Barry Timmerman, coordinator of substance abuse services at The Youth Council in Nashua (New Hampshire), has heard countless stories of first time drug use. He believes that information vital to discussing and preventing teen drug use can be found in these stories.

"The responses from the many hundreds of teens who have chosen to be honest has taught me more about the complexities and reasons behind teen drug use than any other source of information."

Mr. Timmerman shares a composite response to a list of "first time" survey questions. The responses are telling; pointing to hypocrisy among adults, and the melodramatic scare tactics of anti-drug programs, as credibility issues which cause teens to take the issue of drug use lightly. Read more online.