The latest report from The Partnership at Drugfree has shown that use of alcohol, marijuana, and ecstasy has been on an upward climb for teenagers in between the 9th and 12th grade. The statistics have shown that 68% of teenagers admitted to trying alcohol, and one-fourth of those had tried it before the age of 12. The average age for first-time use was 14. Close to a majority of the teens questioned – 45% of them – did not see the action of drinking to be harmful.
Over 2,500 teens were questioned from March to June last year through anonymous questionnaires that had been passed out over the span of those months. The study has also indicated that 25% of teenagers have smoked marijuana at least once in the year, and that ecstasy use have been rising. 6% of teens admitted to trying it in the last month alone.