Substance_Use_Among_America’s_Youth

Substance Use Among America’s Youth Beyond question, the U.S. faces an epidemic of underage and illegal substance use. In 1997, more than 54 percent of U.S. high school seniors had used an illegal drug at least once, as had more than 29 percent of eighth graders. Among adolescents ages 12 to 17, the average ages of first use of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin were 13.7, 14.7, and 14.4 years, respectively. Youth tobacco smoking rates are higher now than at any time in the past 17 years. Two-thirds of U.S. high school students have tried cigarettes and more than one-third currently smoke. Every day another 3,000 American children and teenagers become regular smokers. Alcohol consumption among adolescents remains at unacceptably high levels. More than 80 percent of U.S. high school students have tried alcohol; in 1997, more than 31 percent of 12th graders, 25 percent of 10th graders, and 14 percent of 8th graders claimed to have consumed five or more alcoholic drinks in the preceding 2 weeks. Perhaps most disturbing, among 12- to 17-year-olds who exhibit no other problem behaviors, those who have used marijuana, alcohol, or cigarettes in the past month are 17 times more likely to consume illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, or music, percent, ftc, station, song, report, industry, fcc, one, under, kboo, agency, high, week, violent, underage, radio, playing, least, graders, federal, doing, been, become, audience, among, age, against, youth, viewers, tobacco, time, teenagers, sexual