Question: What happens if you try to stay away from drugs but are pressured to take them because of the people around you?

Answer: Hi!
I stay as far away as possible from drugs, but there have been times when I have been put into a situation where there were drugs at the same place I was. Even though I was around the drugs, I had no desire to try them or let anyone break me down to try them. You have to stay strong and be true to yourself. You know what's right and wrong for yourself. And, the best thing to do if you are being pressured is to say NO to drugs and alcohol! If you still struggle with being pressured, you may need to find a group of different people to hang out with. There is always an opportunity to remove yourself from a situation such as this. Just stay strong and don't let anyone break you down! :]
Miranda

Question: Hello, how did you get people involved and the people that go to the schools because when I was in 5th grade, I did DARE and everyone took it as a joke. I am in 6th grade and want our school to trust us. We have to have the police come to our school with dogs to sniff our lockers and that is just wrong, so I want our school to trust us. If you have any answers please e-mail me back thank you. I would love to be friends.
Brianna

Answer: Brianna,
When I was in 5th grade, I did not take D.A.R.E. as a joke. I loved having the D.A.R.E. program in my school and having someone to look up to when I was 11, my D.A.R.E. officer. It is sad that your classmates don't take the class serious, but what truly matters is that you take the class seriously and know how to take a stand for yourself against drugs and alcohol. As you get older, the temptation will always be there if you allow it to be. Don't let that happened though, take what you've learned in D.A.R.E. and run with it. Let others know how you feel and that you can be trusted. Make it about you being trustworthy and not everyone else. They'll see you shining bright and want to be just like you, so eventually they'll catch on and follow in your foot steps!
Miranda

Question: I'm 19 and I wanna know how do people get attached to drugs. My friends are like that. Can u help me, I'm begging help.

Answer: Hi! Drugs can have a very strong effect on you mentally, emotionally and physically. Many people are unaware of all the horrible things that come along with doing drugs. People can get attached to some drugs by only doing them once. They think that just trying out the drug won't harm them in any way, but they're wrong. Addiction comes quickly with some drugs. The more you take drugs, the more your body craves the drug, and the harder it becomes to get clean. You should just be strong in saying no to drugs and be there for your friends because, they're at a time of need in their lives. I'll pray for you to be strong and fight whatever battles you may encounter. Miranda

Question: Hi my name is preston I'm 17 and I live in Dallas county. I would like to be a part of this. I have used drugs for years but am now clean, and I just want to lend a hand to anyone in need. so please let me know what I can do.

Answer: Thanks so much for writing into Teens Asking Teens. I think that it is great that you want to help out just like we do. There are a number of ways that you can get involved in helping others in your community -- and community coalitions are a great place to start. I did an aol search to find community coalitions in your area, and I found information about the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Go to http://www.gdcada.org/coalitions.htm to learn more about these drug prevention efforts -- and hopefully some of them are close to where you live. I would also suggest that you contact your local DARE officer, or try and find another local program or youth-serving agency or organization where you could volunteer.

It's great that you want to help out. I bet you've got an effective story to tell others about how dangerous drugs are, and the effects they have on your family and friends. I hope that you find the right program to work with.

<<BACK