Erica spoke to the Community of Concern about why she decided to be drug and alcohol free.  The Community of Concern locally is made up of parents, faculty, administrations from Bayside Academy, McGill Toolen Catholic High School, St. Paul Episcopal High School and UMS Wright High School, who share their concerns about teenage drug abuse and underage drinking. This was her speech:

My name is Erica de Veer.  I am a senior at McGill Toolen Catholic High School.  I decided not to use alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs during my high school career.  Why did I make this decision?   There are many reasons, but to list them all might take days.  My parents initially educated me on the effects of alcohol and drugs, convincing me to avoid them.  I have set many goals for myself, and with the use of alcohol and drugs, I would not be able to achieve them.  My self-respect and my reputation among my peers are other reasons.  And finally, but possibly most influential, my friends are a reason.

My parent initially helped me make my decision not to use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.  At an early age, they told me not to use alcohol, tobacco, or any other drugs and explained the effects these drugs have on the user.  Honestly, they scared me.  Aside from telling me the physical effects of alcohol and drugs, they instilled in me strong Catholic faith and values that have helped me along my way.  The Catholic faith teaches that each of our bodies is the Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit and that we should each respect our bodies.  By teaching me their values and by educating me on the harmful effects of alcohol and drugs, my parents became my first reason not to use those harmful substances.

Throughout my life, I have set many goals, such as attending college, receiving scholarships for college, getting a prestigious and challenging job after college, and raising a family one day.  I am the type of person who sets high standards for herself.  I knew that if I engaged in the use of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, my dreams would be crushed  and everything I have worked for in my life would have been in vain.

Throughout my seventeen years, I have encountered people who do not respect themselves.  As part of my faith and my values, I respect my body, but many people my age do not.  They do drugs, drink alcohol, or use tobacco for various reasons that are beyond me.  But I do know that they lose respect each time they engage in such activities.  The teachers know what their students do on the weekends.  Their peers hear stories and rumors circulate about them.  Their friends lose respect for them.  I have made it a goal in my life to  never lose the respect of my peers and my teachers due to the use of alcohol and drugs.  I have chosen to be a leader among my school community, and the best way to encourage others to stay drug-free is to provide an example in every aspect of life for them, which I hope that I have done.  Through interaction with my peers in clubs and organizations, such as Campus Ministry, I hope that they have taken my word sincerely.  In Campus Ministry we conduct a retreat for anyone from the student body who  would like to attend.  We give talks on issues that students will face throughout high school, and we help spiritually to guide them.  It would be hypocritical for me to talk to my peers about respecting their bodies and not using drugs if what I did was contrary to this.

By asserting my position and participating in clubs and organizations in high school, I have found friends who have the same values and opinions as I do.  Their support throughout high school has really helped me because I know that my friends would never pressure me to do something that I disagree with and because I know that they have made the same decisions to abstain from harmful substances as I have.  This is my way of saying "No."  My friends and I do not put ourselves in the position of being confronted with the decision.  We say "No" by avoiding that particular situation; instead, we go to each others' houses, watch movies, cook or bake, go to the beach, talk, or do anything else we can think of.  I know that with my friends we can have a great time without the use of drugs or alcohol.

Though I have only lived seventeen years on this earth, I feel that those years have been well-spent and well-learned.  I, so far, have seventeen years' worth of knowledge, wisdom, and advice.  My advice to students who are confronted by their peers with alcohol, tobacco, or drugs may sound cliche.  "Just say 'No'."  In high school pressure to fit in is perpetual; even the person who is most comfortable with himself or herself will feel that pressure.  But no reason in the world requires that you do something to belong to a group or to be accepted by certain people.  If those people reject you because you are your own person and because you are consistent with your decisions, they would have rejected you for any reason possible, not just your decision not to use alcohol or tobacco or drugs.  Ultimately,  the best way to avoid the pressure of using alcohol, tobacco, or drugs is to avoid situations where you will be tempted.  Surround yourself with friends who would not put you in that position or who would not have you make that decision.

To parents, gain your son's or daughter's trust.  I know that I could tell my parents anything and they would love me no less.  Though your children may know this innately, they want to hear it.  Everyday my parents tell me that they love me more than anything in the world.  This daily reassurance lets me know that they will not stop loving me if I make a mistake.  The pressure today to achieve perfection is an amazingly strong force in our society.   Americans are not okay with mediocrity, so they must be great in everything.  This is a very powerful statement that can affect every aspect of a person's life and can cause eating disorders, depression, and other irregular behavior in today's American world.  Teenagers do not need that pressure from their parents as well.  Let your children know that they do not have to be perfect to have your love.  Your love is unconditional.  That is a very profound message for anyone, young or old to hear.

Now that I am a senior in high school, I look back on my four years at McGill Toolen Catholic High School.  I am very thankful for the guidance of my faith, the knowledge of my teachers, and the assurance of my parents.  I could see how my life could be very different from that it is today if I had not made my decisions early in life not to use alcohol and other drugs in high school.  Now that I am faced with college in less than a year, I hope and pray that I might carry my convictions and decisions into my college life and beyond.  My decision not to partake in harmful substances and activities in high school has affected every aspect of my life.  Because of my convictions I have excelled in my academic life, I have become a role model for my younger peers, I have maintained a healthy perspective on life and a healthy body, and I have fostered flourishing relationships with God, my family, my teachers, and my friends.  The choice I made not to use drugs has been the best and the most reverberating decision of my life.