Sullivan reported significant decreases in the use
of cocaine and crack among high school seniors.  The percentage of
seniors reporting use of cocaine within the past year decreased by
nearly one-fifth -- from 6.5 percent in 1989 to 5.3 percent in
1990, the lowest level since the survey was first conducted in
1975.
"Current" cocaine use (use at least once in the 30 days prior to
the survey) decreased by about one-third -- from 2.8 percent in
1989 to 1.9 percent in 1990.  Daily use of cocaine also fell during
the last year from 0.3 percent to 0.1 percent, a drop of about
two-thirds.

     Crack use by high school seniors also decreased significantly
between 1989 and 1990.  In 1990, 0.7 percent of seniors had used
crack within the past month, which is half of the 1989 rate of 1.4
percent.  Annual use of crack also decreased significantly by about
two-fifths, from 3.1 percent in 1989 to 1.9 percent in 1990.

     All measures of marijuana use decreased significantly between
1989 and 1990.  Lifetime prevalence of marijuana use decreased
significantly from 43.7 percent in 1989 to 40.7 percent in 1990. 
Annual prevalence decreased from 29.6 percent to 27.0 percent, and
current use decreased from 16.7 percent to 14.0 percent between
1989 and 1990.  Although daily use of marijuana declined 24 percent
in one year, and 79 percent from its earlier peak, it still remains
the most widely used illicit drug among high school seniors.

     Annual use of PCP decreased from 2.4 percent in 1989 to 1.2
percent in 1990, continuing an almost 60 percent decline from 1985. 
The percentage of seniors using PCP in the past month decreased
from 1.4 percent in 1989 to 0.4 percent in 1990.

     Secretary Sullivan expressed his concern, however, about the
continued high rates of cigarette smoking by high school seniors
noted in the survey.  The survey found no decrease from 1989 to
1990 in daily cigarette smoking, which has remained at virtually
the same rate over the past seven surveys.  The proportion of
seniors who smoked at least one cigarette daily has remained around
19 percent since 1984, and the percentage of seniors who smoked a
half-pack a day has remained around 11 percent since 1986.

     The survey showed that current use of alcohol decreased, from
60.0 percent in 1989 to 57.1 percent in 1990.  The percentage of
seniors reporting daily alcohol use remained around 4 percent in
1989 and 1990.  The percentage of seniors who had five or more
drinks in a row within the past two weeks also remained about the
same, 33.0 percent in 1989 and 32.2 percent in 1990.  Although
these daily and binge figures did not show statistically
significant changes this year, they continued to show substantial
declines from their peaks in the early 1980s.  
     The survey also measures seniors' attitudes and beliefs about
drug abuse.  The 1990 survey found significant increases in the
percentage of seniors saying they see "great risk" in trying
cocaine in the crack or powder form.  Since 1987, the first year
data on crack were collected, the proportion seeing great harm in
using crack regularly has increased from 84.6 percent to 91.6
percent.  

     "Young people's earlier attitudes that held that cocaine is a
harmless, socially acceptable drug have changed; their good sense
has turned them toward more healthful lifestyles," Secretary
Sullivan said.

     The survey also includes data on drug use from a followup of
approximately 12,000 graduates from the senior classes of 1976
through 1989.  The followup data show some downward trends among
young adults 19-28 years old.  Annual and current use of illicit
drugs between 1989 and 1990 is down from 32.8 percent to 30.7
percent and 17.7 percent to 15.9 percent.  Annual and current use
of marijuana decreased from 29 percent to 26.1 percent, and 15.5
percent to 13.9 percent.  Annual and current use of cocaine were
also down from 10.8 percent to 8.6 percent and 3.8 percent to 2.4
percent, respectively.

     Followup data on the young adults who are in college show that
lifetime, annual and current cocaine use decreased significantly
between 1989 and 1990.  Lifetime use decreased from 14.6 percent in
1989 to 11.4 percent in 1990; annual use from 8.2 percent to 5.6
percent; and current use from 2.8 percent to 1.2 percent.

     The high school senior survey is designed to measure drug use
among high school seniors and, as such, does not include students
who drop out of school.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse's
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, released last month,
showed that drug use, both current and past year, is higher among
those who have not completed high school.

     Assistant Secretary Mason, who heads the U.S. Public Health
Service, said, "Data from various other NIDA surveys also continue
to show successes in reducing drug use.  There continues to be
concern, however, that certain high-risk populations may be missed. 
We continue to address these concerns in the design of our studies: 
NIDA has increased the sample size of some surveys, increased the
frequency with which the surveys are conducted, and developed
additional studies of populations at high risk or within specific
cities to ensure that no group is left out of the analysis."

     The High School Senior Survey represents the 16th annual
survey sponsored by NIDA and conducted by the University of
Michigan, Institute for Social Research.  The researchers surveyed
15,676 seniors in 137 public and private schools from the
graduating class of 1990.

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