Avoiding Alcohol

"All my friends do it." "He dared me. I couldn't back down." "It won't hurt me." "I didn't want to spoil the party." Have you heard these things before? They are excuses kids use for drinking. Are you one of them?


You may think that drinking is not harmful, but it is. Alcohol affects your whole body, including your brain. It can make you sick. You can even die. Drinking is also illegal if you are younger than the drinking age where you live. There are many reasons why you should NOT drink.


Alcohol is a drug. It is addicting. About eight million people depend on alcohol to get them through the day. They are addicted. Many people say once you are hooked, you will always be hooked. Ask someone who attends Alcoholics Anonymous.


What happens when you take a drink? The alcohol goes from your mouth into your stomach. Then it passes from the small intestine into the bloodstream. The heart pumps it through your whole body.


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