Gurudev, how to discourage teenagers from social drinking?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Tell them it is the most dangerous thing, whether it is social drinking or priva
te drinking, it doesn't matter. Just say no to that, that s it, finished!
In fact you should take pride in saying, No

in a social circle.

If you attach pride to it, I am a teetotaler, I never touch alcohol

ertain dignity even amongst your friends.

, then you gain a c

You should emphasize your own values. Even when in a group, carry on with your i
ndividualness and your individual preferences.
We do that all the time. We go to all these big meetings, everywhere, we keep ou
r individual preferences.
You know the world has started recognizing this. Whichever institution that gave
me a doctorate, in several places, and wherever I went, just to honor me they k
ept only vegetarian food and no drinks.
Usually in the universities they keep drinks and non-vegetarian food. But wherev
er it was that I went, whether Cordoba, or Netherlands, or the Nyenrode Universi
ty, when they gave me a doctorate, in the reception they served only vegetarian
food and soft drinks.
Even in very big conferences in the world, like the UN conference on HIV-AIDS, t
hey have started keeping a section for vegetarian food. This was never the case
earlier.
Even in The World Economic Forum, if you are vegetarian, they honor it, and have
a separate section for vegetarian food.
This was not there before. About 10 to 20 years back, this was unthinkable. Even
10 years ago you would not find this in international forums. But now it has ch
anged and this is because we have always stood our ground that we will not touch
alcohol and non-vegetarian food. And the world honors that. So your friends wil
l also honor that.
Even in airlines they have started doing this in the last 10 years. Before it wa
s not so. Now, they even have Jain food on airlines, i.e., with no potatoes, car
rots, etc.
You can specify what kind of food you want.
So, you must keep your personal habits and emphasize on them. Otherwise, first y
ou start with social drinking and then slowly it becomes a personal menace.