A survey shows drug use amongst teenager in the USA has been increasing between 2008 and 2009, worrying federal officials, who find it troubling, even as they call teen substance abuse, a warning sign.

While, the findings of an annual survey showed previous declines in the use of marijuana, alcohol and use of inhalants to have leveled off in the past several years, declines in drug use while also leveling off since 2007, show a trend reversal of less teen substance use by since the late 1990s.

As reported by the Monitoring the Future Survey conducted by the University of Michigan, a third of high school seniors, a quarter of sophomores, and one in eight eighth graders reported marijuana use in the past year.

While, the same as five years ago, about four in 10 high school seniors reported using illegal drugs during the past year.

Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy says, the 2009 Monitoring the Future survey should serve as a warning sign to parents that youthful attitudes and behaviour are continually being eroded.

U. S. adolescents i. e. 43% of high school seniors, 29% of 10th graders, and 16% of 8th graders reporting alcohol to be the most commonly drug, with all of them reporting drinking in the past month.

This is an indication, researchers say of an apparent softening in teens attitudes about the dangers of drinking and using drugs, with 45% of 8th graders perceiving marijuana smoking as potentially harmful, down from 58% in the early 1990s. There is a similar softening of teen attitudes towards drinking.

But, there were a few encouraging signs, such as, cigarette smoking dropping to its lowest level since 1991, amongst among 8th and 12th graders, including a drop in methamphetamine use by all grades, in the past year.

However, high levels of medication abuse amongst teenagers was disturbing, with nearly one in 10 high school seniors reporting taking Vicodin, a narcotic pain killer for recreational use, with one in 20 reporting illegal use of the narcotic OxyContin.