As a teenager, there are many situations one might feel pressured to consume or use substances unlawfully. The sad reality is that many of us end up making the wrong decisions and suffer the consequences. Different people have different ways of avoiding this, but one of the more helpful ways is to know a person who knows how to stay substance free.

Paul Henderson is a substance free student who attends CHRHS. He has been exposed to friends and peers drinking alcohol in various situations, but he has always been able to make the right decision by saying no. Paul says that his biggest anti-drugs are sports. By playing hockey, golf, and baseball, he has found ways to avoid drug use.

“One thing that helps is that I have always been involved in something,” says Paul “I have always had something to do as an alternative to alcohol and drugs.”

Paul also realizes how severely drugs and alcohol can effect a person and their life.

“I have seen lives ruined right before my eyes from drugs” says Paul “That’s definitely given me a sense of how real these problems really are.”

Awareness of drugs and alcohol is contagious. Associating with people courageous enough to say no, will make a person feel less pressured and less inclined to begin using drugs or alcohol, and saying no is all it takes.