Article January 1, 2002 Issue

“Leave her alone”

by Pascale Herscovici—Paris, France

A lot of my friends have been smoking cigarettes since they were ten or eleven. Now marijuana is pretty common.

One day, a year ago, I left the cafeteria early with some friends to meet another friend outside school. Two guys started sharing a joint, and one of them offered it to me. I wavered. I'd never had a chance to try marijuana before, and all I would have had to do was say “yes.” But before I could say anything, the other guy said harshly, “Leave her alone!” He had never seen me smoke anything, not even a cigarette, so he must have felt that it wouldn't be good for me. So, I didn't take it.

Not too long ago I talked to another friend who told me what he loved most was to be drunk, because he could just let himself go. He said that drinking gives way to a state of happiness and well-being. He suggested I try it some day.

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