It would be silly to deny that drugs can be pleasurable. Sensations range from a feeling of relaxation and stimulation with cannabis, to hallucinations with LSD, or euphoria and energy with Ecstasy. Drugs and solvents can give you a real buzz, but it's this that can tempt you to carry on taking them in excess. Telling yourself to stop wouldn't have much impact. IT is your body, your life, and your decision. If you feel under pressure to conform, it's worth thinking of ways of refusing and saving. You might for instance; say your dad can always tell if you've taken anything. If someone tries to sell drugs to you, simply say 'No thanks' and walk away. Don't give her or him the opportunity to try to persuade you. With friends, try statements such as 'I don't really feel like it', 'There are other things I'd rather spend my money on', or simply, 'I'm not in mood'. You could also say you've got a heavy day tomorrow and want to keep a clear head. You may wish to seek professional advice to help curb your habit faster.

Most teenage crimes are committed by groups, rather than by individuals. Peer pressure might mean that you get dragged into something you really didn't want to do, because you were scared to speak out against it, or because you are afraid of people laughing at you or calling you a coward. You do, however, need to think about the consequences of breaking the law. That doesn't just mean the possibility of being arrested and getting a criminal record. Laws exist for a reason and usually it's because a crime hurts someone. If you take someone's car and wreck it, you might be cutting off a lifeline she or he can't afford to replace. If you vandalize a phone box, you could destroy the nearest source of help in an accident. If you steal from a small shop, you might bring the owners one step closer to bankruptcy. Even shoplifting from a major supermarket affects people. Shops raise their prices to make up the money they lose through shoplifting, and higher prices hit hardest those who can least afford to pay - the unemployed and people on low income. Petty crime is not just harmless fun. It's often selfish and cruel. Think about how it would feel to be on the receiving end when you are tempted to do something illegal.

Problem: People always go about the dangers of drugs and why kids take them. They say it's because we're unhappy, or miserable, or lonely. Well, I can tell them why we do it, we do it for fun.

Advice: Pleasure is the desire for fun and excitement that makes people forgets the danger element of drugs.

Problem: I do it because my friends do. They don't force me to smoke; I just do it because I want to show them I'm in with them. In don't think they'd ditch me if I gave up but I don't know.

Advice: Many people find it pretty hard to say no to drugs when everyone else is doing it, or at least talking about it. Perhaps you're tempted to give in to peer pressure so you're no longer the odd one out. On the other hand you think experimenting with drugs might make you stand out in a crowd, get attention or be the leader. Maybe you associate drug taking with maturity. Perhaps you think it will eliminate your shyness and make you feel confident. The real problem is, of course, that drinking and taking drugs aren't a solution to any of these problems. They won't make you more confident, in fact they'll make you feel that you aren't anything without them and that they are the only way you'll get through life. As for peer pressure, taking drugs doesn't prove you're a good friend. And it doesn't prove your friends are mature, cool or trendy. Real friends don't encourage you to do dangerous things, even if they're into them. Remember, someone who is cool with what they are doing doesn't need to get a band of followers to back them up. Often people put pressure on you to do stuff with them because they're scared of doing it alone.

Curiosity:

Problem: You hear so much about drugs that it makes you want to try them. Even the down things make it sound quite exciting.

Advice: Everyone wants to try out new experiences, and this desire to see what drugs are like makes many people experiment with them, often without realizing what the 'down' side really entails.

Accessibility:

Problem: Drugs are everywhere. My mum thinks you can only get them at clubs but there's a guy down the road who sells stuff and some boys who hang out near our school.

Advice: It's a myth that drugs are expensive and hard to find. Most drugs like LSD, solvents and cannabis are cheaper than alcohol and just as easy to get hold of, which makes them more of a temptation.

Feeling Grown Up:

Problem: I smoke because it makes me feel older and mature. I also like the look of smoking - it's cool and sexy. I know about the health risks but they don't bother me because they only happen to you when you're old, not when you're 14.

Advice: Deciding to take drugs is a risk and therefore makes some users feel grown up and mature. Girls consider taking them as being in control of their own lives by the fact that they can choose to do something dangerous.

Rebellion:

Problem: My mum is always nagging on the dangers of drugs. She harps on and on about how people who take E are a danger to society and should be locked up. The joke is, I take E and she doesn't even know it. That kills me every time I think of it.

Advice: Some people use drugs as a way of getting back at their parents, guardians or teachers. It's a way of saying, 'you can't tell me what to do with my body'.

For Confidence:

Problem: I drink for courage. When I'm at the party and sober I feel shy, unconfident and miserable. When I'm drunk everyone loves me. I'm happy, together and good fun. That's why I drink - so people like me.

Advice: Lots of people use drugs in the hope that they will make them feel better about themselves. It's a way of covering up problems and avoiding real issues that need to be tackled.

To Cope with Exam Pressure:

Problem: I can never cope when exams come round. I never seem to have enough time to do stuff so I end up having to stay up all night. A little while ago my friend gave me these pills to help me stay awake. They make me cranky and achy but they really help me to stay awake and concentrate.

Advice: Work pressure is very common reason why people start taking drugs. They use them to cope with stress and anxiety and often don't realize that they are only adding it to their problems.