How some resist the temptation of drugs, alcohol

By Sarafina Hamer, Teen Correspondent

VIRGINIA BEACH - The homecoming dance was over, the night was young and Rashawn Ganues and his friends were on their way to a hotel party at the Oceanfront.

As he stepped into the crowded room, he looked to his left and noticed a beer-pong table and, to his right, a table filled with alcohol.

Moments later, the party's host offered Rashawn a drink from one of the liquor-filled tables. He politely declined, thinking instead that he'd better get himself and the three friends he came with home. He'd seen people who accepted such an offer, and he didn't like what he'd witnessed.

"I'm a pretty fun and energetic person without them, so I wouldn't want to see myself with them," said Rashawn, a 2007 graduate of Salem High School in Virginia Beach.

For many American teens, drinking and using illegal drugs go hand-in-hand. The decision to use them may be based on fitting in, trying to relieve stress or just having fun.

A report headlined "Many Parents in the Dark About Their Teen's Substance Use" in the October 2006 edition of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research noted that in a study of 600 12- to 17-year-olds, 4 in 10 said they used tobacco and 1 in 5 said they used marijuana, a gateway drug that can lead to use of more dangerous drugs.

However, many teens decide not to follow the crowd.

"I feel I'm cooler not doing it than doing it," said Ashley Radford, 17, who added that she's been offered drugs in school, in front of school, on the way home and even at the mall.

Some teens credit their drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle to the influence of parents or to their own moral beliefs.

"My mother raised me not to do that type of stuff, and I'm too scared to disappoint her," Rashawn said.

Ashley, to keep herself on the right track, uses a no-excuse rule.

"An excuse is like you're thinking about it, and there's no need for it," said the Salem High School senior.

Rashawn, now a freshman at Hampton University, loves college life but finds it's a lot more difficult to stay away from drugs and alcohol there.

He said, "The main attraction is alcohol."

With so many things going on in college - homework, jobs, loans and other extracurricular activities - Rashawn explained, alcohol is a stress-reliever to some. His advice is to try to have fun and dance at parties instead, or "if you're going to drink, drink with people you know."

Ultimately, the decision to drink or do drugs is up to the teen.

"Go against the grain and be different," Ashley advised. "It's what makes you who you are."

Sarafina Hamer, a senior at Salem High School in Virginia Beach, fina289@yahoo.com