The increase continues a trend of rising drug use by teenagers that began in 1991. The survey, federally funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is led by Lloyd D. Johnston of the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. The rise in adolescent drug use was led by a continued increase in marijuana use.
Alcohol is still much more widely used by teenagers than illegal drugs.
Cigarette smoking also increaed for the fifth consecutive year. Myers contends that this underscores the importance of the Clinton administration's efforts to have the FDA regulate tobacco marketing allegedly aimed at minors. Some drug use has leveled off or even declined. Alcohol use rose slightly among 8th graders, but leveled off for 10th and 12th graders. Even with the steady increase since 1991, the numbers remain far lower than peaks in the late 1970s and early 1980s.