Page 28 - aruba-today-20181218

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 18 december 2018
Most teen drug use is down, but officials fret vaping boom

By MIKE STOBBE LSD, ecstasy, heroin and
NEW YORK (AP) — Twice as opioid pills all declined.
many high school students Experts say it's not clear
used nicotine-tinged elec- what's behind those trends,
tronic cigarettes this year especially since the nation
compared with last year, is in the midst of the deadli-
an unprecedented jump est drug overdose epidem-
in a large annual survey of ic ever.
teen smoking, drinking and "What is it that we're do-
drug use. ing right with teenag-
It was the largest single- ers that we're not doing
year increase in the sur- with adults?" said Dr. Nora
vey's 44-year history, far sur- Volkow, director of the
passing a mid-1970s surge National Institute on Drug
in marijuana smoking. Abuse, a federal agency
The findings, released Mon- that funds the Michigan
day, echo those of a gov- study.
ernment survey earlier this One leading theory is that
year. That survey also found kids today are staying
a dramatic rise in vap- home and communicating
ing among children and on smartphones rather than
prompted federal regula- hanging out and smoking,
tors to press for measures In this April 11, 2018 file photo, a high school student uses a vaping device near a school campus drinking or trying drugs.
that make it harder for kids in Cambridge, Mass. "Drug experimentation is
to get them. Associated Press a group activity," Volkow
Experts attribute the jump said. What about vaping?
to newer versions of e-cig- ever. They can do it in class are based on responses the past year. It was more "Vaping mostly is an indi-
arettes, like those by Juul if they're sneaky about it," from about 45,000 students common in older kids — vidual activity," said David
Labs Inc. that resemble she said. in grades 8, 10 and 12 in about 1 in 17 high school Jernigan, a Boston Univer-
computer flash drives and Olivia Turman, a freshman schools across the country. seniors said they use mari- sity researcher who tracks
can be used discreetly. at Cabell Midland High It found 1 in 5 high school juana every day. alcohol use.
Trina Hale, a junior at South School in Ona, West Vir- seniors reported having Overall, marijuana smoking The vaping explosion is a big
Charleston High School in ginia, said she too has seen vaped nicotine in the pre- is about the same level as worry, however. Health offi-
West Virginia, said vaping kids "hit their vape in class." vious month. it was the past few years. cials say nicotine is harmful
— specifically Juul — ex- The federally funded sur- After vaping and alcohol, Vaping of marijuana rose, to developing brains. Some
ploded at her school this vey released Monday is the most common thing however. researchers also believe
year. conducted by University of teens use is marijuana, the More teens, however, are vaping will make kids more
"They can put it in their Michigan researchers and survey found. About 1 in 4 saying no to lots of other likely to take up cigarettes,
sleeve or their pocket. They has been operating since students said they'd used substances. Usage of al- and perhaps later try other
can do it wherever, when- 1975. This year's findings marijuana at least once in cohol, cigarettes, cocaine, drugs.q

Farout: Scientists spot solar

system's farthest known object

By MARCIA DUNN Scott Sheppard said the (500 kilometers) across and
AP Aerospace Writer object is so far away and believed to be round. Its
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. moving so slowly it will take pink shade indicates an
(AP) — Astronomers have a few years to determine ice-rich object. Little else is
spotted the farthest known its orbit. At that distance, it known.
object in our solar system could take more than 1,000 The discovery came about
— and they've nicknamed years to orbit the sun. as the astronomers were
the pink cosmic body Sheppard and his team searching for the hypo-
This image provided by the Carnegie Institution for Science "Farout." spied the dwarf planet in thetical Planet X, a massive
shows an artist's concept of a dwarf planet that astronomers say The International Astro- November using a tele- planet believed by some
is the farthest known object in our solar system, which they have nomical Union's Minor Plan- scope in Hawaii. Their find- to be orbiting the sun from
nicknamed "Farout." et Center announced the ing was confirmed by a vast distances, well beyond
Associated Press discovery Monday. telescope in Chile. Pluto.q
"Farout" is about 120 as- "I actually uttered "farout"
tronomical units away when I first found this ob-
— that's 120 times the dis- ject, because I immedi-
tance between Earth and ately noticed from its slow
the sun, or 11 billion miles. movement that it must be
The previous record-holder far out there," Sheppard
was the dwarf planet Eris at wrote in an email. "It is the
96 astronomical units. Pluto, slowest moving object I
by comparison, is 34 astro- have ever seen and is re-
nomical units away. ally out there."
The Carnegie Institution's It is an estimated 310 miles