sarahSKELLINGTON™

I've centered myself around critical thinking and evaluating every issue from all sides before coming to a conclusion. Even after that I'm still open to change my opinions if the proper argument is brought to my attention. However there is one issue that I see happening daily around me that I just cannot wrap my head around: Teen drinking and substance abuse. As soon as I hear about a person's drunk/high stories all I can do is roll my eyes and wonder "Why the heck do they think it's cool?" I realize that I am being entirely prejudiced and that is the reason I am writing this, to try and address my biases and perhaps have my eyes opened.

Okay well I'll start of with a few personal stories so you can know where I'm coming from, but basically I used to have a problem where I would drink secretively by myself whenever I was depressed. I'm very glad to not have this habit anymore, for very obvious reasons. Alcohol will not solve your problems. In fact, it is a depressant. The best thing you can do when you're down is talk about it, write about it, or express your emotions in some sort of way perhaps through art. Trying to forget them isn't going to do any help, but rather pile up more harm in the long run. Please don't fall victim to the belief that you can drown out your sorrows.

Now I don't want you getting the wrong idea and start thinking that I'm a stuck up 'straight-edge' kid writing a didactic to all you heathenous children out there. I am not 'sXe' or whatever you want to call it and I'm not trying to impose my beliefs on anybody. I've been drunk before, granted only once. It was the worst night of my life and I regret it more than anything. I had sadly succumb to the pressures and the idea that going to a party is the cool thing to do. But puking up your insides, being made a laughing stock out of, and many other horrendous things are by no means cool. Sure you might meet some new people, and think you're having a good time, but what are you really doing? When you consume drugs and alcohol your brain cells are dying by the second. You may not care now, and probably won't see any effects now, but once you're free of this party-hard attitude you'll realize that there were so many better things you could have done with your time.

I mean.. what does it say about your personal relationships if you have to be drunk or high to have fun with your friends? Can you not have an enjoyable time in any other way? Plus buying these substances is draining your wallet and taking away the funds that could be put to much more useful things such as your post-secondary education. I understand that high school is a time for fun and experimentation, but it is also a time for hard work and self-reflection. You can have fun in ways other than parties, and you don't need to experiment for four straight years. Whether or not you'd like to admit it, high school is important. Universities and colleges are looking at prospective students' grades earlier than ever, and more and more jobs are requiring a bachelor's degree as a minumum for employment. Do you really want to throw away your future for a few 'good' nights?

Call me stuck up, no fun, or just plain boring, but I truly care about where I go and what I'll do with my life. I've done stupid things and realized where I've gone wrong and it has changed me for the better. I just can't see any morally justifiable reasons to go get drunk or high on a regular basis. If you could enlighten me I would be very appreciative of that, but I also hope that having read this you can see that you're not only emptying your wallet, but stunting your potential in life.