As students enter the school building, they are easy targets of peer pressure. Students may become involved in activities that are dangerous to themselves, or others, due to peer pressure.

     Drugs, including alcohol, are a major part of peer pressure. A research institute reports that about 30 percent of the teenagers are offered drugs in middle and high schools. The majority of teens consume their first drink of alcohol at the age of 13. The National Household Survey on drug use and health from the Department of Health and Human Services informs the public that 74. 3 percent of the high school students have tried alcohol. A large percentage of those who drink alcohol are also smokers. The American Lung Association points out that about 3. 1 million adolescents are smokers in the US. Almost 25 percent of teens between 17 and 18 are regular smokers.

     Peer pressure can affect the behavior, clothing choice, music and movie choice and even the personality. Academics can also be affected by peer influence.People can be affected by these factors and remain completely unaware of the changes in their lifestyle, but some people do realize when they are being pressured.Just by simply spending time with others, a person can become more like them.

   “If you are being pressured to do things that you know are wrong,” Sheats, a senior, said,“you should get out of that situation and tell a trusted adult.” For people to avoid becoming a victim of peer pressure, they must make their own decisions.Judgment of a situation based on one's morals is very important in peer pressure situations.“People,” Sheats added,“should follow their own hearts.”