How to Not Do Drugs

Co-authored by Natalie Feinblatt, PsyD

Last Updated: December 29, 2022 References

Many people are lured into the drug scene by peers and even friends. They soon discover that using drugs is not as cool as they thought it would be, or sometimes even as fun. Some get addicted and have a terrible time kicking the habit. Others abuse the drug and die. If you are smart enough to know that getting into drugs is a bad thing, this article will help guide you so that you can stay away from it completely. Although it takes willpower, saying "no" to drugs is actually a pretty easy thing once you get the hang of it.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Wise Decisions

1
Choose your friends wisely. True friends would not endanger another friend's life by pressuring them to use drugs. You might ask: How can I choose a good friend? Simple. Observe people and their habits before stepping up to be their friend. Make sure that they have morals and seem to be honest and have a good personality. That way before you become their friend you can already have an idea of what they are like.
- True friends won't make you feel bad for staying away from drugs. True friends will respect you. They want to see you happy and successful. If one of your "friends" doesn't understand that drugs aren't right for you, you should probably reconsider whether they're actually one of your friends.
2
Help your friends avoid drugs and bad decisions. Tell them the simple steps they can take to avoid them, and tell them that you truly care about them. Also be open to your parents about drugs. If you cannot help yourself, they will surely help you.

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3
Ask questions and learn the answers. The more you ask questions about drugs, the harder it becomes to rationally use them. So be informed about drugs, what they do to people's bodies, and how they work. Knowledge is power.
- Did you know that methamphetamine causes sores over the body, serious hallucinations, and a rotting of the teeth known as "meth mouth"?^{[1]
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- Did you know that in America, 27% of HIV/AIDS carriers are heroin addicts?^{[2]
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  Research source} People who shoot heroin with a needle are at a significantly higher risk to develop a host of diseases, such as AIDS.
- Did you know that after snorting or smoking cocaine, the user's heart attack risk grows to almost 24 times the normal amount?^{[3]
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4
Remember that so-called "soft drugs" are drugs, too. Drugs like alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco, though they may be more socially accepted, can still be powerful drugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 2.5 million people die because of alcohol each year.^{[4]
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Trustworthy Source
World Health Organization
Health information and news provided by the World Health Organization
Go to source} That's a lot of people, even though alcohol is legal in many places for adults. The point here is to remember that even soft drugs, or socially-accepted drugs, can be harmful.
- Soft drugs are often talked about as "gateway drugs." Gateway drugs are drugs that, when tried, cause users to experiment with and abuse other drugs as a result.
- What is clear is that alcohol, marijuana and tobacco can lead to abuse of other drugs. Although alcohol and tobacco may be legal and marijuana may not, be careful about using them so much that you start abusing other drugs.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Learning to Say "No"

1
Learn how to say "no" to drugs the right way. Telling people you don't want to do drugs can be a really hard thing to do. You want to be clear and not offend anyone. Take a little time to think about how you might say "no" to someone who tries to pressure you into trying drugs. Here are some examples to start you off:
- "No, thanks. The way I'm going, I need all the brain cells I can get."^{[5]
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- "Actually, I was just heading home. My parents asked me to look after my little sister. I'll see you guys tomorrow?"
- "I'm starving. Let's go grab a bite to eat at my house instead."
- "No thanks. I'm having a good time already."^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Natalie Feinblatt, PsyD
  Clinical Psychologist
  Expert Interview. 30 July 2021.}
- "I'm not really in the mood."^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  Natalie Feinblatt, PsyD
  Clinical Psychologist
  Expert Interview. 30 July 2021.}
2
Learn to say "no" without feeling guilty. Remember your reasons for saying "no" in the first place: You care about your health; you want to give yourself the best chance to succeed; your sights are set higher than petty distractions. If you remember all the reasons why drugs aren't right for you, you're less likely to feel guilty for saying "no." When you don't feel guilty, you're less likely to cave in to peer pressure.
- You might be concerned about how someone will react if you say "no," but the odds are they won't care very much!^{[8]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Natalie Feinblatt, PsyD
  Clinical Psychologist
  Expert Interview. 30 July 2021.}
3
Think again about the possible long-term effects of drugs and alcohol. Like it or not, your whole entire life could be changed with one decision. Often, all it takes is one time before things go horribly wrong. Are you willing to bet your life that this time is going to be different?
4
Respect yourself. People who take drugs often don't respect themselves. They understand that they're hurting their body and hurting their family, but they're powerless to stop, and sometimes wouldn't want to because, deep down inside, they think they deserve it. (This is why many addicts need to go to therapy in order to help kick their addiction.) Once addicts begin to have more self-respect, they often clean up their habit.
- In order to have self-respect, you need to know who you are. This is an incredibly liberating journey if you haven't taken it before. It's about loving yourself from the inside out. If you can achieve that, the most powerful drug in the world won't compare to the love you have for yourself.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Keeping an Active and Healthy Lifestyle

