Some Facts Young people who use alcohol and drugs are also more likely to be victims or perpetrators of violence, engage in unplanned and unprotected sex, experience school failure, or be seriously injured from driving or engaging in other risky behavior while impaired. Young people who use tobacco are more likely than others to drink heavily later or use illicit drugs. If we can successfully keep our young people from smoking, we may help prevent other drug use. Fewer young people see harm in using drugs. Yet understanding the harms associated with drug use is one of the greatest deterrents to drug use by youth.
Young people report that it's very easy to get alcohol, tobacco, and most illicit drugs.
Teens who say they have learned a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are half as likely to use marijuana as those who say they learned nothing about drugs from their parents.