D.A.R.E. America Worldwide . A gateway drug is a drug that opens the door to the use of other, harder drugs.
Gateway drugs are typically inexpensive and readily available.
This chapter focuses on alcohol and tobacco, while Chapters 8 and 9 focus on marijuana and inhalants. While there is no guarantee that a youngster will make the leap from gateway drugs to far more toxic and dangerous drugs such as methamphetamines, cocaine, or heroin, research suggests that in the majority of the cases they will not. Keeping children free and clear of the gateway substances for as long as possible is your mission. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Education, Tobacco use is associated with alcohol and illicit drug use and is generally the first drug used by young people who enter a sequence of drug use that can include tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and harder drugs. The U.S. Department of Education echoes the CDC findings.