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Health & Fitness

Teens Have The Power To Make A Better Choice Than Drinking And Drugs

Congratulations to Krista Minniti on her op-ed being featured in the Hartford Courant! 

Teens Have The Power To Make A Better Choice Than Drinking And Drugs

By KRISTA MINNITI

6:09 p.m. EDT, August 13, 2013

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In every health class, students learn about real people who have escaped unhealthy friendships and managed to live substance-free lives. I am one of those people.

When I was in middle school, I started hanging out with a group of people who I thought were my true friends and could do no wrong. We traveled through middle school as a tight-knit group, and everyone seemed to be very innocent. But once high school rolled around, things changed.

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Early into freshman year, this group ended up going down the wrong path and began abusing alcohol. It was at first tough for me to decide which path to take, even though I knew the right one in my heart. Would I choose my friends or my well-being? Ultimately, it ended up being an easy decision to take the path that didn't involve alcohol or drugs.

Although the decision came rather quickly to me, I know most teenagers have difficulty leaving their friends. Standing up to your peers may not be easy or fun, but it is the best decision overall. I lost the friends I had before, but I managed to make new ones who support my decisions and are willing to help me through anything.

By choosing to live drug- and alcohol-free, my life is turning out to be better than I expected. I can go out with friends and don't need to worry about hiding anything from my parents. I also don't have to deal with being pressured to drink alcohol because I created a new group of friends who have the same values as I do.

We go bowling, to the movies, to the beach and hang out at each other's homes. In the fall, when I go to high school football games, I'm in the stands with everybody else, but I don't have to worry about doing something I'll regret or being asked to leave because I'm intoxicated.

Making the choice not to drink has forced me to come out of my shell and helped me to realize that I want to make a difference in the lives of young adults. I've become more involved in volunteering, community service groups and groups that promote healthy choices. I'm also on the high school varsity cheerleading squad. When I get home from a party, I'm able to sit with my parents and talk about all the fun things I did that night, rather than rush to my room and avoid them because I drank. This has improved my relationship with my mom, to the point where I now consider her one of my best friends.

I feel it's my duty to take a stand against underage drinking and raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol. A first-time drinker may not know what her body can tolerate or how she will handle alcohol. That is why binge drinking is so dangerous. I know of teens who've drank for the first time at a party and ended up passing out.

There is no stereotype for a teen who is brought to the hospital by ambulance because of alcohol poisoning — it could be anybody. It could be you. But if teens choose a path that is healthy and safe, they can do so much more, and maybe even help others learn the dangers of underage drinking.

My message to teens is to realize that you are strong enough to stand up to your friends. I know firsthand that everyone has it in them to resist the pressures that peers dump on them. Tell your friends the honest truth. They may laugh at you and be angry at you, but you're making the right choice.

After standing up to your friends, keep your head held high and don't have any regrets for making the safe and healthy choice.

My opinion is that binge drinking can be prevented if teens have the courage to stick up for themselves and what they know is right. If you got anything out of this article, let it be this: You have the power to control your life.

Krista Minniti is a 15-year-old sophomore at Daniel Hand High School in Madison. She wrote this for the Governor's Prevention Partnership, http://www.preventionworksct.org.

Copyright © 2013, The Hartford Courant

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