The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) acknowledges that experimentation with illicit substances is a common during adolescent development, and often occurs without generating long-term detrimental effects. However, for individuals predisposed by genetic and environmental factors to addiction, experimentation often leads to abuse and addiction. These individuals are often members of families in which there is active substance addiction, minimizing the potential for effective parental intervention. It is essential that these adolescents be identified at the earliest stages of addiction, if not before experimentation begins. This may be accomplished through the training of teachers and school counselors in the use of simple assessments and screenings.