Peer Pressure and Choosing to Drink: Think About It

David and Julie are excited but nervous about their invitation to a party hosted by “the cool kids.” Sharing his thought process with viewers, David describes an elevated heart rate and feelings of being a social outcast, laughed at because he and Julie don’t drink. David allows a subtle form of peer pressure to take control, with tragic results. In this dramatization, the potential consequences of choosing to drive while intoxicated are played out. In a separate segment, a psychiatrist explains how the adolescent brain manages emotions and decision making in a social context, differences between how boys and girls express this, and the importance of good role models for teens. Part of the series Think About It. (19 minutes)