Teens and Drug Abuse

One weekend, Rachel was at her boyfriend Eric's house. He had invited several friends to come over while his parents were away. When the friends arrived, Rachel noticed that all of them had been drinking. They had also brought some beer with them to Eric's house. Soon Rachel and Eric were drinking, too.

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That night, after Rachel had had several beers, she saw Eric's friend Paul passing around some pills he called red devils. Eric had already taken a few and was sitting silently on the floor, looking like he was only half-awake. Paul offered some red devils to Rachel. Even though Rachel wasn't sure what they were, or what they would do, she swallowed the pills. After all, she didn't want to appear to be antisocial or judgmental.

The next day at school, Rachel saw her friend Carla, who had also been at Eric's party. “How are you feeling?” Carla asked. “When I left Eric's house, you looked a little sick.”

“Well, I really felt awful this morning,” Rachel replied. “But what's worse is what happened later last night. By the time everyone else had gone, Eric and I weren't thinking very clearly. We had sex, but we were so careless that we forgot to use protection. Now I'm really scared. I don't know what I'll do if I'm pregnant.”

Teen drug abuse is a growing problem. Teenagers are encountering drugs at younger ages than ever before. It is difficult to cope with all the changes that are happening to your body and in your life. Making the right decision about drugs or sex is not always easy. But knowing what is right for you and how to say no if something makes you uncomfortable is an important skill everyone needs to learn. It not only helps you develop into a strong, confident person, but it can save you a lot of trouble in your life.

Teens start using drugs for various reasons. Whether it is because you feel unsure of yourself and look to drugs for confidence, or you're curious and want to rebel, taking a drug is not the answer to any problem.