Why I Will Say No To Alcohol and Drugs Elizabeth “Lizz” Stewart Do me a favor; look up the word “high” in the dictionary. What do you see? There are formal meanings such as, “having an exalted or noble quality or character’, but wait… As you keep reading you see an informal definition, that being, “Intoxicated, as by alcohol or drugs.” I’m willing to bet when kids say, “let’s get high,” they don’t mean “Lets be noble in our quality or character” but instead mean ‘Lets get intoxicated!’ Me? I say no to drugs. The obvious issue of health is forever in my mind. As is the fact that I know my own potential, and the love of my friends and family. I’ve been told using drugs opens up the gates to a surreal feeling, Euphoria, if you will. My response is usually quite simple. “Oh, how lovely! A false sense that there are absolutely no problems in the world while your brain cells scream for mercy as they implode on themselves and your lungs slowly blacken. That’s got to be fantastic!” Everyone has been told at some point in time that drugs are bad for you. Who’d have thunk it would be true?! Without your brain, you’d be nothing, drugs kill the brain cells you need to function. Overtime, using can make daily life impossible. Life is a gift in itself and I want to be healthy enough to enjoy it. My life is a canvas. As I get older, I sketch out what I want to be one day, where I want to go. Using drugs would be like throwing buckets of black paint over those sketches. Drugs are addicting, the drive you once had to go places and be someone is lost. All that positive energy is now focused on getting your next quick fix. I will not have that. I know my own potential, I see it on my canvas. No way will I touch that black paint. Remember what I said about positive drive being focused on a quick fix? That applies to relationships too. When addicted to drugs nothing matters in between highs except getting high again. Friends and family become more annoying than comforting. I love my friends and family far too much to see them hurt. By giving in and doing drugs, I’d be separating myself from them, and that would be something I couldn’t bare. Would drugs be there with a comforting word? Would drugs love me unconditionally? No. That’s what loved ones are for. Why allow yourself to get into this horrible trend
of using drugs to be happy? There are so many other ways to feel like
everything is right! Why not try music, friends, religion, art, writing,
sports, traveling- the list could go for days! Drugs have never been
a temptation for me, but if ever confronted with the urge I’ll say no. I want to live
a healthy life. I want nothing to slow my roll, or affect my potential.
I love my friends and family too much. Given the choice of which definition
of high I prefer, I’d chose, “having an exalted or noble
quality or character.” That seems more my style.
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