Teen Pot, Booze Use Rises

Alcohol and marijuana use among teens is on the rise, ending a decade-long decline. The number of high school students who reported drinking recently rose from 35% in 2008 to 39% last year, says an annual survey out today from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. For pot, the number rose from 19% to 25%.

Until last year, those measures for pot and alcohol use had been in steady decline since 1998, when use hovered around 50% for alcohol and 27% for pot. The study also found use of the party drug Ecstasy on the rise. About 6% of teens said they used it in the past month, up from 4% in 2008. (More marijuana stories.)