Pot use high among young people in NH

A new national survey shows marijuana use among young people in New Hampshire is on the rise while alcohol use is on the decline.

The Union Leader reports recent rates of marijuana use among Granite State youth have been among the highest in the country, according to the 2009 New Hampshire Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

In that survey, conducted every two years, high school students were asked whether they had smoked pot within the previous 30 days. Since 2003, about 25 to 30 percent have said they had.

At the same time, however, it appears alcohol abuse among New Hampshire teenagers has been on the decline.

"Where actually alcohol use has dropped, marijuana use has either gone up or stayed the same," Jeffrey Metzger, senior analyst with the state Department of Health and Human Services, told the Union Leader.