Substance abuse prevention for youth is an important priority for communities and families, because addiction is a disease with its roots in adolescence.

Did you know that 9 out of 10 Americans who meet the medical criteria for addiction^** started smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18, according to a national study released by CASAColumbia (CASA^*) at Columbia University?

Learn more about why you should care about this issue and why some researchers believe teen substance use is the nation’s #1 public health problem.