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Teenagers and Drugs
( Informative speech given by Gopika Pillai in the gavel club )

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The first time I had it I felt like my senses had magnified, like the music sounded more beautiful, the lights more vivid and I felt like I loved everything that night. Months later, I was always sick and depressed. My eyes became bloodshot with big dark circles around them. I began to hate everything – I hated school, I hated my job and I fought constantly with my family. I felt like I had the worst life in the world. Looking back I now realize I could have avoided all of it, if I didn’t have it that very first time.
 

Gavelier of the day, venerable toastmasters, my fellow gaveliers and dear guests.

What I spoke just now is an excerpt from the true story of teen Nicole Hansen. You must be all wondering what my topic for today is. I have chosen a topic that I think is a very relevant one. Teenagers and drugs.
 

What is a drug? To me, a drug is something that leads you into an addiction. Why is it so bad? Because it leads into such a state where you don’t own the drug anymore, the drug owns you. Meaning, you go into such a craving where, how much ever you have it, it’s never enough. You always want more.
 

For example Nicole Hansen. She had been a regular teen until one night, one of the boys she had just met, convinced her into having a little of ecstasy. That night she only had a little. At first she felt like having the drug was the best thing she had ever done. But, later on she had more and more until it came to a point where she couldn’t live without it. She felt like her life had taken a toll for the worst and that everyone hated her, she hated everyone and everything in return. She thought that the only thing which could give her some happiness was the drug. And so she had more. One night she had such an overdose of a drug at a party where she had gone to with some “friends”. Due to the overdose she started to vomit in the bathroom and she passed out. Her friends left her there thinking that it wasn’t that big a deal. By the time someone found her she was barely breathing. The doctors at the hospital recognized her symptoms and immediately set to work. She flat lined twice and was in a coma for three hours. She says waking up was one of the worst experiences of her life. She woke up in a strange white room her ears ringing loudly and then she began to choke. She couldn’t pull whatever that was in her throat because her arms and legs were tied down. And she panicked. The nurses finally calmed her down telling her that it was for her own benefit, that it was allowing her to breathe. At that point Nicole realized that she was lucky to have survived and she didn’t want anything more to do with drugs.

My speeches:

• Speech topic: Animal rights

How badly one is affected by drugs depend upon factors such as the kind of drug taken, frequency of use, how much is taken, how quickly it gets into the brain, what other drugs are taken at the same time,  etc. But, the most common consequences are:

• Declining of grades, absenteeism from school and other activities, and eventually dropping out of school.

• Tendencies for suicide, committing murder, risk of making accidents

• Increased risk of getting AIDS due to usage of common syringes.

• Mood swings which will ignite many fights with family and friends.

• Mental health problems, including depression, personality disorders

But why do teenagers turn to drugs? Usually teens turn to drugs to be cool or trying to fit in, or because of their insecurities. Sometimes, it’s due to some personal problems. But friends, all I say is, these don’t give you a reason to turn to drugs. Try talking to a friend, a family member or a counselor. Always remember, drugs are only a temporary solution to a temporary problem.

How to come out of drug addictions?

The three most obvious ways to come out of an addiction

1. You die – You don’t get the will power or the reasons to come out of the addiction and you live your short life without accomplishing anything and you die.

2. People force you to come out of the addiction and it usually doesn’t work because your heart was not in it and years later, you fall back into the addiction.

3. You realize that your life is falling apart because of the drugs, that your friends are leaving you, that you are not getting anywhere in life by being an addict and so you get the will power to come out of it

It may seem that alcohol and drugs are everywhere in our society, but that doesn’t mean that we have to use them. Each one of us has our own talents, our own personality and none of us should waste it on a drug addiction. Always remember that all of us are beautiful in our own special way. So dear friends, say NO to drugs.

Over to Gavelier of the day

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