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<p>This is about the response I get every time someone finds out that I partake pretty often. It’s really not difficult to maintain stellar academics/ECs while letting loose on the weekends. It becomes a problem when weed and alcohol take over your life, but if you have self-control, you should be fine.</p>
<p>People almost always overestimate the substance use that happens around them.</p>
<p>Lots of my friends (even the valedictorian and salutatorian) do drugs and alcohol. I don’t do it and my friends make fun of me for it – but whatever. I’m just not into substance abuse.</p>
<p>It’s synonymous with my town. Even the teachers joke about its prevalence.</p>
<p>Use the phrase “substance abuse” carefully. Somewhere between having a glass of wine with dinner and being addicted to homemade desomorphine, there is a spectrum of danger. THC is among the least dangerous drugs in existence and underage drinking in moderation is also extremely benign, the only major problem being that children tend to be irresponsible – likely to binge and to get in trouble without being able to deal with the consequences. On the other hand, not having a driver’s license (or friends who would let an unlicensed driver drive a car) is a major plus.</p>
<p>Halogen’s absolutely right. Substance use =/= substance abuse. I doubt many people are “into” substance abuse because it has disastrous consequences. On the other hand, most people are fine with moderate substance use. You’ll anger a lot of people if you equate the terms (and perhaps that’s why you’re made fun of).</p>
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Probably because most people consider people who are top students to be nerds, and nerds aren’t usually pictured to be the kind who do drugs or drink.</p>
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<p>I would argue that underage drinking (severely underage, not 20 years old or something) is substance abuse just because of the age of the user.</p>
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<p>Severely underage, sure. But what that means is up for debate. I’d say most high-school students are old enough for moderate drinking without any lingering effects. Binge drinking and other irresponsible actions would fall under abuse, though.</p>
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Then the question becomes, what’s considered moderate drinking?</p>
<p>One or two drinks? Moderate I would assume means drinking within one’s limits, i.e. not actually becoming ‘drunk’ yet still enjoying the benefits. I think people distinguish between ‘relaxed’, ‘tipsy’ and ‘drunk’ easily enough.</p>
<p>Adding onto ecouter’s post, once-a-week is moderate enough.</p>
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<p>I’m just speculating here, but I think the main problem with slightly-underage drinking as opposed to legal drinking is that underage drinking is more likely to occur in a “rebellious” context that encourages abuse. Adults usually drink at home or at relatively classy parties where getting wasted isn’t encouraged, but underage drinking is more likely to be kept “hidden” and I think some people fail to see the ethical distinction between the drinking by itself and, say, drunk driving. Because they’re both illegal, y’know?</p>
<p>My old school had around 60%. Personally, I think the cons outweigh the pros, considering you’re cooked (or baked, lol) if people find out.</p>
<p>Besides, most kids can’t maturely handle substances like alcohol despite what they all say.</p>
<p>out of the 2000 kids in my school, if I found 200 people who didn’t drink I would be shocked honestly</p>
<p>Probably about 80% of students, but I don’t really hang out with that crowd.</p>
<p>I went to a Philadelphia-area Catholic high school. For a Catholic school, I was surprised at how many people drank, and also how many of their parents either allowed it, didn’t care, or even brought alcohol for them! Personally, I didn’t drink. It’s not like I couldn’t go to a party where’s there was drinking; I was a popular kid, so I could have. The only problem was that I didn’t have transportation. I don’t live where all my friends who drink live. I might have the opportunity to get wasted out of my mind soon though. First of all, I start college in August. Secondly, I’m going down to Wildwood, NJ soon, so I might just hit some of them up for a few drinks!</p>
<p>I live in the really suburban area of my state. I say about in my school, 40 - 50% of the people at my school drink. It’s not common to see someone talking about the parties they went to.</p>