For Release December 13, 2005

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, will convene a press conference on December 19, 2005 to announce the results of the 2005 Monitoring the Future Survey. The Monitoring the Future Survey, funded by NIDA, tracks illicit drug use and attitudes of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students. It is one of three major surveys through which the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) monitors substance abuse patterns among middle- and high-school students. Information from these surveys helps identify potential drug problem areas among young people, assesses whether Federal drug prevention efforts are effective, and ensures that resources are targeted to areas of greatest need.

Media are invited to attend. For more information or to arrange an interview, call the NIDA Press Office at 301-443-6245.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and further information on NIDA research can be found on the NIDA web site at http://www.drugabuse.gov.