I grew up in the "pre-drug" '50s and '60s...still I knew kids who got high sniffing gasoline or glue. One kid in high school was hanging with friends on the beach, they were shooting hair spray into a plastic bag and huffing it. He took a big lungful, said "God, this stuff hits you quick" sprinted down the beach and fell down dead.

I think that some kids, boys in particular, are strongly drawn to excitement, rebellion, and it's hard to make specific connections to their parents or families, who for the most part are doing their best. The kind of drugs that your son can easily get were simply not available to kids of my generation, and the after affects of glue, gas, or hairspray were so painful that most kids moved on. The drugs available today are so much more insidious.

Hard as a parent not to blame yourself for the trials of your kids, they are individuals and chart their own courses however. Sadly for boys, there just aren't many viable wild, adventurous, challenging paths to take today, paths that scratch the adventure itch without addiction consequences. Be kind to yourself.