The Benefits of a

Substance-Free Lifestyle
Written by Vince Bantad
 How Your Health Is In Danger?
Did you know that six people die everyday from alcohol overdose? Did you also know that illegal
drugs can lead to pain & disease faster than alcohol? Do you think that drugs are helpful at all? Well, they’re
not. Those kind of drugs are actually a path to your very early death. Drugs can affect you and your life in
many dangerous ways. Read more and you’ll know what to do if you may ever encounter drugs and alcohol.

=
DIED AT
AGE 17
Dangers of Tobacco, Illegal Drugs, and Its Use
Alcohol & drugs are substances that are mostly
abused by adults and young people. According to the
National Survey on Drug Abuse, 2-80.9% of U.S. citizens at
the age of 12 or older were using various drugs during 2017
for a lifetime. Another fact about drugs is that it’s against the
law for anyone that’s under 21 to obtain alcohol & drugs.
Abusing or using drugs & alcohol can lead to alcohol
poisoning, accidents, overdose, disease, even death and loss
of future goals. It can also lead to short-term effects like
memory impairment, difficulty thinking, unconsciousness,
vomiting, being drunk, etc. The long-term effects of
substance use are brain damage, lung diseases, COPD,
kidney failure, shorter life and hallucinations. These effects
can result to broken relationships, jail time, loss of future
goals, and death. Did you know that kids abusing drugs is
worse than adults doing that? It can lead to bad health as
well. All I’m trying to say is that alcohol and drugs are not to
be used or abused. Otherwise, consequences will happen to
you or your family & friends.
Your Personal Strategy To Avoid Substance Abuse
It’s possible you may encounter drugs in the future. Some ways you may be forced to use drugs &
alcohol is trying to fit in a group and peer pressure. Here are steps you can follow to avoid alcohol and
drugs. With these steps, you’re able to maintain chances of accomplishing your goals, save money, and
more likely to be employed.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

Give a specific reason why Say no thank you, while looking at Suggest another activity that If they ever keep convincing you,
you oppose the activity that them in the eye and being serious doesn’t involve drugs. show how strict you are with
involves alcohol and/or drug about it. drugs, then tell them no, without
abuse; like your reason is that apologizing.
you’re trying to have a
substance-free lifestyle.
What To Do During These Situations
If you ever notice someone else is using drugs or alcohol when they’re having addiction, you can
talk to an adult you can trust like a health professional to help that person so they can return to their
normal life. Also, if you ever see yourself or a friend feeling depressed and using drugs or alcohol to
relieve the stress, you can suggest an alternate activity that doesn’t involve drugs so you or they can go
back to normal, even though the drug reduces stress. Moreover, if you see someone who has alcohol
poisoning, call 911 immediately for help.
The Solution to Substance Abuse
There are multiple ways to quit or prevent substance abuse if you ever do it such as:

● Eating healthy food

● Doing activities that don’t involve drugs like tobacco
● Enrolling to programs that help you treat or prevent addiction
● Discussing with a trusted adult about the bad things that may happen from
substance-use

If ever you, a friend or someone in your family is

facing addiction, you can enroll to a government and
community program or health service that help
destroy, prevent, and treat addiction. You can also
enter a rehabilitation program that help with
substance-use problems, or talk to your family.
The Benefits of a Substance-Free Lifestyle
When quitting drug/alcohol abuse, you are leading yourself to a substance-free lifestyle that
positively impacts your health. The benefits of this kind of lifestyle are:

● Decreasing health risks

● Lowering the chances of diseases
● Reduce complications of pregnancy
● Improve liver health
● Long life

If ever you want to help your school be a drug-free environment, you can give your school an idea of
hosting a drug-free rally. To help your community you can make a petition for a drug-free environment.
You can help your friends, family, and community have a better life with these solutions. Knowing that
teenagers and students do drugs, we share you this, so you won’t be like those people that don’t care
about their health.
 Say NO To
Substance Abuse…
Say YES
To Life!
My References
MedlinePlus - https://medlineplus.gov/substanceabuseproblems.html

Edgenuity - https://r21.core.learn.edgenuity.com

Health Line -
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/heres-how-nicotine-affects-the-body#1

National Survey of Drug Use -

https://www.drugabuse.gov/national-survey-drug-use-health