An individual can achieve a goal by learning how to make informed decisions.

1. Decision Making Styles An individual can achieve a goal by learning how to make informed decisions. Do you weigh information carefully and consider the consequences before you make a decision? Do you make decisions based on what your friends are doing? Do you discuss important decisions with your parents or guardian? You can analyze your decision-making style and change it if necessary. How to Evaluate Your Decision-Making Style Three possible decision-making styles are described here. Each style has its own consequences. Which of these three styles might produce healthful results and which will produce results that are not healthful? Inactive decision-making style A person who fails to make choices has an inactive decision-making style. The failure to make a decision determines the outcome. Teens who use the inactive decision-making style may have the following habits. They postpone something until a future time. They take little control over the direction of their lives. They have difficulty gaining the self-confidence that would result if they took responsibility for making decisions when they should. Reactive decision-making style A habit in which a person allows others to make his or her decisions is a reactive decision-making style. Teens using the reactive decision-making style are easily influenced by what others think, do, or suggest. They lack self-confidence and have a great need to be liked by others. They give control of the direction of their lives to others. Proactive decision-making style A habit in which a person describes the situation that requires a decision, identifies and evaluates possible decisions, makes a decision, and takes responsibility for the outcome is a proactive decision-making style. Teens who use the proactive decision-making style demonstrate the following characteristics in their lives. They are not driven by circumstances and conditions. They are not easily influenced by peers. They have principles, such as integrity, honesty, and dignity, which guide their decisions and behavior. They are empowered. A person who is empowered is energized because he or she has some control over his or her decisions and behavior.

2. You can develop a proactive decision-making style. When you have decisions to make, use the Responsible Decision-Making Model. The Responsible Decision-Making Model is a series of steps to follow to assure that people make good decisions. How to Use the Responsible Decision-Making Model Step 1: Describe the situation that requires a decision. Describe the situation in writing if no immediate decision is necessary. Describe the situation out loud or to yourself in a few sentences if an immediate decision is necessary. Being able to describe the situation in your own words helps you see it more clearly. Step 2: List possible decisions you might make. List all the possible decisions you can think of in writing, if no immediate decision is necessary. If you must decide right away, review the possible decisions out loud or to yourself. Step 3: Share the list of possible decisions with a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult. Share possible decisions with a responsible adult when no immediate decision is necessary. If possible, delay making a decision until you have had a chance to discuss the possible decisions with a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult. The adult may help you evaluate the possible consequences of each decision. Step 4: Use six questions to evaluate the possible consequences of each decision. • Will this decision result in actions that promote health? • Will this decision result in actions that protect safety? • Will this decision result in actions that follow laws? • Will this decision result in actions that show respect for myself and others? • Will this decision result in actions that follow the guidelines of my parents and of other responsible adults? • Will this decision result in actions that demonstrate good character? Step 5: Decide which decision is most responsible and appropriate. Rely on the six questions in Step 4 as you compare the decisions. Step 6: Act on your decision and evaluate the results. Follow through with your decision with confidence Responsible Decisions

3. WRONG DECISION Everyone makes a wrong decision at one time or another. A wrong decision is a choice that can lead to actions that harm health, are unsafe, are illegal, show disrespect for self and others, disregard the guidelines of parents and other responsible adults, or show lack of good character. What to Do If You Make a Wrong Decision and Want to Correct It What can you do if you suddenly realize that you intentionally made a wrong decision and now wish you hadn’t Do something to correct your wrong actions. If you do, you take steps to earn back the respect of others. This helps you keep your self-respect. In table 6.1 below, read the four steps you can take if you make a wrong TABLE 6.1 Four Steps to Take if You Make a Wrong Decision

