FINDINGS

Teen Drug Use Down; Adult Drug Use Up

Youngsters are using fewer illegal drugs, but new data show a rise in use among older adults, perhaps because a few aging baby boomers have clung to their youthful ways, the government reported Thursday.

Just 6.8 percent of teenagers ages 12 to 17 said they had used marijuana in the past month in 2005, down from 8.2 percent in 2002, according to the annual survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Overall illicit drug use by teens also fell, from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2005.

Illegal use of alcohol also fell among teens, with 16.5 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds saying they were drinkers and 9.9 percent reporting binge drinking -- having five or more drinks in a row. Both are down more than a full percentage point from 2004.

Among adults ages 50 to 59, however, the rate of illicit drug use increased from 2.7 percent in 2002 to 4.4 percent in 2005.

Overall drug use barely changed among Americans age 12 and older. About 19.7 million Americans, or 8.1 percent, reported that they had used an illicit drug in the past month in 2005, a rise from 7.9 percent in 2004.

189 Mutant Genes Linked to 2 Cancers

Scientists mapping the genetics of two of the nation's most common cancers have found almost 200 mutated genes in breast and colorectal tumors, many of them never before suspected of helping cancer form and spread.

Doctors have long known that it takes a cascade of genetic flaws to trigger any of the myriad types of cancer. Which genes are working improperly also determines if a malignancy is especially aggressive and whether a particular treatment is likely to work.

Finding those genes-run-amok could lead to better treatments and even ways to prevent tumors.

On Thursday, scientists at Johns Hopkins University reported the first big success: They examined more than 13,000 genes in 11 different breast tumors and 11 colorectal cancers. They found 189 mutated genes that seem to play a role in those two cancers.

The number of potential culprits was surprising; researchers had expected to find just a few.

-- From News Services