Education Key to Reducing Teen Drug Use

Education Key to Reducing Teen Drug Use

Rep. Boozman's Column for the Week of March 29, 2004

Last month, the results of two studies were released showing that more and more teens are just saying no to drugs these days.

The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) reports significant declines in teens using marijuana, Ecstasy, LSD and methamphetamine. It also shows noteworthy declines in cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse among teens.

The PATS data indicated that illegal drug usage among teenagers has declined from 51 percent to in 1998 to 46 percent in 2003. This decline amounts to 1.2 million more teens that are drug-free than five years ago.

In a separate study, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that teen abuse of Ecstasy is down by 25 percent. Between 1999 and 2001, while use of most drugs by teenagers remained stable or trended downward, Ecstasy use surged. What the Partnership found, was that after intense education efforts were undertaken, more teens decided that the risks of using Ecstasy outweighed any perceived benefits. Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, noted that 770,000 fewer teens are using Ecstasy since its peak in 2001.

The results of these studies show that once we arm our children with the facts about drugs, they are far less likely to try them. Teens who took part in the PATS study reported that they saw or heard more anti-drug ads over the past five years. According to the data, teens exposed frequently to these messages are significantly less likely to use certain drugs. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America's study on Ecstasy found similar results for teenagers who were quizzed about anti-drug commercials.

However, we cannot rely solely on these commercials. As the studies found, there is still work to be done. They reported only one of three teenagers learn about the dangers of drugs at home. We must do more as parents to educate our children about how drugs ruin lives.

The studies show that education is key. The more kids are aware of the dangers of drugs, the more likely they are to stay away from them.

We have made significant progress in reducing youth drug use and these studies show that teens are getting the right message about drugs. We must build on these recent successes and continue to focus on educating our children about the dangers of drugs. Education is our most powerful weapon in the War on Drugs, and we can only win if we teach our children the facts about illegal drugs.