This document discusses refusal skills for dealing with substance abuse peer pressure. It provides strategies for saying no to drugs, alcohol, or other dangerous activities being pressured by peers. These include clearly stating your refusal, suggesting alternative activities, making excuses to avoid the situation, and keeping the relationship with peers intact by leaving the door open in your responses. Practicing these refusal skills can help one resist negative peer pressure to engage in substances abuse or other dangerous behaviors.

1. Refusal skills
on
substance abuse

2. Refusal Skills

3. • Explain a time where you felt pressured to
do something you did not want to do.
What was causing this pressure?
Have you experienced
“peer pressure?”

4. • Main Idea: Peers can influence how
you think, feel, and act.
• Peer Pressure – The influence that
people your age may have on you.
• Peer pressure can be both positive and
negative.
Peer Pressure

5. • Main Idea: Practicing refusal skills will
help you deal with negative peer
pressure.
• Refusal Skill – a strategy to avoid
doing something you don’t want to do.
Resisting Negative Peer
Pressure

6. Refusal Skill – Who?
• Who is the best person to use the refusal skill
with?
Brother
Sister
Good Friend
*If it is not someone you like or don’t want to
be friends with. Say “No” and walk away.

7. When might you be asked to……
• Smoke a cigarette
• Chew tobacco
• Drink alcohol
• Lie to someone
• Steel something
• Cheat
• Be dishonest
• Deface property

8. Scenario: Your friends want you to go to a party where
alcohol will be served and you don’t want to go.
Refusal Skill Sample Response
• Say, “no thanks.” “No, thanks. I’m not interested.”
• Say no, and mean it. “NO, I don’t want to go.”
• Keep saying no. “How many times do I need to
say no? Stop bugging me.”
• Blame someone else. “My parents would ground me.”
• Give a reason. “No, thanks, I don’t drink.”
• Make an excuse. “No, I can’t go, my parents are
going out and I have to watch
my little brother.”
» Suggest something “Why don’t we order pizza and play
else to do. video games at my house?”
» Team up with someone “Hey David, didn’t your parents also
tell you that you would get
grounded if you went to a party?”
Types of Refusal Skills

9. • Use assertive communication.
• Clearly state your position.
• If you say, “no” make sure you mean it.
• Stand your ground. Don’t be “wishy-
washy”.
• Use body language when stating your
position. (Facial expressions, hands
gestures, erect posture).
Guidelines for using Refusal
Skills:

10. 1. Ask Questions
“What…? or “Why?”
• The initial step of asking questions
helps determine whether in fact there is
anything wrong in the situation.

11. 2. Name the Trouble
“That’s….”
• “That’s dumb”
• “That’s wrong”
• “I don’t want to steal”
• “I don’t want to smoke.”

12. 3. State the Consequences
“If I do that…”
• I could get suspended.
• I could lose my job.
• I could get grounded.
• I could get fined.
• I would get a reputation.
• I would make my family disappointed.

13. 4. Suggest an Alternative
“Instead why don’t we…”
• Take a walk
• Play basketball
• Play video games
• Skateboard
• Go for a bite to eat
• Go to my house watch a movie

14. 5. Move it, sell it and…
“If you change your mind…”
• Taking a walk
• Playing basketball
• Playing video games
• Skateboarding
• Getting something to eat
• Going to my house to watch a movie

15. Keep the Door Open
• Leaving to door
open is to let your
friend know that you
still want to have a
relationship with
them.

16. Why not use the refusal skill?

17. Why not use the Refusal Skill?
“I’d feel like a wimp saying no to a cigarette or a
beer.”
“If I keep saying no to my friends, pretty soon
they won’t be my friends.”
“I feel dumb saying stuff like this.”
“I can just say no if someone offers me a drink.”

18. Top Ten Refusal Skill For Teens
1. Make a joke.
2. Give a reason why it’s a bad idea.
3. Make an excuse why you can’t.
4. Just say no, plainly and firmly.
5. Suggest an alternative activity.
6. Ignore the suggestion.
7. Repeat yourself if necessary.
8. Leave the situation.
9. Thanks, but no thanks.
10. The power of numbers.
Mrs. Shay’s - fake a text message or phone call.