Tips to say “No” to Drug Use
It can be hard to say no to friends and peers. It takes courage. Below are some refusal skill techniques that have helped teens say “no” to drinking and drugs.
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Say “No thanks.” This is the easiest approach and often works.
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Give a reason, fact, or excuse. An excuse often gets you away from the person or situation. Practice an excuse so that you won’t hesitate and will sound confident. Have a code word to use with your parents. Text them the word and have them call to say you need to come home.
“My mom just called. Sorry, I gotta go. Something’s going on at home.”
“I forgot I have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon.”
“I already lost my phone privileges last week. If they find me doing this stuff, I will not be able to go anywhere for a month.”
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Walk away. One of the most effective refusal skills is to simply walk away. You may feel obligated to stand and face “the enemy”, but you need to just leave. Say “no” and walk away while saying it.
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Change the subject. You can offer another alternative activity.
“No. Let’s go play ball instead.”
“I wanted to play video game this afternoon.”
- Use humor. Humor is a great way to get out of a situation when you are not comfortable.
“No thanks. This stuff stunts my growth.”
“Man, I need all the brain cells I can get. No thanks!”
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Broken record or repeated refusal. Keep saying “no” over and over again. It will buy you some time to use another refusal technique or be an annoyance.
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Cold shoulder or just ignore. Avoid directly confronting the person. Turn your shoulder and talk to someone else, or just ignore them as if you don’t hear them.
Avoid the situation: Evaluate invitations to outings and avoid situations where you know that people will be abusing drugs.
- Strength in numbers. You can count on your closer friends to say ‘NO’ together. When caught in the situation, stay close with your friends and back each other up in refusing the drug.