Thousands of youths use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs for the first time each day in the United States, according to a recent analysis of data from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

On an average day in the past year, 7,970 youths ages 12 to 17 drank alcohol for the first time and 4,082 smoked cigarettes.

More than 4,300 youths per day used at least one kind of illicit drug for the first time, primarily marijuana and pain relievers used nonmedically. The substances with the lowest number of initiates on an average day were methamphetamine and heroin.

A copy of the report, which also describes average daily substance use prevalence and treatment admissions by youth, is available online at www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/youthFacts/youth.cfm.

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