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Younger Kids Trying Drugs, Alcohol 

"We know we can treat addiction or the use of drugs and alcohol with the same effectiveness that we treat many other chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease," says Dr. Michael McGinnis, senior vice president and director of the foundation's health group. "And yet the fact is that we miss virtually no opportunities to treat these other diseases, but we miss nearly 80 percent of the opportunities to treat substance abuse."

Horgan says the report "is basically a synthesis of hundreds of different research findings. What is unique I think, is that it tries to tell the story of how substance abuse is the nation's No. 1 treatable health problem." . .

In 2000, 52 percent of eighth graders had tried alcohol, 41 percent had smoked cigarettes and 20 percent had used pot. "The younger use begins, the more likely the users are to have substance abuse problems later in life, especially if the use begins before age 15," Horgan says.

The media continues to manipulate cultural views about drugs and alcohol.

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