<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  &amp;quot;At parties, my friends always pressure me to drink. And even though a part of me wants to know what it feels like to be drunk, I really don&amp;#039;t want to drink. I&amp;#039;ve drank before, but never a lot. What should I do?&amp;quot; Anonymous, 17 You&amp;#039;re smart to stay away from drinking. It mostly leads to bad decisions, embarrassing situations, and major headaches (literally!). But the bigger truth is that drinking when you&amp;#039;re under 21 is just plain illegal. You could be arrested for buying alcohol, drinking it, just holding it, or even driving with an open can of beer in your car. And you can still have fun at parties without drinking. Pour soda in a plastic cup and keep that in your hand throughout the night. If someone asks if you want a drink, hold up your cup and say, &amp;quot;No, thanks, I&amp;#039;m good!&amp;quot; If anyone gives you problems about it, just smile, shrug, roll your eyes, or say you&amp;#039;re not into it. The only reason anyone would make fun of you for not drinking would be for the lame thrill of having someone to drink with, or the even lamer thrill of having some kind of control over you. Neither is an appealing reason to abandon your convictions. And sure, it can be hard to resist temptation or pressure, but stay strong and stick to your decisions: You won&amp;#039;t regret it. And if you hold your ground and your friends still keep bugging you, it might be time to find some new friends. Seek out people who like you just the way you are, not ones who keep trying to make you do something you don&amp;#039;t want to do. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/friends-family/q-and-a/a1143/dear-17-032408/>