September 7, 2006 -- SAMHSA Cites ‘Fundamental Shift’ in Teen Drug Use Current illicit drug use by young people 12 to 17 years old is continuing to decline, representing “a fundamental shift in drug use among young people,” according to the acting deputy director of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Citing data from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showing a decline from 11.6 percent of the age group using drugs in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2005, officials suggested that teens may be getting the message that drug use damages their futures and may be “turning away from destructive patterns that damaged previous generations.” If so, teens aren’t getting much encouragement from the baby boom generation—SAMHSA noted that among adults aged 50 to 59, the rate of current illicit drug use increased from 2.7 percent to 4.4 percent between 2002 and 2005. The statistics were released by SAMHSA today as part of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, a national campaign to persuade people to seek help with drug addiction.
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