As educators, we have a vested interest in helping students avoid the pitfalls of drugs and alcohol. The logic of following a path towards a natural high is clear, but logic is rarely the key to keeping students off the path towards drug and alcohol abuse.
We know that tweens and teens have the perplexing challenge of trying to fit in and stand out all at the same time. Because of this state of their social existence, peer pressure can be particularly effective at blurring lines and making the clearest logic rather fuzzy.
Students are also often caught in the middle of pushing boundaries and staying on the straight and narrow path of acceptance. They desperately want to be connected to their peers, and that need for connection and belonging can easily trump good decision making.
All this while, their brains are developing in beautiful – and for them sometimes confusing – ways.
It’s important to honor their development in a respectful way and help them to appreciate where they are in life.