NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse
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PEERx is a program that aims to empower teenagers to avoid prescription drug abuse. Find out more here.

1. Get Creative!

 Teens thinkingNow that you've explored the different paths and fully understand the power of decision making, you're ready to create your very own Choose Your Path adventure. This activity is a great opportunity for you to flex your creativity and writing skills. Just use the facts that you see on the PEERx Web site about prescription drug abuse to make your storyline as compelling as possible. You have a lot of options: write about a typical day in the life of a teen and tap into your own experiences for ideas. Or, you can always create a story about someone whose life is totally different from yours or your friends. Make sure you weave in facts about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

Have your explored the interactive PEERx Choose Your Path adventure yet? Check it out here!

2. Fill in a Decision Tree

 Teen on a pathWe've provided a blank decision tree (Word, 47KB) for you to fill in. This helps you navigate your own story about abusing prescription drugs, * just like the official Choose Your Path videos. Start by typing in the boxes to develop your story, or print the tree and handwrite your ideas in the boxes. You can use all the same characters from Choose Your Path or create your own!

Don't forget that these video adventures are shot from the main character's point of view, meaning that you are seeing things as they happen through the eyes of the main character. Basically, any person watching or reading this storyline is the main character.

Prescription drug abuse: Taking prescription medication that was not prescribed by a doctor specifically for you or taking prescription drugs beyond the dose recommended by your doctor.

3. Make Sure There Are Two Paths

 Success and Failure signsYour Choose Your Path adventure should start off with one decision, such as should you go on a date with Mario? Or not? Should you miss the buss and take a ride from a friend? Should you say hi to that cute boy or girl at the mall? These are just a few examples. Let your imagination run wild! Remember that in every scene your reader should be faced with two decisions. One decision should have a negative consequence of abusing prescription drugs and another outcome based on a healthier decision. Just remember, at the end of your story, you will need to have outcomes based on the decisions that you made throughout the day. The decisions are yours!

4. Lights, Camera, Action!

 2 teens using a video cameraIf your like, take it one step further. Ever wanted to be a Hollywood director? Bring your adventure to life! Grab a camera, some friends to be your actors, and find or make the props you need to videotape one or more of the scenes in your story. Just remember to use props for the prescription medications (calcium pills can be a prop for Vicodin, for example; baby aspirin can be a prop for Adderall).

5. Share Your Masterpiece

 You Tube logoFeel free to send us your masterpiece! Share your written storyline and/or put your video on YouTube and send your masterpiece our way! Email your very own Choose Your Path adventure to peerx@iqsolutions.com