The average age at which heroin users first try the drug has been dropping in the last decade and its popularity has spread from inner-city youths to students at suburban schools, experts say.

• The average age of first-time users declined from 26.4 years in 1990 to 17.6 years in 1997.

• The numbers who use it are still small, however, and teens are still more likely to use alcohol or marijuana.

• The University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research reports that about 2 percent of high school seniors admit having used heroin -- with 2.3 percent of sophomores and eighth graders having tried it.

• It is gaining in popularity because it is easier than ever to find, the price has fallen to about $10 a dose and there are few telltale signs for teachers and parents to pick up on.

Black teenagers in cities have backed away from heroin over the past 10 years because they have seen the devastating effects it has had on their elders -- consequences suburban white teens have not had to confront.

Authorities say the drug is being funneled into the U.S. by Colombian traffickers who undercut Asian suppliers by offering a purer product. Teens who might balk at using needles for delivery can snort the purer product, without leaving needle marks.

Source: Christopher S. Wren, "Face of Heroin: It's Younger and Suburban," New York Times, April 25, 2000.

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