Trends in drug and alcohol use by youth in the U.S.A.

For more than a decade, use of most illicit as well as licit drugs has been declining among U.S. high school students. The top four substances used by high school seniors continue to be alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana/hashish and all other illicit drugs combined. Despite decreases in rates of use and laws prohibiting sale to minors, not only is alcohol drinking widespread among high school seniors, but the dangers of use are not appreciated. In 1992 more than half of seniors used alcohol in the past month; 28 percent reported binge drinking and less than half felt great risk was associated with consuming five or more drinks at least once during a weekend. Drug use among elementary school students has also generally decreased since the late 1980s. Between 1987 and 1990, there was a significant decrease in the perceived use of beer, wine and hard liquor by these students but a less pronounced decrease evident for drinking wine coolers. In 1990 about half of sixth graders indicated "some" or "a lot" of peer pressure to try alcohol. Pressure to try wine coolers increased from 46 to 49 percent between 1987 and 1990 among 4-6 graders, and 29 percent of these children said many of their friends had already tried these substances. For more than half of these young students, the school was the main source of their information about the dangers of alcohol and/or drug use in 1990.