Editor #3
Peer pressure is something that all ages deal with, but it always seems to be harder for teens—more than any other age group—to be themselves. All people, though especially teenagers, have an innate desire to be liked. While you do have complete control over your own actions, there is no real way to make other people stop what they are doing. Maybe if you take control of your own actions and stop participating in their antics, they will notice and stop as well, though this is not likely.
Although it may be frustrating to see people you care about making bad decisions, you should respectfully decline your friends’ offers. A simple “no, thank you” is much better than a screaming match that could end in the loss of a friend. And if you speak up, it might encourage others in the group to open up about how they really feel about these actions too.
People who offer drugs, tobacco or alcohol are usually not offended by your decline of these items; they offer out of generosity, the way someone would offer another slice of pizza. You have the power to change the activity or conversation to something more lawful. And if they do not want to do something else, leave.
If worse comes to worst, blame your parents. You can claim to
be grounded, or that your mother or father has recently decided to pay closer attention to your doings and checks up on you often. Parents can be party-poopers, and that can be a good thing.