I don't know, something about this story is really strange.

The Associated Press:

The government reported Thursday that 4.4 percent of baby boomers ages 50 to 59 indicated that they had used illicit drugs in the past month. It marks the third consecutive yearly increase recorded for that age group by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Meanwhile, illicit drug use among young teens went down for the third consecutive year - from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2005.

I'm just not sure I get this, is all: illicit drug use among fiftysomethings is up to 4.4 percent and among teens is down to 9.9 percent, and this is a cause for what? Joy? Alarm (Geezers Gone Wild!)?

The AP writer - or maybe the Office of National Drug Control Policy (what? is it an election year?) - seems to find this encouraging, but it still leaves 10 percent of the kids zonked. Doesn't it?

And what's with the more good news (apparently) buried near the end of the article that alcohol use among 12 to 17-year olds has dropped to 16.5 percent? Dropped? Twelve?

is this an election year, did I ask? Is the AP running for something? Did this wonderful news come from http://www.whitehouse.gov?

Oh. It did?