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11 Facts About Teens And Drug Use

More teens die from prescription drugs than heroin/cocaine combined.
More than 60 percent of teens said that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school.
1 in 9 high school seniors has tried Spice/K2 (synthetic marijuana).
- And 1.3 percent of seniors have used bath salts – which is incredibly disturbing given its adverse side effects.
Young people who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never drink.
About 64 percent of teens surveyed who have abused pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives.
In 2012, 15 percent of high school seniors used prescription drugs. However, 35 percent feel regular use is risky.
Around 28 percent of teens know a friend or classmate who has used ecstasy, with 17 percent knowing more than one user.
Adderall use (often prescribed to treat ADHD) has increased among high school seniors from 5.4 percent in 2009 to 7.6 percent.
- Only 35 percent of 12th graders believe that using Adderall occasionally is risky.
By the 8th grade, 29.5 percent of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 15.5 percent have smoked cigarettes, and 15 percent have used marijuana.
Teens whose parents talk to them regularly about the dangers of drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don't. However, only a quarter of teens report having these conversations.
6.5 percent of high school seniors smoke daily, up from 5.1 percent five years ago. Meanwhile, only 20.6 percent of 12th graders think occasional use is harmful, while 44 percent see regular use as harmful (lowest numbers since 1983).