Some teens deny harm of drug and alcohol use

Q. Why do some teens drink and do drugs even when they know theproblems it can lead to?

A. Student panel from Commerce High School, Commerce, Texas: Aprimary reason is because they want to be part of the "in" crowd.They see their "friends" do it, and they don't want to look as ifthey're stupid or uncool.

They really don't see what it does to them. They might see whatit does to other people, but they just don't think it could happen tothem.

Many people do it to get away from their problems. It makesthem forget about their worries. Some feel that they have nothing tolose in the first place. Their families are split up or maybe theyfeel that they are an outcast.

Drinking or doing drugs gives them a feeling of being free. Aslong as they are feeling the effect of the drug, they have noworries.

Whatever the reason, they should remember that it destroys yourmind. You might not be able to feel it, but it happens. You mightend up dead or messed up for the rest of your life.

Pat and David: Teenagers are curious about drugs and alcohol.They want to experiment and see if there will be some buzz orsensation or if the drugs will produce some fun or relief fromstress.

Some teenagers are just caught up in a peer-pressure scenario.

When your friends and peers make drugs and alcohol standard forpartying, it's pretty hard to say "no" and stay drug- andalcohol-free.

According to a recently published survey on America'sadolescents titled "How Healthy Are They?" from the American MedicalAssociation, "92 percent of high school seniors have consumed alcoholat least once, 50 percent have tried marijuana, and 15 percent havetried cocaine."

So many teenagers rationalize that they won't be the next drugor alcohol statistic: "It's not going to happen to me. I'm not adrunk, alcoholic or drughead. Just because I party a little and dosome stuff doesn't mean that I've got a problem."

However, many of them will have a problem, according toinformation supplied by the National Council on Alcoholism and DrugDependence.

Approximately 1 out of every 9 people who use alcohol is analcoholic. Half of the amount of THC, the major active ingredient inmarijuana, stays in the brain from 70 hours to seven days.

The average crack cocaine user uses five or more vials in anhour because "a crack high is always followed by a low so unpleasantthat the user will do almost anything to get more crack."

So be forewarned.

Questions for this column resulted from a national survey ofhigh school students.

If you have questions for "Talk to Us" or would likerepresentatives from your high school to participate in the column,write to "Talk to Us," Chicago Sun-Times, Features Dept., Room 458,401 N. Wabash, Chicago 60611.