Statement from Director Kerlikowske on Concerning Rise

“The increases in youth drug use reflected in the Monitoring the Future Study are disappointing. And mixed messages about drug legalization, particularly marijuana legalization, may be to blame. Such messages certainly don’t help parents who are trying to prevent young people from using drugs. The Obama Administration is aggressively addressing the threat of drug use and its consequences through a balanced and comprehensive drug control strategy, but we need parents and other interested adults as full partners in teaching young people about the risks and harms associated with drug use, including marijuana and prescription drugs. No young person in today’s competitive world is going to be helped by using marijuana or other drugs. And youth are less likely to use drugs if they have involved adults who set clear rules and communicate that drug use is unacceptable.”

For more information, read the Monitoring the Future fact sheet or visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s website.