Top 10 Drugs Abused by High School Seniors

Thousands of metro Atlanta high school seniors are celebrating their graduations over the next few weeks. But what should be a joyous time for many could be overshadowed by the ominous specter of drug abuse.

A new survey by HealthGrove.com lists the most popular drugs being abused by American high school seniors over the past several years.

Though the National Institutes of Health’s Monitoring the Future survey shows alcohol, cigarette and illicit drug abuse by high schoolers has declined over the last 20 years, marijuana use remains high. As of 2014, nearly 34 percent of high school seniors had said they used marijuana in the past year.

Also, many high schoolers still abuse prescription drugs such as Adderall and Vicodin.

By senior year, 70 percent of high schoolers have tried alcohol, 50 percent have tried illegal drugs, 40 percent have smoked a cigarette and approximately 20 percent will have used a prescription drug for a non-medical purpose, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Here are the top 10 drugs that high schoolers abuse most:

No. 1 -- Marijuana

No. 2 -- Amphetamines

No. 3 -- Adderall

No. 4 -- Synthetic Marijuana

No. 5 --Tranquilizers

No. 6 --Cough Medicine

No. 7 -- Vicodin

No. 8 -- Hallucinogens

No. 9 -- OxyContin

No. 10 -- MDMA (Ecstasy)

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