4. Resisting Peer Pressure Peer pressure is the most important factor identified by teens who drink alcohol. Despite the fact that drinking is illegal for teens, most teens can obtain alcoholic beverages. You may be pressured to drink and buy alcohol. Use resistance skills to avoid drinking and buying alcohol. 1. Use assertive behavior. Stand tall and look directly at the person. Say "no" in a firm and confident voice. 2. Give reasons for saying "no" to alcohol. Explain that drinking is harmful, unsafe, and illegal for teens. Drinking does not show respect for your- self and others. Drinking is against the law for minors and against family guidelines. Use nonverbal behavior to match verbal behavior. • Do not pretend to drink alcoholic beverages. • Do not agree to buy alcohol. • Do not behave in ways that indicate that you approve of drinking. 4. Avoid being in situations in which there will be pressure to drink alcohol. • If there will be alcohol in a situation, do not go. • Attend only alcohol-free activities and do not go into bars. 5. Avoid being with people who drink -alcohol. • Choose friends who do not drink alcohol. • Stay away from gang members. • Stay away from people over the legal age who buy alcohol or give alcohol to minors. • Stay away from minors who use fake IDs to buy alcohol and get into bars. 6. Resist pressure to engage in illegal behavior. • Stay away from people who break laws. • Stay away from parties where minors are drinking alcohol. 7. Influence others to choose responsible behavior. • Encourage those who pressure you to use alcohol to change their behavior. • Encourage people who drink alcohol to stop by suggesting alcohol-free activities. • Know signs that indicate the presence of a drinking problem. Ask a responsible adult or trained counselor how you might help the person. 8. Avoid being influenced by advertisements for alcohol. • Realize that advertisements may incorrectly portray the use of alcohol as sexy, sophisticated, adventurous, healthful, or fun. • Realize that advertisements may incorrectly imply that drinking will result in success, relaxation, or romance. • Be aware that alcohol companies pay enormous amounts of money to advertise during major sporting events. • Be aware that alcohol companies use the Internet to advertise their products to young people. • Do not wear clothing that displays beer logos or logos of other alcoholic beverages:

5. Resisting Pressure to Abuse Drugs • I will not misuse or abuse drugs. • I will use resistance skills if I am pressured to misuse or abuse drugs. Influence that people of similar age or status place on others to behave in a certain way is peer pressure. Influence from peers to behave in a responsible way is positive peer pressure. Influence from peers to behave in a way that is not responsible is negative peer pressure. In this lesson you will learn how to recognize peer pressure to use drugs and resist this pressure. What You’ll Learn 1. Explain why teens who use drugs pressure their peers to use drugs. (p. 463) 2. Give examples of direct and indirect pressure to use drugs. (p. 463) 3. Outline resistance skills that can be used to resist pressure to use drugs. (p. 464) 4. List reasons to say "no" when pressured by peers to use drugs. (p. 465) 5. List ways to be a drug-free role model. (p. 466) Why It's Important There are many skills you need to grow up healthy. This lesson will give you skills that you can use to avoid the misuse and abuse of drugs. These skills are resistance skills. Key Terms • positive peer pressure • negative peer pressure • drug-free role model • drug-free lifestyle • peer leader • genuine • positive reinforcement What Would You Do? Writing About Being a Drug-Free Role Model Suppose that are very popular with your classmates. They respect you, look up to you and ask you for advice. One of your teachers tells you that you can be a drug-free role model and exert positive peer pressure on your classmates to be drug free. After reading the information about drug-free role - models on page 466, write an entry in your health journal about how you would respond to this situation.

6. Recognizing Peer Pressure A person. who uses self-control to act on responsible values has good character. To maintain self-respect, you need to have good character. It also is important to choose friends who have good character. How to Recognize Peer Pressure to Use Drugs Why teens who use drugs pressure their peers to use drugs Have you ever wondered why there is so much peer pressure to use drugs? Think about it. Why should another person care if you use drugs? Does a teen who tells you that drugs will make you feel good really care about how you feel? Support for wrong behavior Teens who use drugs often say they will not hang out with teens who do not use drugs. They pressure peers to use drugs. They do this because they want support for their wrong behavior. Embarrassment of another teen Some teens who use drugs pressure a peer to use drugs because they want to embarrass the other teen. Some teens who use drugs get their peers to use drugs without knowing it. They might trick a person into taking a drug by saying it is a piece of candy, or by slipping a drug into his or her drink. No concern that their behavior is disrespectful and illegal Some teens who use drugs pressure peers to use drugs because they know drugs impair judgment. For example, a teen male may want a teen female to have sex with him. The female may have said "no" when she was sober. The male knows that a female teenager is more likely to agree to have sex with him after drinking alcohol. He does not realize or care that having sex with someone who does not give consent is rape. What Teens Who Use Drugs Might Say to Their Peers • "You're not afraid, are you?" • "Everybody is doing it." • "Don't mess up the fun for everyone else." • "Don't be a nerd." • "Nobody will know but me and you." • "It can't hurt just this one time." • "If you won't do it, don't bother to come." • "It really is safe." • "Don't worry, we've been doing this for a long time." • "It will be fun." • You will feel better than you ever have before."

