Are ‘legal drugs’ as dangerous for teens as illegal drugs?
Legal substances are no safer than illegal substances. For example, smoking cigarettes is legal (for adults). Yet smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Canada. Tobacco is also linked to risky behaviour. Teens who smoke are more likely than other teens to experiment with alcohol, cannabis (marijuana), ecstasy and many other substances. Young smokers are also far more likely to engage in risky behaviours such as getting drunk or having unprotected sex.
