It’s a vulnerable time of life as teens attempt to navigate the precarious bridge between childhood and adulthood. And one of the most challenging decisions, for an age group that’s ill-prepared to make difficult choices, is whether to start using alcohol or drugs.
On the one hand, adolescence is a time of self-exploration. One could argue that it’s perfectly natural and normal to want to try new things, such as getting high or drunk for the first time. However, others would argue – and wisely so – that adolescents, by virtue of their young age and lack of life experience, aren’t prepared for the consequences that often follow.
Regardless of which side of the argument you find yourself, most teens will experiment with alcohol and / or drugs at some point – for many different reasons. Following are 10 of the most common: