Spike Recorded in Juvenile Drug Arrests

The number of juveniles charged with drug-related crimes across the country has more than doubled since the beginning of the decade, even though the nation’s overall crime rate continues to fall. Police have encountered growing numbers of youths who are possessing, manufacturing or selling illegal drugs, particularly marijuana. The number of arrests jumped from 64,740 in 1990 to 147,107 by 1995, recently released FBI crime statistics show. The escalating number appears to be directly linked to the increase in drug use among youths. An annual nationwide survey by the University of Michigan recently showed that the use of illegal drugs, particularly marijuana, increased again last year among U.S. schoolchildren.