Gateway Drugs
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), by the time kids are in the 12th grade:
- Nearly half of them have tried marijuana
- Over half of them have tried cigarettes, and
- Over three-quarters of them have tried alcohol.
Marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol are the “gateway drugs” of our society today. When young people experiment with cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, it often opens doors or “gateways” to stronger, more dangerous drugs and to risky situations where these drugs are readily available.
Because of their accessibility, gateway drugs are often introduced to young people by their older siblings, peers and even some parents. Regardless of the source, one point is clear – when a person tries one drug, statistics show that he/she will try another drug, and that the other drug will be stronger, more powerful and more addictive than the last.
