Distancing yourself from the wrong crowd may be hard for some people, but succeeding in life depends on taking the right path to obtain your goals. As much as people argue against it, your friends define who you are and which path you take in life.

Some people have friends who are involved with alcohol or drugs. Some teens make the decision to not partake in these things, while others get caught up in the moment and give in to peer pressure.

Peer pressure has an effect on everyone, but teens shouldn’t give in to such negative pressure. They should be able to distinguish between something that is right or wrong and make decisions that will get them closer to their goals. Plus, teens think that just because they have never been caught, they will never get caught as if they are invincible and no one can stop them.

No one ever really thinks they will get caught until they do. After being caught their parents may lose all trust in them, and they may not be able to hang out with their friends or go out on their own. Being caught for something like that follows you.

It can be hard when everyone seems to be doing what they aren’t supposed to. For some people, narcotics and alcohol become an escape, where they don’t have to think or be themselves. They don’t actually help fix the problems. They just dull the users for a little while and when you come out of that state, the problems are still there.

Drugs and underage drinking have an impact on everyone and it can be hard to see someone you care about partaking in these activities.

When you’re high or drunk, you don’t have control over your actions, and you aren’t aware of your surroundings. Teens don’t consider the consequences beforehand and they don’t think before they act. The ones around them are hurt and they could be the cause. They don’t see how their actions affect everyone around them, including their friends, their family, their classmates; everyone is effected.

They may not think that the choices they make have anything to do with the people around them, but they do. The company you keep not only influences who you are, but it also dictates to the world how you will be perceived. Sometimes people have to eliminate relationships to move forward and put themselves in the position to succeed.