What should I know about alcohol?
Alcohol can harm your body, especially if you binge drink (drinking a lot in a short period of time). Alcohol can make you do things you wouldn’t normally do, like have unsafe sex. It can slow your reactions, and put you at risk for hurting yourself or others.
The younger you are when you start drinking, the more likely you are to have problems with drinking and put your health at risk. Try to make good choices now because these decisions will affect your habits in the future.
What if my friends do drugs?
You might be curious and think that trying drugs once won’t hurt. But remember, trying something once could turn into an addiction you can’t control.
Drugs are very dangerous and can be very addictive—this means you might feel like you have to use them every day. It’s also unsafe and illegal to misuse prescription medicines or to use prescription medicines that weren’t prescribed for you.
If you think you or a friend has a problem with alcohol or drugs, talk to your parents or another adult you can trust.
What about smoking?
Smoking can cause cancer, heart attacks and breathing problems. Your body is smart—it knows that cigarettes are bad for you. If you’re smoking for the first time, you might cough, or have pain or burning in your throat or lungs.
Smoking can make it hard to exercise because you have trouble breathing. It can also hurt your skin and lungs, and make your breath, hair and clothes smell.
Remember, there are more kids like you who don’t smoke. If your friends try to get you to smoke, just say you don’t like it, or you want to stay in shape for sports.
Looking for more information about puberty? Check out these valuable resources:
Puberty in Boys
Puberty in Girls