Adolescent drug use continues to be a major public health problem in the United States and globally. Although countless youth engage in problem behaviors such as delinquency and truancy, participation in some of these risky behaviors decreases with age. However, the trend is reverse for adolescent drug use. Drug use initiated during adolescence may continue into adulthood (Kandel and Chen 2000) and could lead to more serious drug behaviors, such as mild, moderate, or severe substance use disorder (Kandel 1980). These trends, among others, suggest a greater understanding of adolescent drug use is needed. To further the understanding of adolescent drug use, this essay begins with offering definitions of drug use and is followed by a discussion on gateway drugs, since adolescent drug use

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