Despite legalization (in one form or another) in many states, marijuana use has declined in a surprising demographic: American high-school students. Data published recently in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence indicate that pot use is significantly lower among high schoolers now than it was 15 years ago. Forty percent of teens polled in 2013 said they had smoked marijuana at least once, compared with 46 percent in 1999.

But before anybody lights up in celebration, it should be noted that the 2013 figure is 3 percent higher than that of reported teen pot use in 2009. More encouraging is the fact that just 3 percent of teens said they had tried methamphetamine in 2013, compared with 9 percent in 1999.

Body of Knowledge

Men and women blink at the same rate, about 10 times per minute, or once every six seconds. Reading and staring cut the rate in half, but when we're tired, we blink more often.

Life in Big Macs

One hour of vacuuming burns 238 calories (based on a 150-pound person), or the equivalent of 0.3 Big Mac — a minuscule number that, frankly, sucks.

Counts

732,000: the number of early deaths in the United States prevented by childhood vaccinations from 1994 to 2013.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Doc Talk

Edentulism: the loss of teeth. Partial edentulism means some teeth are missing; complete edentulism means no natural teeth at all.

Phobia of the Week

Kopophobia: fear of fatigue.

Never Say Diet

The Major League Eating record for matzo balls (baseball-sized) is 21 in 5 minutes, 25 seconds, held by Eric Booker.

Observation

A doctor's reputation is made by the number of eminent men who die under his care." — playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950).

Medical History

This week in 1956, Albert Sabin reported that the oral polio vaccine he had developed was ready for mass testing on an international basis. It was expected to produce long-term, perhaps lifetime, immunity against the dreaded disease. Sabin said a single dose of the new vaccine would produce immunity against all three major strains of poliovirus. The oral vaccine was an alternative to the older injected vaccine developed by Jonas Salk.

Curtain Calls

In 2008, 69-year-old Sonny Graham of Vidalia, Georgia, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was married to Cheryl Cottle, who had previously been married to Terry Cottle, who had also died by suicide. Graham first met Cheryl in 1995 after a lifesaving operation: a heart transplant from Terry.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.