Download the Top Ten Reasons to Say NO to Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs Document
10. Look your best. Using tobacco, alcohol or drugs takes a toll on your appearance. From nicotine stained teeth to bloodshot eyes – from a dull, vacant expression to poor posture and impaired motor skills – each of these substances can damage the way you look, feel and behave.
9. Save money. Let’s talk dollars and sense. A pack of cigarettes in Anchorage costs up to $10 a pack! A half case of beer runs $15-20. And as for drugs, marijuana is one of the cheaper choices at nearly $300 an ounce! Considering the harm these substances represent to you and your future, WHY would you invest this kind of money in self-destruction?
8. Feel healthier, more fit. Smoking slows down the flow of blood through arteries in the body. It destroys lung tissue and inhibits breathing. Alcohol is a depressant. It not only impairs judgement, it diminishes motor skills and mobility. And drugs present a wide variety of health risks and dangers depending on which drug you are using. If you care about your health and fitness, just say NO to Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs.
7. Sleep sound, improve memory. Tobacco, alcohol and drugs inhibit and interrupt normal sleep patterns, and often interfere with new learning and the normal memory processes.
6. Be free and independent. If you know anyone who is hooked on cigarettes or dependent on alchol or drugs to feel relaxed, you can easily see that their dependency robs them of their freedom of choice and independence. Be aware of advertising for tobacco and alcohol products that target teens. These large corporation know that you are the most vulnerable to their products. There is a fine line between a bad habit and true addiction. Be smart. Be strong. Be free.
5. Be happier and more content. While tobacco, alcohol and drugs may offer some users short-term enjoyment, they also lead to depression, guilt, fear, fatigue, paranoia and despair. True and lasting happiness come from within, not from a bottle, a pipe or a pack of smokes.
4. Earn better grades, ensure a brighter future. Think about students you know who are caught up in TAD. Are many of them on the Honor Roll or on a fast-track to earning a college scholarship? The choices you make now will affect the rest of your life.
3. One bad choice leads to another. Once you start using tobacco, or drinking alcohol or taking drugs, it becomes a LOT easier to start experimenting with other harmful substances. Used in combination, these substances can lead to very serious health risks, including death.
2. Be yourself, be confident. The best version of you is YOU. And it’s impossible to be yourself when you are impaired by tobacco, alcohol or drugs. True friends like and love you for who you ARE for real. A sure way to alienate and lose friends is to become someone other than who you really are. By choosing to be tobacco, alcohol and drug-free, you are naturally more self-assured and confident. You are also more reliable, responsible and consistent.
1. Play for Keeps. Win for Life. As you prepare for high school, one of the most exciting and enjoyable pursuits are the many sports and activities you’ll find through the Alaska School Activities Association. Your eligibility to participate in these sports and activities is contingent on being Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug free.