For Teens Only

HOW DO WE AVOID DRUGS ???
Place a high VALUE on health, wellness and safety.	Maintain a POSITVE ATTITUDE toward life, school, and toward your parents.
STUDY hard, use your skills and abilities.	Make SOUND DECISIONS to AVOID TROUBLE, or the near occasion of trouble.
Practice IMPULSE CONTROL - control your thoughts, words, feelings AND ACTIONS -- don’t sabatoge your own chances for success.	Make FRIENDS with those who are drug-free and who act responsibily, and distance yourselves from unhealthy people.
Work hard, and SAVE your money.	Set HIGH EXPECTATIONS for yourself.
Reach out and HELP others; you’ll get more back by giving than receiving.	Be SELF-AWARE. Look at who you are, what you think and how you act.
RESPECT your parents. Use them as guidesigns pointing out the paths and pitfalls of life.	BETTER YOURSELF. Everyday try to improve yourself.
Do things which are WIN-WIN situations, so everyone benefits!	Be FLEXIBLE. It’s good to be able to adjust to change and new situations.
HAVE FUN... AND ENJOY LIFE BUT DO IT NATURALLY AND DRUG-FREE

HI. MY NAME IS JIM

My name is Jim and I’m an alcoholic. I also happen to be in prison serving a life sentence for killing someone while in a blackout.

I had many signs of what drinking could do, which I ignored. My grandparents and parents were all alcoholics. I saw how they behaved, and I swore up and down that I’d never drink and be like them. Well, I did drink, and I became much worse than they ever thought of being.

From the first drink to my last, drinking was nothing but trouble for me. I loved the taste, the way alcohol made me feel, and the courage (although it was false) it gave to me. Looking back, I lost everything that was ever important to me. It didn’t take too long before trouble caught up with me. Once I was in an accident that almost took my life. But not once did I wake up and say "Hey, Jim, What’s wrong with you? Why are you doing these things and ending up in places like this? Why don’t you finish your education or learn a trade?"

And not once did I ever blame booze. I always blamed people, places and things. It couldn't be the booze, because booze was my one and only friend.

I always found a way to get that drink. I always justified it by saying, "If anyone deserves a drink, it’s me. Look at what I’ve just gone through." Blackouts were common occurrences with me. But I just blew them off as something normal that happens to people - drunk or sober.

This last time I ended up in jail and when I was released I did what was normal: I picked up a drink. But it lead to a drunken binge that would ruin a lot of people’s lives, because during that drunken binge I went into a total blackout, got into a fight, and killed a man.

Justice was swift. I got a life sentence for second-degree murder. And when I walked into the State Prison and heard those doors slamming behind me, I thought that my life was over, that I might as well just lie down and die.

I now know that I had lost everything because of drinking.

In this time, I have grown up and accepted responsibility for want I have done. And I have joined the AA program, which has given me a life that I only dreamed of but never thought was for me.

All I can do is to tell you what alcohol did to me, and suggest that you stay away from it... and if you can't, then reach out for help before it's too late.

A life is a terrible thing to waste... especially if its your own!

--- Jim W.