'The best news in this year's report is the significant decline in cigarette smoking, not just because that ultimately is the most deadly drug but also because it confirms that drug abuse is best reduced through sensible public health measures rather than criminal penalties, prosecutions and prisons.'

Tobacco itself is illicit to many high school students, because it is forbidden to anyone under age 18.

The decline in illicit drug use by teens was modest but continued a trend, according to the government's annual study of drug use by eighth, 10th and 12th grade students. Generally, that would entail pupils 13-18 years old.

While teen cigarette smoking fell to its lowest level since the survey began, eighth graders showed in the month before the survey their first increase in smoking since 1996.

Oxycontin Up, Marijuana Declining

The survey of nearly 50,000 teens across the United States found that 21.4 percent of eighth graders had used some illicit drug in their lives, down from 21.5 percent a year earlier. For 10th graders it was 38.2 percent, down from 39.8 percent, and the figure for 12th graders was 50.4 percent, down from 51.1 percent.

Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called that continuing decline "quite remarkable news."

But, she told a briefing where the annual report was made public, abuse of prescription drugs by teens is a growing problem.

Use of the painkiller OxyContin grew from 4.0 percent to 5.5 percent of 12th graders from 2002 to 2005, she said, and their use of Vicodin has been consistently over 9 percent, clocking in at 9.5 percent in 2005.

Only marijuana topped prescription drugs in teen use, she noted, and that has been declining over time. For 2005, 44.8 percent of 12th graders said they had used marijuana at some time in their lives, down 0.9 percentage points from 2004. The total was 34.1 percent for 10th graders, down 1.0 percentage point. The 16.5 percent among eighth graders was up 0.2 percentage point, ending a steady decline since 1996.

Sensible Public Health Measures

Study director Lloyd Johnston of the University of Michigan, noting that eighth graders also had ended their declines in tobacco use, raised a fear that reduced government funding for anti-tobacco messages was taking a toll. The continuing study is called Monitoring the Future.

"The best news in this year's report is the significant decline in cigarette smoking, not just because that ultimately is the most deadly drug but also because it confirms that drug abuse is best reduced through sensible public health measures rather than criminal penalties, prosecutions and prisons," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

Findings of the survey of 49,347 students in 402 public and private schools across the country found:

• Some 75.1 percent of 12th graders have taken alcohol at some time. For 10th graders 63.2 percent have tried a drink, and the figure is 41.0 percent of eighth graders.
• More than half, 57.5 percent, of 12th graders said they had been drunk at some time, compared to 42.1 percent of 10th graders and 19.5 percent of eighth graders, down 0.5 of a percentage point.
• LSD has been tried by 3.5 percent of 12th graders, 2.5 percent in 10th grade and 1.9 percent of eighth graders.
• Among 12th graders, 2.6 percent had tried steroids compared to 2.0 percent in 10th grade and 1.7 percent in eighth grade.