Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, Teens 2002.

The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) is Partnership for a Drug Free America's (PDFA) unique contribution to the field of substance abuse prevention. An annual study that tracks the attitudes consumers have about illegal drugs, this research examines what PDFA's target audiences think and feel about various drugs. After a decade of rising adolescent drug use, the results of the PDFA's annual survey of students in grades 7 through 12 provide a reason to be optimistic about the future. Anti-drug attitudes are strengthening and drug use among teens is declining. PATS found that significantly more teens in 2002 than in 2001 felt there is a "great risk" in trying Ecstasy once or twice and also in using the drug regularly. In 2002 there was an improvement in teens' attitudes and use of marijuana. While overall perceived risk in trial and regular use of marijuana did not change, teens were more likely in 2002 than in 2001 to see specific risks in marijuana use. The study also found the continuation of a decline in past year and past month inhalant abuse. There were significant declines in adolescent use of LSD (2002 versus 2001) and methamphetamine (2002 versus 1998). One-fifth of teens reported abuse of prescription painkillers and about one in ten reported abuse of Ritalin or Adderall without a doctor's prescription. The study also found that compared to 2001 there was a significant increase in media as sources of information about the risks of drugs. (GCP)