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As you begin to grow up you may feel curious about drugs and alcohol. Maybe your friends are experimenting and you feel tempted to as well.  But alcohol and drugs can cause a lot of problems and may be dangerous to your health and wellbeing.

Isn’t alcohol legal?

Yes, alcohol is legal if you are over 18 but it can cause problems even if you’re an adult. Lots of young people enjoy getting drunk, but it can quickly stop being fun as it is hard to know your limits. Everyone is different and it is not easy to know what effect different drinks and strengths will have on you. If you drink too much you can get into dangerous situations or take risks you wouldn’t normally.

What about drugs?

Drugs are illegal so if you are caught with them you can get into trouble with the police. Many young people experiment with drugs and it is important to know about what you are taking and the effect it can have both emotionally and physically. Drugs can also be dangerous, everyone is different and you can’t tell what effect different drugs and strengths will have on you.

You can find out more about different types of drugs at Talk to Frank.

I think I have a problem, what can I do?

Sometimes people use alcohol or drugs to try to escape problems, but sometimes alcohol or drugs become the problem and you may find yourself becoming dependent on them. If this happens to you it is important to get help.

You can talk to a Talksafe Counsellor or Peer Mentor or can contact Talk to Frank, an organisation which helps young people who are having problems with drugs or alcohol.

Links

Young Minds: Alcohol and drugs

Talk to Frank

TheSite.org: Drink and drugs

Drinkaware

Last review: 31/05/11 - Next review: 31/05/13