Fail the test? Or Just Cheat?

This temptation has happened to everyone at some point during their life. Your just siting down in class, writing your test, and blank out. Its either you fail or look off the person next to you. This temptation happens to me all the time. My dad always told me its better to fail fairly or do good cheating. This happens to me sometimes when I may have not studied enough or just studied the wrong thing. I would be sitting there in my chair, just staring at my paper. I am tempted to look at the person next to me and try to pass the test, but I never fall for the temptation. Sometimes it is too great and I have fallen for it in grade 9 but I have learned to avoid the temptation.This temptation does not only affect me but almost every student in schools.

To steal.....Or Not to Steal......

As a student in high school I am tempted to do many things as I see my peers do them. I always knew stealing was a bad thing and never thought it would ever effect me closely. One day I went to a convenience store with my friends and while I was buying a candy bar I noticed one of my friends take a chocolate bar and put it in his pocket. Confused, I walk up to him and ask him what hes doing. He quickly hushed me up and told me the clerk is not looking and that they always take stuff without getting caught. The cashier then helped a customer and left the cash register. At this moment all my friends started taking snacks and putting them in their pockets. One of my friends ran up to me and told me to take something before the clerk comes back. Right there I realized, I can get free stuff without getting caught and got tempted to do it. I always pay for stuff and thought about me getting something free for once.After a quick second I left the store and waited outside. I told my friends what they did was just stupid and wrong. I was proud of myself because I understood that I resisted something many people can't. Teenagers are always getting in trouble due to them being tempted to do bad things.

These Are What Teenagers Call Role Models...

These days, teenagers like me look up to people that our parents wouldn't really be proud of. Wiz Khalifa (right) and Snoop Dogg (Left) are two very famous hip hop artists that mostly rap about illegal drugs. Many teenagers like me listen to their music because of what they talk about. Although many people don't do what the rappers talk about many people are tempted to as it looks cool. I know many people that have started smoking due to the songs made by these guys. These people always try to get me to try it. The temptation sometimes is very hard to resist because I don't want to feel left out. My parents always taught me the dangers of using drugs and this made me avoid the temptation. People are still talking about the new trend and it seems that smoking weed is growing and becoming very common.  This is making the temptation of smoking drugs increase because my peers and I are watching all of our friends get sucked into this addiction."That Good" is based on the concept of smoking weed. Below is a part of the song as you can see mentions nothing but smoking weed.

[Wiz Khalifa]
I’m smoking everywhere I go
(No stick, no seeds, just Al Green)
I always gotta keep one rolled
(I keep that, need that, got that)
I’m rolling every gram I own
(that purp, that bomb, that kush)
don’t gotta understand, they know
I smoke that, fire that, good that good that

[Snoop Dogg]
Concentrated, everyday I’m faded

tree’s prepared and properly cultivated
I nursed ‘em, sprayed down, no chemicals
just me and my buddy, ya hear me now
never treat ya wrong, to each his own
Snoop and Wiz the new Cheech and Chong
we up in smoke, making street schemes
smoking sticky green, having sweet dreams
break it down, put it in the zig zag
and pull the top back and let the ass drag
hit the switch, quickest way to get a hit
executive branch, get a whiff of this

The Temptation of Drinking to Fit In

Why Do Adolescents Drink, What Are the Risks, and How Can Underage Drinking Be Prevented?

Alcohol is the drug of choice among youth. Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age. As a result, underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country.

Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings (1–5).

Yet drinking continues to be widespread among adolescents, as shown by nationwide surveys as well as studies in smaller populations. According to data from the 2005 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, an annual survey of U.S. youth, three-fourths of 12th graders, more than two-thirds of 10th graders, and about two in every five 8th graders have consumed alcohol. And when youth drink they tend to drink intensively, often consuming four to five drinks at one time. MTF data show that 11 percent of 8th graders, 22 percent of 10th graders, and 29 percent of 12th graders had engaged in heavy episodic (or “binge”) drinking within the past two weeks (6) (see figure). (¹ The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [NIAAA] defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration [BAC] to 0.08 grams percent or above. For the typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks [men], or four or more drinks [women], in about 2 hours.)

Drinking is something very big and very popular in my school and community. This is one of the things that people think will make them "cool" and will do to feel accepted. Not only is this not good for the body but usually teenagers who start drinking end up using other drugs to fit in. I have been pressured a lot to go parties that have alcohol but I don't let the temptations get to me. I know that drinking is bad for the health and that it isn't something to be proud of.No matter how tempting drinking becomes I will never do it because not only am I underage but it is also against my religion. Some teenagers however can't ignore the temptations of drinking and end up doing it to fit in with peers and feel socially accepted.

Smoking Temptation in Teenagers

Article:

Smoking In Teens

Here's what the Canadian Lung Association has to say:

Youth and Tobacco

Ontario law prohibits the sale of tobacco if the person is under 19.

Smoking is expensive!

"Teenagers smoke more than a billion cigarettes a year resulting in retail sales worth over $400 million. The average teen smoker spends $1,000 a year on cigarettes."

Smoking is addictive!

·         8 out of 10 teens who try smoking get hooked.

·         Over half of Grade 12 students are unable to quit.

·         Only 5% of student smokers think that they will be smoking in 5 years. But 5 years later, 80% of them are heavy smokers.

·         60% of smokers try to quit. Most smokers quit several times before stopping for good.

·         80% of smokers would like to quit.

·         Cigarette smoking is more addictive and harder to quit than heroin or cocaine.

Smoking kills!

·         It is estimated that 55% of young men and 51% of young women who started smoking by age 15 will die before age 70 if they continue to smoke.

·         Tobacco kills more than 40,000 Canadians per year. That's more than the total number of deaths from AIDS, traffic accidents, suicide, murder, fires and accidental poisoning.

Youth and Tobacco:

Most teens are concerned about their appearance and social life, however, when it comes to smoking and...

8 out of 10 guys and 7 out of 10 girls say they would not date someone who smokes.

smoking causes premature wrinkling. It makes the skin dry and leathery.

smoking makes it take longer for acne to heal

                                                           

it causes hair loss in some teens.

                                                                                  

This article explains how smoking is bad for both teenagers and adults. These days’ teenagers are being told about the problems associated with smoking but  are still doing it. I am a high school student that has to deal with this situation often. Many people who are under age are smoking and potentially killing their bodies. These people are inviting people like me, to try it and see how it feels. Some of my friends recently have started smoking and are trying to get me into it. Since they all smoke except me they are all telling me to try it. The temptation is so strong because these are people that I grew up with. But till now I have never smoked yet and I am proud of that. Now I am one of the lucky people that avoided the temptation of smoking even though many people I know have done it.