A day in the life of a teen: decisions at every turn.

• Position: HEADS UP REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY

On the way to school

... Wonder if I should go tonight?

Connect with friends in between classes

Homeroom ...Should I finish studying for the quiz instead of talking with friends

Break for lunch

...Should I invite the new kid

Study hall ...Do homework then read?

After-school activities ...Do I ask if I'm starting on Saturday?

On the way home from school ...R U going 2night?...

Homework

Dinner ...Is it a good time to tell Mom and Dad about the dent in the car?

Surf internet and check e-mail ...Should I tell him about the party?

Get together with friends

HEADS UP: The Way to Go

As a teen, you lead a life jam-packed with a thousand things. All day long you may participate in activities and interactions in and out of school, including team sports, going to parties, going to the library, hanging out with friends at the mall, studying, surfing the Internet, group activities, and text-messaging. The list goes on and on. If you think about it, you make a lot of choices while you're doing these activities and during the rest of your day. Some are big and some are small, but everything you do and say involves making a decision.

While you may not ever be faced with this situation, someday you may be confronted by a friend or a stranger with an offer to take drugs. What would you do? This article discusses making tough decisions in social settings where drugs may be offered to you, as well as the harmful effects that those drugs cause. A big factor in deciding what to do is understanding what can happen--the outcome or consequence of your choices.

You'll find out the facts and dangers of drug abuse as you continue reading, and you'll learn what you can do---and say--to protect yourself and navigate through social situations. Making decisions that seem uncool in front of your peers can be hard. But making decisions that can harm you can lead to dangerous consequences--short-term and long-term.

HEADS UP: You're normal

As part of their public-health mission to research the health effects and impact of drugs, scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) study trends on the number of teens abusing drugs, the kinds of drugs they abuse, and teens' perceptions of drug availability and the harmfulness of using drugs.

NIDA's mission is scientific but also includes sharing its research findings with the public, so its scientists seek to educate young people on the damage that drug abuse and addiction can cause to their bodies and lives. Elizabeth...