WHY do Teens give in...

[macygray]

So...I go to the park here quite a lot and my all my friends smoke. I do not and have been offered many times. I would illegally be allowed to smoke but only about half of them CAN.

Anyway - I dont find it difficult to say NO. I stick to that. I don't want yellow teeth, bad skin and whatnot. I certainly do not want to end up dying of Lung Cancer or whatever else will be discovered by then. (It has been said that smoking doesn't always cause lung cancer but I prefer to think so, sorry guys. Just in my mind )

Here, they smoke and don't really drink at all. In Ireland they drink more than they smoke not that they don't smoke a lot. Teens I am on about, too! I just seen pictures of my irish friend (15) and what she has been getting up to recently - DRINKING. I am absolutely annoyed. She would have been the last person I would have thought to have given in. She is still a great friend hence the drink though, don't get me wrong.

SO - You were all teenagers at one time, did you give in to the smoke/drink offers? And if so WHY? It sure gets me. Sigh.

My rant. :yuck:

 

[alli713]

Well good for you Mae for standing up for yourself. That shows a lot of maturity.

I was not one to drink. I still don't even now at 22. I've never understood what's the fun in getting to a point where you get sick and act stupidly? I just have more important things to do with my life, sorry.

And as for smoking, I think it's disgusting. I don't want to put smoke and chemicals in my lungs, no thanks.

I think it's great that you're able to stand up for yourself and say no. If your friend is still a good friend, perhaps you can talk to her about it.

 

[gella]

I was against smoking/drugs/drinking in highschool, and now that has extended to any chemical/foreign/altering substance (including most medicines, unless of course absolutely necessary). A lot of my friends shared this view until they hit 21 and could legally drink, and now they are bordering on alcoholics. I just don't get the appeal of any of it. I will have alcohol every now and again, but never with the fervor that comes with it being 'risky' or illegal that seems to be the norm for teen/early college years.

 

[pricklesnquills]

I am a teen myself. Truthfully, I would never smoke or drink even IF I was aloud to and if it was legal. I just think both habits are disgusting and not one bit of me is interested in that. I'm generally stubborn and not really bothered by any peer pressure. Although I have never been offered either and I don't think I ever will, I do not have a hard time standing up to my beliefs.

That's really sad the your friends are into that. I'm sorry that you have to deal with it

 

[Megan]

I don't know why some people give in. They just do, I guess.

Throughout highschool MANY of my friends were into partying all the time, drugs, smoking etc. I never got into it. Don't get me wrong- I went to a few parties, and drank. However I never got into the drugs. Nor do I smoke- I've done it a few times here and there while drinking, but thats it.

I can say no, and have many many times when offered drugs. Just wasn't my thing. Don't know why my friends did it, still do it etc. I guess its "their thing". Doesn't make them a horrible person..many of the people I know who have done drugs are still amazing people.

 

[pricklesnquills]

I don't know why some people give in. They just do, I guess.

Throughout highschool MANY of my friends were into partying all the time, drugs, smoking etc. I never got into it. Don't get me wrong- I went to a few parties, and drank. However I never got into the drugs. Nor do I smoke- I've done it a few times here and there while drinking, but thats it.

I can say no, and have many many times when offered drugs. Just wasn't my thing. Don't know why my friends did it, still do it etc. I guess its "their thing". Doesn't make them a horrible person..many of the people I know who have done drugs are still amazing people.

I think there is the problem. There was a very good chance that you could have tried it and been very attracted and addicted to it.

It's a whole lot easier to say no before you try something addictive like that. Your friends just had more of an addiction to it and you should be very thankful that it wasn't 'your thing'

My point being here though, is that lots of teens think 'it won't hurt to try' and that 'they can always say no later', but that's not always the case, more often then no, they can't say 'no' later......

 

[Courtney]

As a teenager (I’m not far from there), I was continuously offered alcohol, cigarettes and various drugs. I always turned them down because, honestly, they can ruin your life. I’ve seen what drugs can do to a person, and I’ve watched my mother struggle to quit smoking. It just doesn’t appeal to me, and I’d rather save myself the hassle of quitting by not starting in the first place.

In my high school, I guess I was the minority. People actually knew me as “the girl who doesn’t do anything fun” simply because I was the only completely sober one at a party. I was asked many times how I managed to have as much fun as I did, which I found very sad. It’s unfortunate that so many people think they can’t have fun at a party without drinking, smoking or getting high.

Good for you, Mae. My dad always told me that if a person can get through junior high and high school without trying cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, they’re usually set for life. If they can establish the strength to say no to that in the formative years, they can usually continue along that path into their adult years.

 

[macygray]

I was thinking that maybe its like a weakness or something Lack of something and they try to replace it with Smoking/Drinking to bring them back up. Does anyone get me?
Because if you can't say no to something like that then...That ain't too good!

