While teenage use of drugs and alcohol declined from 1998 to 2008, the use of ecstasy and marijuana has risen.
And attitudes to drinking have become more relaxed among young people.
One in four teens smoked marijuana between 2008 and 2010 - an increase of seven per cent. While the use of ecstasy in the past year had risen from six to 10 per cent.
In 2010 , the use of meth held at five per cent and cocaine/crack was at nine per cent. Teen use of heroin remained low at four per cent.
The report by the Partnership at Drugfree.org - the 22nd in an annual series - based its findings on a survey of around 2,500 high school students.
It found a marked change in how teenagers view drinking among their peer group - even heavy drinking - believing it is less risky than using other substances.
The new data revealed six in ten teens had their first full alcoholic drink by 15. Almost 50 per cent did not view heavy drinking as a 'great risk.'
But 31 per cent strongly disapproved of their peers getting drunk. Some claimed they drank to deal with pressures in the classroom.
The survey also found that parents feel unprepared to respond to underage drinking by their children.
Almost a third felt “there is very little parents can do to prevent their kids from trying alcohol.”
One in three teens (32 per cent) believed their parents would accept them drinking beer once in a while, yet only one in ten parents agreed with teens drinking beer at a party.
'These findings should serve as a call to action for parents,' said Dennis White, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation, sponsors of the research.
'We encourage parents and caregivers to pay attention to the warning signs of teen drinking and other drug use, in order to intervene early and effectively.
'If you suspect a problem, do not wait to get help for a child who is struggling with substance abuse or addiction.'
Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Partnership, said: 'We are troubled, but not completely surprised, by these numbers.
'In schools and communities across the country, support for drug education and prevention programs has been cut drastically due to budgetary pressures.'
'As teen drug and alcohol use take a turn for the worse, a heavier burden is placed squarely on the shoulders of parents.'
He said parents needed to take an active role in preventing substance abuse in their families and act if they suspect their child had developed a problem with drugs or drinking.
Sean Clarkin, director of strategy for the Partnership, claimed the normalization of drug use in social media, the proliferation and discussion of medical marijuana, and budget cuts contributed to the rise of substance use and abuse.
There are very high levels of kids reporting that they are using drugs and alcohol to deal with stress,' he said.
Abuse among teens of prescription medicines found one in four teens reported taking a drug not prescribed to them by a doctor at least once in their lives,
More than one in five teens used a prescription pain reliever not prescribed to them by a doctor.
Teen use of over-the-counter cough medicine in the past year remained at roughly one in ten (11 per cent).
Inhalant abuse remained at 10 per cent, yet only 60 per cent of teens strongly agreed that 'sniffing or huffing things to get high can kill you.'
Teen smoking rates have remained stable with 27 per cent of teens reporting smoking cigarettes in the past month.
CANNABIS USE BY TEENS GROWING
Over the past three years, 2010 has shown the most increase in marijuana use, according to federal health officials.
Dr Nora Volkow,director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said that they have been able to see a 10 per cent increase in the use of cannabis over 2009.
Statistics show that one in every 16 high school seniors confessed to smoking marijuana every day.
Three per cent of 10th grade students and one per cent of 8th grade students revealed they smoke marijuana for at least four days in a week.
Twenty-four per cent of teens admitted they have used marijuana in the past year. This increased from the 21.5 per cent three years ago.
Dr Volkow, blamed the relaxed attitudes of teens and the widespread advertisement of medical marijuana on the increase in cannabis use.
She said the debates over medical marijuana may have led to the perception by youngsters that the drug is actually 'beneficial not detrimental.'
According to Lloyd Johnston, a researcher at the University of Michigan, the rising use of marijuana had always been predictable because teens nowadays are seeing marijuana as less risky.
Johnston is the researcher who runs the surveys for the federal government. He said: 'This is something we saw coming and we think will keep coming.'
DANGERS OF DRINK ON YOUNG STUDENTS
A study of fifth and sixth-grade students found that those who were aware of beer ads held more favourable beliefs about alcohol and intended to drink more frequently when they grew up.
Another study of Midwestern states found 46 per cent of ninth graders who reported drinking in the previous month said they obtained the alcohol from a person aged 21 or older.
Among eighth graders, higher truancy rates were associated with greater rates of alcohol use in the past month.
One national study found that students are less likely to use alcohol if they are socially accepted by people at school and feel teachers treat students fairly.
In a survey of seventh to twelfth-grade teachers, 76 per cent felt that adolescent alcohol abuse and/or teenage alcoholism were serious or somewhat serious problems.
More than nine in 10 Americans were concerned about underage drinking with a a majority supporting stricter controls on alcohol sales, advertising, and promotion.
Teens under 15 who had consumed alcohol were twice as likely to have sex as those who have not.
Nearly four in 10 (39%) sexually active teens who used alcohol had sexual intercourse with four or more partners.
Adolescent alcohol abuse and teenage alcoholism costs the U.S. more than $58 billion every year - enough to buy every public school student a computer.
source: www.dailymail.co.uk
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