7. Resistance Skills Some teens have a difficult time resisting peer pressure. They lack self-confidence. They may plan to say "no," but they give in when they are pressured. Negative peer pressure takes many forms. Sometimes it is direct. Teens who use drugs make persuasive statements. Sometimes it is indirect. Teens may not be pressured directly, but they choose to go along with the crowd. How to Resist Peer Pressure You may face peer pressure to smoke cigarettes, chew tobacco, drink alcohol, sniff inhalants, smoke marijuana, use cocaine, or take other drugs. You must always resist the pressure to use drugs. Resistance skills are skills that help a person say "no" to an action or to leave a situation. Use resistance skills when you are pressured to use drugs. Say "no" to drug use with self confidence. Look directly at the person to whom you are speaking. Say "no" in a firm voice. Be confident because you are being responsible. Be proud because you are obeying laws and respecting family guidelines. Give reasons for saying "no" to drug use. Explain that drug use is harmful, unsafe, and illegal. Reasons for Saying "No" When Pressured by Peers to Use Drugs If peers pressure you to use drugs, tell them why you won't: • I don't want to betray the trust of my parents or guardian. • I don't want to break the law and get arrested. • I don't want to become violent and harm others. • I don't want to say something I will regret later. • I don't want to experience blackouts. • I don't want to hallucinate. • I don't want to spend time in jail. • I don't want to become depressed and consider suicide. • I don't want to become addicted. • I don't want to risk overdosing. • I don't want to be suspended from school. • I don't want to increase my risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, or cardiorespiratory diseases. • I don't want to get kicked off my athletic team. • I don't want to waste money. • I want to think clearly. • I want to stay in control and stick to my decision to choose abstinence. • I want others to respect me. • I want to be a role model for my younger siblings. • I want to have social skills without relying on drugs. • I want to be able to react quickly to prevent accidents.

8. Using Life Skills Resistance Skills: Ways to Say "No" When Pressured to Use Drugs Resisting peer pressure can be difficult. However, using resistance skills can be helpful. The steps for resisting peer pressure are 1) say 'no" with self-confidence 2) give reasons for saying "no" 3) repeat your "no" response several times 4) use nonverbal behavior to match verbal behavior 5) avoid situations in which there will be pressure to make wrong decisions 6) avoid people who make wrong decisions 7) resist pressure to engage in illegal behavior and 8) influence others to make responsible decision& Use the broken-record technique. Repeat the same response several times to convince the person pressuring you that you will not change your mind. Use nonverbal behavior to match verbal behavior. What you do and say should be consistent. Do not pretend to use a drug or sip a beer. Do not hold or pass a cigarette or marijuana joint. Do not touch a syringe or needle used to inject drugs. Do not agree to buy a drug for someone else or keep drugs for someone else. Do not do or say anything that indicates that you, approve of harmful drug use. Being high is never an excuse for wrong behavior. Some teens use alcohol and other drugs as an excuse for something they say or do. Suppose a teen has been drinking and does something embarrassing. The teen thinks he or she can laugh it off. He or she thinks that it will not affect his or her reputation because he or she was drinking. Or suppose a teen uses drugs. The teen then has sex. Later, the teen says, "I only had sex with the person because I was on drugs and couldn't help it." Suppose a teen does something illegal. Being high cannot be used as a defense for breaking the law. This is faulty thinking. You are responsible for what you say and do at all times. 3 Avoid being with people who use harmful drugs. • Choose friends who do not use drugs. • Stay away from people who use or sell drugs 1 Below are ways someone may pressure you to take drugs. Write a response that you could use for each point. 1. "It will make you feel like you can do anything." 2. "It will make all your problems melt away." 3. "Come on, everyone else does it." 4. "One time won't hurt you. Just try it." 2 Avoid being in situations in which there will be pressure to use harmful drugs. • Think ahead about what peers will be doing when they invite you to join them. • Ask if there will be drug use before you put yourself in a situation. • Attend only drug-free activities.

