Most teens don’t drink alcohol or use other drugs
It may surprise you that most teens actually do not use nicotine, alcohol, marijuana or other drugs. In fact, according to data from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, numbers are in the single digits among 12-17-year-olds who smoke (2%), drink alcohol (9%) or use marijuana (7%). Research over the past two decades has taught us a lot that we didn’t know before. Using substances as a teen can be harmful and interferes with healthy brain development — especially in the parts of the brain that control memory, learning, judgment and emotions. It also significantly increases the risk of lifetime addiction. Substances today are a lot different than those that you may have encountered as a teen. They are more potent and addictive, and many are marketed in ways that directly appeal to kids. The good news is that there are things you can do to prevent your teen from experimenting with substances or to intervene if they have. The majority of teens say that their parents are the most important influence on their decisions about whether or not to use substances. Get facts about teen substance use >> | 
