I thought drugs were an escape.

”　　When I was 15, a guy I knew raped me.

I turned to my friends for support, but they accused me of lying!

I was devastated2.

I needed to relieve my pain, and I thought drugs were the answer.

I found that smoking weed3 made me feel secure and loved, but when the high4 wore off5, I felt even more empty, lost and alone.

I thought the solution was to do more drugs, so I started using harder drugs like cocaine and Ecstasy6.

　　One night, I was smoking pot7 at my boyfriend's house.

We had a fight and I stormed out and drove off.

That's the last thing I remember.

When I regained consciousness8, there were paramedics9 over me and lights flashing.

I'd smashed into a telephone pole.

I suffered shock and a concussion10, but my doctors said I was lucky to be alive—the crash could've killed me.

　　The crash cost me nearly $10000!

But I got a second chance at life.

I quit drugs, and I look forward to my future—because now I have a future.

”—Ｓｔｅｐｈａｎｉｅ １８ＦＡＣＴ: Life's tough enough without a drug addiction,” says Howard Simon, spokesman for Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

Drugs just add more problems to the pile.

”I didn't think drugs were a big deal.

”　　My mom started abusing drugs when I was in fourth grade, so when a friend offered me weed in seventh grade, it didn't seem wrong to try it.

Pot made me feel distant from my misery at home, and I started smoking and drinking on a daily basis.

Then my mother left.

It broke my heart—I felt like she chose drugs over me.

But that didn't make me stop using them.

I relied on weed to handle my pain and anger.

　　I moved in with my dad, but he drank a lot and we argued.

I'd avoid going home, staying out with friends instead, drinking and getting high.

Before, I only smoked for fun, but now I depended on it to help me through each day.

　　When I turned 18, I hopped a bus to California to try to start my life over.

But I felt isolated there.

I was smoking weed every day.

Getting high was all I had, and it scared me.

I realized I was just running from my problems.

I called my dad and told him I wanted to come home.

　　I can happily say I've been off drugs for nearly a year now.

My dad has also been sober for several months, and it's a lot easier for us to get along now that drugs aren't in the way.

I've made new friends, too—my best friend is a girl from high school who didn't do drugs or drink.

I still don't see my mom much, and I don't know if we'll ever be close again.

All I know is that I don't want to waste my life getting high like she did.

I'll never go back to the person I was—I would rather be the girl I always dreamed I could be!

”—Ｍｅｇａｎ １８ＦＡＣＴ: Nobody knows how drug use is going to affect them,” Simon says.

You're playing Russian roulette11.

Once you start, you can't be sure you'll walk away.

”I did drugs so I would fit in.

”　　I started hanging with a crowd that was into drugs.

I wasn't into that stuff, but I didn't have anyone else to hang out with, so I started smoking pot to fit in.

My parents found out, and my mom started crying.

I realized I wasn't just hurting myself, I was hurting the people who loved me.

”—Ｌｉｓａ １５I thought some drugs were harmless.

”　　I started smoking weed when I was in 6th grade.

It seemed like a harmless drug.

I was wrong—I've been smoking weed for three years now, and I've ditched all my old friends and probably blown a thousand dollars on pot.

The short buzz12 just isn't worth it.

”—Ｊｕｓｔｉｎｅ１４ＦＡＣＴ: Sure, marijuana13 is safer—like jumping from the fifth floor is safer than jumping from the eighth floor,” Simon says.

It's still a dangerous drug.

”I wanted to rebel.

”　　I tried marijuana because it gave me a sense of rebellion.

I didn't like being told what to do, so smoking weed made me feel defiant14.

But I realized people expect teens to try drugs, and by smoking pot, I was just conforming to their expectations.

It's dumb to think that doing drugs will somehow make you different or unique.

”—Ａｚｕｒａ １５ＦＡＣＴ: Yes, you're making a statement—you're saying, "I'm willing to risk becoming a drug addict,” Simon says.

Really, how does that sound?

”【Why are teens doing drugs? 青少年为何吸毒查看网站：[db:时间]】