Drugs & Alcohol

Above the Influence

Pressure to Use
There’s a lot of “information” floating around, and even some misinformation. The movies, music, and other media don’t always portray the risks accurately either. With all the hype around drugs and alcohol, you may not realize that most high school students choose not to use.

There is a complicated list of reasons why people try, or abuse drugs and alcohol. Some people do it to change the way they feel; but by drinking or using drugs, they haven’t changed the situation. They’ve only distorted it for a little while. And since many of these substances are depressants, the “escape” isn’t necessarily happy, and can be more unpleasant than not. People who have gone through recovery for substance problems, often say drugs and alcohol ended up isolating them from friends and family, and made them feel more alone.

Remember, no one “plans” to become addicted, and every one of the millions of people with a drug or alcohol dependency started out thinking they had it “under control.” Know the facts and decide for yourself.