“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 １８

ＦＡＣＴ: “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 １８

ＦＡＣＴ: “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 １５

“I 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１４

ＦＡＣＴ: “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 １５

ＦＡＣＴ: “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?”