But according to a survey released yesterday of almost 4,000 students, many have tried marijuana at least once, and a majority have had at least one alcoholic beverage in the past month.
The numbers come from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted this spring by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The survey asked 3,933 high-school students between the ages of 12 and 21 questions about smoking, drug use, sex, physical activity and dietary habits.
Out of 80 questions, Michigan teens had answers that were similar to the last survey's 1995 national results on 75 items.
For example, a large majority of students said they had tried cigarette smoking, had at least one drink of alcohol and talked with their parents about AIDS or HIV infection.
The survey suggests that students are concerned about their health, but still take part in a few risky activities, especially smoking and drinking.
About 82 percent said they had tried alcohol, while 75 percent said they had tried cigarette smoking.
Thirty-two percent said they had drank five or more drinks in a row in the past month; 48 percent said they had tried marijuana at least once in their life.
On the safe side, 19 percent said they rarely or never wore a seat belt. And 56 percent of Michigan students had exercised to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight in the past month.
Almost half said they had had sex, and among students who had sex in the past three months, 58 percent said they used a condom.
Lindy Miller, a junior at Holt High School, said her peers have a lot of information about the choices they make, whether to exercise or smoke.
"There are a lot of programs that do a lot of things to advertise what can happen to you," she said. But "a lot of people are curious, and it's just an age of experimenting."
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