Drinking has become a dangerous right of passage of sorts for many teens. High school parties are the talk of the halls on Fridays and stay in the spotlight for the lucky attenders the following Monday; who brought the beer, who got “totally wasted”, and whose parents found out, but at the cost of what? The down right truth is that drinking can be the equivalent of having the worst seasickness of your life. But no one talks about that.

The dangers of consuming alcohol are both short and long term, ranging from stomach problems to cancer.

Odds are you’re going to face an awkward moment of choosing between right and wrong sometime in your life. When it comes to alcohol, that choice can get pretty blurry. Take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture with these easy steps.

Saying no to alcohol isn’t always an easy decision to make. Verbalizing that decision however, can be an even tougher mountain to climb.