Drink n drugs

You may worry about drugs, smoking or drinking – and you will probably experiment. But there's someone to talk to about all these things and lots of support and advice available.

Alcohol
You should wait until you are old enough to drink, but in a recent survey 18% of you aged 10, 12 and 14 reported you had been drunk in the last four weeks. That is 3% higher than the England average. Don’t feel pressured into drinking, and if you do, try to have water or pop in between and pass it off as alcohol. It can be easy to get hold of  alcohol compared to other drugs and can make you feel more confident and relaxed.

If you're under 18 it's illegal for someone to sell or serve you with alcohol but you may be able to get it from home, at friends' houses or parties and feel pressured by your friends to try it or drink too much.

There is government guidelines which say you should not drink before 15, and between 15 and 17 years of age only drink when supervised by a guardian or other adult. Alcohol can change the way you act and feel, encourage you to make bad choices and damage your health. Take a look at the Cocktales website (opens in a new window) for video footage of the consequences of drinking too much.

Alcohol units
One unit of alcohol is half a pint of beer or cider or a small glass of wine. It's recommended women over 18 don't regularly drink more than a maximum 2-3 units daily and no more than 14 units a week, and men over 18 drink no more than 3-4 or 21 units a week. For people under 18, even these limits are harmful. Try the calculator (opens in a new window) to see the effects of what you drink.

Smoking
People smoke for lots of reasons. Some want to know what it's like or think it makes them look older. The fact is, its not cool anymore, and it gives you bad breath, makes you smell and ruins your skin. More seriously it can damage your heart and lungs and cause cancer.

Smoking is expensive. Giving up a 10-a-day habit will save you more than £1,000 a year. In the UK, smoking claims 80,000 lives per year. You could save your own life just by quitting. Cigarettes contain thousands of dangerous chemicals. The main ingredient is nicotine which is one of the most addictive drugs around. NHS provide a free quitting service (opens in a new window).

Drugs 
You may worry about what drugs can do to you, or friends getting involved or someone tempting you to have a go. You've probably heard of heroin, cocaine, speed and cannabis and know they're dangerous, but prescription drugs such as painkillers can also be harmful – especially if mixed with alcohol.

Drugs like paracetamol can damage your health if you take too many and solvent based glues and aerosols (even deodorant and hairspray) can be extremely dangerous if you sniff them - even on the first go.

You may have heard of the drug mephedrone (‘meow meow’ or ‘M-Cat’). It's dangerous on its own and especially when mixed with alcohol. It was called a ‘legal high’ which means intoxicating drugs available without a prescription and not restricted by law. But this means the drug has not been tested, users don't know what they're taking, what the risks are or what the long-term effects could be. Two teenage deaths were linked to mephedrone in March 2010 and soon after the drug became an illegal Class B substance.
Remember – legal does not mean safe.

Help
Safer Derbyshire has information on Drugs and Alcohol, or for more national support, see the links on the navigation panel.