What You Need To Know About Drugs and Alcohol

What do drugs look like?

Drugs may look like pills or medicine or candy. Other drugs may look like cigarettes or little rocks. You may not know what they are. If you see something and you are not sure what it is, do not touch it. Tell someone you trust -- like your mom or dad, a teacher, or a police officer.

Are drugs bad? What if someone makes me use drugs?

Drugs can hurt people so you should stay away from them. If someone asks you to take something and you don't know what it is, what should you do? The best thing to do is to say "no" and tell an adult who can help you.

My father and uncle drink beer. I heard someone say that it's a drug. I'm confused!

Beer does contain alcohol, which is a drug. Some adults, like your father and uncle, may choose to drink beer. It's okay for most adults to drink beer or have a glass of wine once in a while, but drinking too much can hurt them. And alcohol can hurt kids. You and your friends should stay away from beer, cigarettes, and wine coolers. Your body is still growing, and drugs and alcohol can really hurt it. Drugs are dangerous and against the law for all kids.

My mother smokes cigarettes. My teacher says that's bad. I want my mom to stop. What should I do?

Cigarettes are bad for people. Smoking can hurt the lungs and heart. But your mother is an adult who may choose to smoke. She may have started a long time ago when she didn't know that cigarettes could hurt her. Cigarettes contain a drug called nicotine that makes it very hard for people to stop smoking.

You can tell your mother that you hope she will stop. Her choice to smoke has nothing to do with you, but it may help her to stop if she knows that you care about her health.

Some older kids in high school use drugs. Nothing bad happens, they say. Is this true?

Most older kids do not use drugs. That's because drugs are illegal and dangerous, and most kids know it. Those kids who do use drugs are being hurt. Sometimes we cannot see the pain of these kids, but it is there. It's like when you get a paper cut: the cut may be very small and others may have trouble seeing it, but it hurts you. Using drugs is 100 times worse. Drugs hurt your body and make you sick. They also make you unable to think straight.

Hang with those kids who don't use drugs, and don't let older kids tell you that drugs won't hurt you.

I see a lot of TV commercials that show older people drinking beer and wine coolers and having fun. What if I tried it?

Beer and wine coolers contain alcohol. They are very dangerous for kids. They are also illegal for you to use. TV commercials make things look nice becuase they want you to buy the products. They don't show that alcohol can make people sick, cause car crashes, get them into problems with the law, and lead to all sorts of trouble for drinkers and their families.

There are lots of fun and good things you can do. Don't use harmful things. Instead, you can go for a walk, take a bike ride, play a game with a friend, or help your parents around the house.

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