The National Institute on Drug Abuse has released startling information.  The numbers vary by year, and different drugs seem to fall in and out and out of favor with experimental youths, but one thing always stays the same – More teens than not are experimenting with drugs and alcohol.  Almost half of all high school seniors in America have experimented with illegal drugs and about three quarters have tried alcohol.

1. There are 47 million school age kids in America, currently over 27 million of them try drugs and alcohol each year.

2.  More than 60 % of teens stated that drugs were sold, used or kept at their school.

3.  One in every  five teenagers has abused a prescription pain, stimulant or tranquilizer medication.  Approximately 64% of those teens that have abused prescription painkillers have stolen them from friends and relatives.

4.  By the 8^th grade, 52% of teens have consumed alcohol and 20% have used marijuana, by twelfth grade, that number increases to 72% for alcohol and 47% for marijuana. 

5.  In the past few years, methamphetamine use has dramatically increased in teenagers from 12 to 17 years old.  The Internet currently provides hundreds of websites that provide recipes and places to purchase ingredients.