War on drugs? Please. This is Seattle. You know how we roll. You don't? According to one recent nationwide survey, we're not the sorts to be high on life.

If you live here, you're among the country's second-most-frequent users of some illicit substance or the other. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health released this month shows that among the 15 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country, Seattle ranks second in drug use. Note that the study considers marijuana an illicit drug, along with the likes of crack and heroin.

Done between 2002 and 2005, the study asks respondents ages 12 and up to report past-month substance (ab)use, and 9.6 percent of us reported that we'd used something naughty. The national average was 8.1 percent. Yup. We get high, then we rob banks (Seattle had the fourth-highest number of bank robberies in the U.S. last year). If you're wondering who out-toked, -smoked, -popped and -snorted us, it was San Francisco, at 12.7 percent.

When it came to drinking and tobacco use, we're a far more demure city. Seattle tied Miami for eighth place. So 21.7 percent of us reported a binge-drinking episode in the past month. And you thought we'd never have anything in common with Floridians. The study defines binge drinking as having five or more drinks on the same occasion -- for example, lunch -- within a couple of hours. We're also eighth for tobacco use at 21.4 percent. Need something to feel smug about? Here it is: At least we don't binge-drink as much as Chicago (25.6 percent) or smoke as much as Detroit (27.4 percent). And if that doesn't make you feel better, there's always happy hour.

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