Drinking and Drugs

Did you know that 80% of high school students have tried alcohol?

What does alcohol do to you?

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. Alcohol blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This messes with a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing. People who have overused alcohol may stagger, lose coordination, and slur their speech.

What do Drugs do to you?

Vaping (nicotine) is a commonly abused drug by teens; nicotine is highly addictive and can slow brain development in teens and affect memory, concentration, learning, self-control, attention, and mood. It also increases the risk of different addictions in the future.

Why do teens try and use these substances?

Addiction starts to play a role because the drugs or alcohol start to feel good and reduce the stress and anxiety these teens may be experiencing. For the most part, most teens will try these substances out of pure curiosity or fit in and feel older. Adolescents start to abuse these to relax or calm themselves in some way, shape, or form.

Why should I avoid these things?

• It's illegal: You can not buy or drink alcohol until you are 2; it's against the law!

• You can become addicted: messing around with these substances and lead you into a lifetime of battling addiction. Addiction is hazardous and can put your life at risk.

• Punishment is severe - You can be arrested, and if the school finds out, you can be kicked out of your sports for a semester or a year… it can also lead to colleges taking scholarships away. It is also forever on your school record, accessible for any college or workplace to get.

• Can ruin your reputation- you may think that drinking makes you look cool, but in all honesty, drinking alters the way you act, making you say bad things do stupid things and make you look out of control