1
Stay active with sports. It's really hard to use drugs and be serious about sports at the same time. All that running and coordination and teamwork gets pretty hard when your body is sluggish and your mind is cloudy. Staying active with sports is therefore a great way to avoid the world of drugs in the first place. Not only this, but being active causes your body to release so-called endorphins, which make you feel better and relieve certain kinds of stress.^{[9]
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- Participate in team sports. These sports include soccer, American football, rugby, lacrosse, baseball, basketball, hockey, field hockey, badminton, cricket, volleyball, water polo, and more. Team sports teach participants about mutual respect, the value of working together, and self-sacrifice.
- Participate in individual sports. These sports include: skiing, wrestling, skateboarding, bowling, golf, darts, chess, fencing, track and field, tennis, surfing, swimming, and more. Individual sports teach participants the value of grit, determination, and hard work.
2
Get outdoors and enjoy nature. Perhaps the reason why many people turn to drugs is boredom. There's nothing much to do, so why not have some fun and experience excitement? While there are other cures for boredom, you can avoid becoming bored in the first place by going outside and enjoying nature, even if you don't play sports.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Natalie Feinblatt, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist
Expert Interview. 30 July 2021.}
- Find time to take a hike. Many urban or suburban neighborhoods are close to parks or nature reserves where you can go to experience a bit of the great outdoors. If you can't make it out of your urban area, go exploring in a safe place inside your city.
3
Practice meditation, yoga, or Pilates. So you may think that these three activities are for your parents, or washed-up hippies, but there's some value in connecting your brain and your body in a single exercise. All three of these activities strive to do this. The person who is more in touch with his or her body is less likely to abuse it by taking drugs.
- There are several different kinds of meditation. Maybe the simplest meditation exercise is closing your eyes, breathing in and out deeply, and trying to gain awareness of each part of your body — all at once. This is sometimes called awareness mediation.
- There are dozens upon dozens of kinds of yoga. There's Hatha yoga, Bikram yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa yoga, not to mention many more. Explore different practices with different teachers. Each has its unique set of poses and breathing practices.
- Pilates was developed by a German physical-culturist in the first half of the 20th century. It is a body condition routine that emphasizes core strength as well as spinal and pelvic alignment. Many Pilates enthusiasts report feeling much better after their workouts. When you feel good already, what's the use in taking drugs?
4
Eat the right kinds of food. What does food have to do with drugs? What you eat has an effect on how your body functions, and how well you feel. If you make a habit of eating junk food and treating your body like you don't care for it, it's not going to feel its best. If your body doesn't feel it's best, you'll be more motivated to lean on drugs as a crutch.
- Doctors recommend filling your diet with fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and plenty of fiber. A diet rich in these foods will give your body the energy and nutrition it needs to keep you happy and drug-free.
- Eat healthy fats instead of unhealthy ones. Healthy fats include omega-3 fatty acids (flax seed, salmon), as well as monounsaturated fats (avocados, pumpkin seeds).^{[11]
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  Research source} Unhealthy fats include trans fats (partially-hydrogenated oils) and saturated fats (animal fat, such as lard).
- Drink water and unsweetened teas instead of colas and alcohol. There's nothing wrong with a Diet Coke or a glass of red wine every now and then. In fact, researchers believe that red wine, in moderation, may actually be good for you.^{[12]
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  Research source} But the majority of what you drink should be coming from water. Water will help you stay healthy and hydrated throughout the day.

Warnings

Don't cave in to peer pressure. If someone tries to force you to take drugs or teases you because you won't take drugs, they're not your friend.

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Remember that this one little thing can ruin your life. It can lead you to the path of death. Just tell yourself that doing drugs isn't something you need in life.

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