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IRON MOUNTAIN -- Thursday, Central Middle School had its first-ever reality tour. Students walked what's known as a "reality tour" showing the possible consequences of using drugs.

Principal Maryann Boddy thought it was important to raise drug awareness to her students, as well as parents, after seeing the recent increase of synthetic marijuana usage in Iron Mountain.

“I think it'll peek awareness for parents and for students about what’s out there as they continue to grow up and go through middle school and high school,” says Maryann.

The reality tour started with a boy pressuring his friends to go with him to a party and take some drugs. Later, parents and children witnessed one youth behind bars for possession while another wound up losing his life.

“The actors that were doing the little skits seemed real…it impacted me,” says seventh grader Megan Pope.

Law enforcement officials say they are increasingly dealing with drugs in the area. Some youngsters are using as early as seventh grade. One in every five eighth graders have tried marijuana and 48 percent of teens use drugs by the end of high school.

Latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control show drugs exceed motor vehicle accidents as a cause of death, killing more than 37,000 people nationwide. The death toll number due to drugs in the last decade has doubled, claiming a life every 14 minutes.

Law enforcement believes the reality tour is a great wake up call of why students should steer away from drugs.

“It allows them to make some informed choices and hopefully responsible choices, and that's the idea behind this:  to educate,” says Sgt. David Irwin of the Iron Mountain Police Department.

Fifty-four students came for the tour. School and community officials hope that this dose of reality helps students make the right choice.