The kids, they grow up quickly these days! One minute they're out blowing bubbles in the yard, and the next you turn around and read a new study from Drugfree.org and the MetLife Foundation about how drug and alcohol use amongst the nation's teenagers is once again headed in the "wrong direction." We are in no place to levy judgment on the many indiscretions of youth, but we are a little surprised to learn that 25 percent of kids have had their first drink by the age of 12, as you can see in the chart above. By the tender age of 15, 62 percent have had their first drink. Teenage ecstacy and marijuana use have increased significantly as well. Check out the full report and decide for yourself whether the kids these days are just having a better time, or more problems than generations in the past.

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Eli Rosenberg