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Donald E. Greydanus, MD

JAMA. 1989;261(1):99-100.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

In reviewing the current substance abuse literature, it becomes evident that our children are using drugs at an alarmingly high rate.¹ Illicit drugs are being used at earlier ages and by more youths than ever before. Of the 23 million individuals in the United States aged 12 through 17 years, 3.5 million use tobacco products (mostly cigarettes), nearly 3 million smoke marijuana, 1 million use various stimulants, and 6 million consume alcohol.¹ The legal "gateway" drug, tobacco, is used daily by more youths than any other drug: 20% of adolescent girls and 16% of boys smoke cigarettes daily, and 12% smoke over half a pack per day.

The numerous negative health consequences of tobacco are well known, yet our youths continue to be seduced into tobacco addiction, and our society, incredibly, tolerates this massive, potentially suicidal behavior. We allow a multibillion-dollar advertising campaign to flourish, fueled by the . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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Des Moines

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