 

[mapache315]

Well, I don't think anyone can actually connect with you about the smoking issue Mae because in Spain it's 1000 x worse than in the U.S. I've seen groups of regular smokers....that were in 6th grade.

If I got offers it wasn't do this to be cool, it was a friendly gesture and didn't really happen until I worked at camp/went to college.

 

[pricklesnquills]

I was thinking that maybe its like a weakness or something Lack of something and they try to replace it with Smoking/Drinking to bring them back up. Does anyone get me?
Because if you can't say no to something like that then...That ain't too good!

It's a lack of self confidence. A lack of self esteem. Basically, they feel like they need to do it in order to be liked or popular. They wouldn't admit to it and it probably doesn't appear that way, but that's what I think.

 

[Peep_erz]

I was against smoking/drugs/drinking in highschool, and now that has extended to any chemical/foreign/altering substance (including most medicines, unless of course absolutely necessary). A lot of my friends shared this view until they hit 21 and could legally drink, and now they are bordering on alcoholics. I just don't get the appeal of any of it. I will have alcohol every now and again, but never with the fervor that comes with it being 'risky' or illegal that seems to be the norm for teen/early college years.

I am in the exact same boat as you. I am now having a hard time respecting my friends because the switched views once they were legal.

 

[pinkdaisy]

Theres lots of reasons. Some people want to be cool, other people just tend to do whatever their friends are doing to fit in. Other people drink and smoke as outlets for stress or depression or to just forget whats going on in their life. I'm not going to completely disregard someone for the occasional beer or cigarette, because I think its almost a "normal" teenaged thing to experiment. But its when it starts taking over someone's whole life and diminishes their ability to focus on things like their school work and friends, or they can't have fun without alcohol or drugs that I lose respect for them.

 

[Dolyphinm]

Good for you, Mae. My dad always told me that if a person can get through junior high and high school without trying cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, they’re usually set for life. If they can establish the strength to say no to that in the formative years, they can usually continue along that path into their adult years.

Courtney I saw many a people who didn't do that UNTIL college....but then again you are in Canada and I am not sure what the drinking age in your province is. I think if you make it until you are 21 (in the states) you are usually better off, but I have also seen people go off the deep end after becoming legal drinkers.

Mae I am a 23 year old who has never had a sip of alcohol nor smoked a thing or done any form of drugs unless caffeine is being included...college can turn lots of people into caffeine users.

I know your pain. I watched it happen to my friends. I was also the girl at parties in college being asked by people how do I have fun. That or how do I deal with all the drunk people because if they were sober they would want to punch everyone. I have people still determined to get me to drink. Not going to happen. I saw my Dad having some issues with it while growing up and also have seen the black gunk he coughs up in the morning from smoking cigars all the time.

This is something its wonderful to be stubborn about. I am the person the more you push to do something the more I won't do it. I have stopped cleaning when I get the comments of you're actually cleaning and even though I want to clean it just angers me so I stop.

Good luck in dealing with it all and just remember to be stay true to yourself Mae. You are such a talented girl for only being 16 and so much mature than some people I know near my age. (ok I know I'm not that old, but you know there's a big difference between high school and post college.)


Oh and Glad to hear of others who don't waste their time with this garbage and I do not condone those who do partake I just never saw the need.

 

[Megan]

I do not condone those who do partake I just never saw the need.

I think this about sums it up for me.. While I have drank-- I just don't see the need to get high, never have. I don't see the need to smoke cigs either (I think I have maybeeee twice, when I had been drinking)..nor do I see the need to go out and get drunk every weekend, or night like some people do. It's a shame when people feel like they need to rely on it..thats when there is a huge problem

 

[greychins]

I don't know why people give in so much. I guess I just never felt THAT pressured to do either.

I don't smoke. Never even tried it. Good thing too, cause I have really bad asthma and my doctor said that if I smoked, I'd literally be dead in a week.

I drink a little now, but mostly socially. I've never drank enough to pass out or puke or anything like that, I think the most I've ever had was four beers over the span of several hours. Now, after 4 beers I am quite affected by the alcohol, but still nowhere near the point of hangover, puking, passing out. I generally have a beer or drink if I want to relax a bit. On that note, I can't understand why someone would want to get so drunk that they're acting stupid and passing out and puking... I mean what is the appeal of that?

 

[Remyma0408]

I drank a bit as a teen and also smoked. The smoking thing is what I regret the most, as it is the hardest to quit. Luckily as soon as I found out I was pregnant I quit cold turkey. Sometimes I still get cravings and it sucks. My advice is to never start! CUZ THEN ya don't have to worry about quitting! Drinking? Yeah I drank as a teen, not a whole lot but eh. I don't think any person, teen or adult, should drink to get drunk, normally that signals a deeper problem, IMO. Now that I am of legal age, I do like to drink a beer once in a while or a glass of wine but always in moderation. *shrugs* A lot of help I am huh? lol