Student Union

THEIR CHOICES TODAY WILL DECIDE THEIR FUTURE

So many teenagers get caught up in drugs. Why? I recently discovered
some of my past friends have started taking drugs. This shocked me.
Some of these kids were my closest friends. How could they have gone
from straight "A" students to druggies? It really saddens me to know
they have taken that path.

There are many reasons for teens taking drugs. One is peer pressure.
Sometimes we want to be a part of the "cool" crowd. Most "popular"
groups involve kids wearing skimpy clothes (this I see a lot of),
nonstop gossip among the girls and of course the element of being
rebels. I have girl classmates who wear way-too-short shorts and
much-too-tight shirts to impress guys or feel "beautiful." Rebels
often ignore their parents' and school's rules and guidelines and
sometimes wear near-identical "nonconformist" clothing. This often
leads to teenagers not caring about school.

Some teenagers get caught up in smoking and drinking because of their
home lives. I have met kids who are extremely depressed for various
reasons like divorce among their parents. We kids look up to adults.
Those adults who smoke, drink and swear do not set good examples. I
am fortunate to have learned right from wrong, from having gone to
wonderful schools and having excellent parenting. It kills me to say,
though, that many teens are not as lucky. Teens also start taking
drugs to prove to their parents that they are independent. Some want
to show their parents that they have the "power" to do these stupid
acts. In general we all want success and drugs only hinder us.

What joy do kids get from drugs? I don't know, and don't plan to find
out, if there really is a "joy" about putting chemicals into your
body. I took the D.A.R.E. program at my elementary school and learned
much about drugs. I learned about how drugs affect your mind and
body. Drugs are also expensive, which can lead to other problems such
at stealing to support your habit. Some use drugs as a way to
"escape." Instead of escaping, you simply try to push aside life's
priorities and end up with more problems. Turning to drugs to deal
with your stress or difficult situations does not help. Accept the
stress or situation and then move on, without a hangover.

If you are a parent, you might not understand how big of an influence
you exert on your children's lives. We all have free will, but the
choices you make will affect your future. Some choose the path that
involves doing stupid things, like drugs and sex, at a young age.
Some choose the path that might be harder but leads to better
choices. Life always surprises us and it is impossible to predict the
future, but when you face a difficult decision, think before you act.

Teens, you don't have to do drugs; there is no one there to force
you. Instead, think about how taking drugs will affect your future.
We are the future generation of Hawaii and the world; let's make
Hawaii and its kamaaina a healthy and beautiful place for future
generations for all. Drug free!