9. DRUG-FREE Role Models A person who chooses a drug-free lifestyle knows and follows laws and policies regarding drugs, and educates others about the risks of using drugs is a drug-free role model. A drug-free role model is able to analyze the difference between achieving goals when drug-free and how using drugs prevents one from reaching goals. Steps to Becoming a Drug-Free Role Model Choose a drug-free lifestyle. A lifestyle in which a person does not misuse or abuse drugs is a drug-free lifestyle. When you choose a drug free lifestyle, you have more control over your life. You take responsibility for your behavior and decisions. Know and follow policies regarding drug use. Know and follow the laws and school policies regarding legal and illegal drugs and drug use. Encourage others to follow these policies. Some peer programs offer special training to become a peer leader or counselor. A peer leader is a student who teaches another student about drugs and how to resist pressure to use them. Show you care about others. Part of being a role model is to be genuine. To be genuine is to be sincere. People who are genuine have a way of showing others that what they say and do is real. The way you interact with your friend will show if you care and are genuine. Discuss responsible rules with others. Sometimes, people do not know what is expected of them. For example, you are on a team at school and your friend is thinking of trying a cigarette. But your friend is not aware of a team and school rule that says that if a person is caught smoking, that person can be suspended from the team. You can make your friend aware of the rules. Be encouraging to others. A role model pushes others to take responsible actions by providing positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is rewarding others when they take actions that help them reach a goal. There are many different ways of giving positive reinforcement, including praise, writing a note, being present at a special occasion. People who receive positive reinforcement feel positive about themselves and are less likely to become involved with drug misuse and abuse.

10. Resisting Peer Pressure- Homework Key Terms Review Complete these fill-in-the-blank statements with the lesson Key Terms on the left. 1. People who are ___________________or sincere, show others that what they say is real. 2. A person who influences others to act in responsible ways uses __________________. 3. To reward others when they do something responsible is to give _______________________. 4. Leading a life in which drugs are not abused or misused is to lead a _____________________. 5. A student who teaches another student about drugs and how to resist pressure to use them is a ________________________. 6. Influencing peers to act in irresponsible ways is using ____________________. 7. A person who chooses a drug-free lifestyle and educates others about a drug-free lifestyle is a_________________________. Recalling the Facts 8. Name the eight resistance skills for peer pressure. 9. Name four reasons that one can state for saying "no" when pressured by peers to use drugs. 10. What is a peer leader? 11 Discuss ways in which you can show a friend you are genuine. 12. What are two reasons why teens may try to pressure others to use drugs? 13. Why should you choose a drug-free lifestyle? 14. Why is good character important in avoiding drug misuse and abuse? 15. Define the two types of peer pressure. 16. What is positive reinforcement? 17. How can you show you care about others? Critical Thinking 18. Why might a person who has a lack of confidence have difficulty resisting the temptation to use drugs? 19. What could a person say if a peer says, "Try this drug. You'll feel good."? 20. Why is it important for you to stay away from people who break laws? 21. Why do you have a good deal of control over your life if you follow a drug-free lifestyle? How can you say "no" with self-confidence? drug-free lifestyle drug-free role model genuine good character negative peer pressure peer leader peer pressure positive peer pressure positive reinforcement resistance skills

11. Resisting Peer Pressure- Homework (continues) Real-Life Applications 23. Why is someone who wants you to misuse or abuse drugs showing disrespect to you? 24. Why would it be dangerous for you to do something for someone else that is illegal? 25. Why are you less at risk for using drugs if you receive positive reinforcement? 26. As a drug-free role model, what alternatives could you suggest to -a- lifestyle -of substance abuse? Activities: Responsible Decision Making 27. Decide You and your teammate are at a party. Your teammate wants to drink alcohol. He says that it's no big deal. Write a response to what you would do in this situation. Refer to the Responsible Decision Making Model on page 61 for help. Real-Life Applications . Sharpen Your Life Skills 28. Advocate for Health Identify a drug prevention peer program in your school or community. Obtain information about the responsibilities and contributions of a volunteer to the organization. Share this information with your class.