Research often focuses on reasons why youths use various substances.

But we know that many young people do not use substances at all!

The following is a list of 25 reasons why young people say they don’t use drugs.

• Drugs are addictive.
• Drugs cause mental/physical damage.
• Drugs cause "bad trips."
• Drugs cause fights with parents.
• Drugs cause money problems.
• Drugs cause you to break things.
• Drugs cause trouble with the police.
• Alcohol makes you forget what happened.
• Alcohol makes you pass out.
• Alcohol makes you behave in ways you later regret.
• Alcohol hurts relationships.
• Alcohol makes people drive unsafely.
• Smoking makes you look insecure.
• Smoking makes it harder to get dates.
• Smoking reflects poor judgment.
• Smoking is a dirty habit.
• Marijuana interferes with clear thinking.
• Marijuana saps your energy.
• Marijuana involves you with bad influences.
• Marijuana makes you appear less sensible.
• Marijuana makes you appear less stable.
• Marijuana makes you appear less hard-working.
• Marijuana makes you appear more weak-willed.
• Marijuana makes you appear more criminal.
• Marijuana makes you get lower grades.