You have been in that moment. The circle of friends, someone pulls a colorful vape out of their pocket and holds it out to you. "Just one hit, it's not addictive." Your heart races. You do not want to, but you also do not want to be left out. So now what?
Temperance is the answer the Club gives you for that moment. It is not a list of prohibitions from uptight people. It is a simple, strong principle: set aside everything that harms your body and use in moderation what does it good. Your body is far too good to be ruined, and you are worth more than one hit.
This guide is straight to the point. We will talk about smoking, alcohol, vaping and energy drinks with honesty, show what these things do to the brain that is still growing inside you, and give you a way to say no without losing your friends, the way Daniel did more than two thousand five hundred years ago.
What temperance really is (and what it is not)
Many people think temperance is just "not smoking and not drinking." It is much more than that, and much better. The classic Adventist definition, linked to the writings of Ellen White, has two hands: to abstain completely from what is harmful and to use in moderation what is good.
Notice the two hands. One says no to poison: cigarettes, alcohol, vaping, drugs. The other says "easy now" to what is good: food, gaming, phone, even study and sport. You can overdo good things too. Temperance is self-control, being the master of your choices instead of being dragged along by them.
In the Club, this shows up in the Temperance Honor and in the Class you are working through. It is not to make you scared of life. It is to make you free. Whoever controls their impulses is a slave to no addiction, no pressure, no colorful vape brand. If you want to go deeper into the subject, see the Temperance Honor.
Why the Pathfinder says no: the body is a temple
The foundation of it all is a verse worth memorizing. The apostle Paul wrote: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV).
Think about what that means. If your body is a temple, a place where God dwells, does it make sense to fill it with smoke? Does it make sense to clog your lungs with nicotine? A temple is something you care for, clean, protect. It is not fear of hell, it is respect for a gift.
And there is one more verse that sums up the whole lifestyle: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31, NIV). That turns even a glass of water and a night's sleep into something with purpose. Caring for your body becomes a way of saying thank you to God. This is the root of the Adventist health message, which you can get to know better in the origin of the health message.
What nicotine does to your brain (which is still under construction)
Here is the fact nobody tells you in the circle of friends. Your brain is not finished. It keeps forming until around age 25, according to the CDC, the health agency of the United States. In other words: at 12, 14, 16, your brain is literally under construction.
And nicotine disrupts that construction. It interferes with the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control. It changes the way the connections between neurons are built. Translation: it can harm your memory, your focus at school and your emotional control, right at the stage when you need them most.
Worse: the teenage brain builds connections faster, which makes it much easier to addict than an adult's. The signs of dependence appear quickly, sometimes even before you use every day. The phrase "I'll stop whenever I want" is almost never true with nicotine. You don't decide to stop; the addiction decides for you.
Read alsoWhere the Adventist health message comes fromVaping is not harmless: your generation's epidemic
Vaping, or the e-cigarette, was sold as something modern, with strawberry and mint flavors, without the smell of stale cigarettes. That is why it became the most used tobacco product among teenagers in the United States for eleven years in a row. In 2019 it reached its peak: more than five million young people were using it, something close to one in every five students. The good news is that in 2024 that number dropped considerably, to about a third of the peak. The bad news is that it still exists, and may be in your school.
Vaping's big trick is hiding the nicotine. A CDC study showed that 99% of the e-cigarettes sold contained nicotine, even the ones that seemed to be "just flavor." A single small pod can have as much nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes. A person thinks they are just playing around and is already addicted.
Do not fall for the talk that "it's just water vapor." It is not. It is an aerosol with chemicals that you inhale straight into your lungs, an organ made to receive clean air. Those who start with vaping are also more likely to end up smoking regular cigarettes later. It is a gateway, not a safe alternative.
Alcohol and energy drinks: two common deceptions
Alcohol has a trap similar to nicotine's: it harms precisely the brain that is still growing. And there is a fact that is frightening. Research from the NIAAA points out that young people who start drinking before age 15 are about four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence in life than those who only start at 21. The earlier, the greater the risk. That first sip "just to try it" is not as harmless as it seems.
Now the energy drinks, which many people never imagine are part of this conversation. The American Academy of Pediatrics is direct: children and adolescents should not consume energy drinks. A single can usually has far more caffeine than a teenager should have in an entire day: several go over 200 mg, some reach 300 mg or more, while the safe limit is at most 100 mg per day. That means a racing heart, anxiety, insomnia and headache.
An energy drink before a test or a camp seems smart, but it charges a high price. It steals your sleep, disrupts your rest and gets you hooked on caffeine. Temperance here is pure wisdom: to have real energy, count on water, good food, sunlight and a good night's sleep. It works better and it is free.
How to say no without isolating yourself: the Daniel method
We have reached the hardest part: peer pressure. Nobody wants to be the "buzzkill of the group." The good news is that the Bible gives you a perfect model, and he was roughly your age. Daniel was taken captive to Babylon while still a teenager. Alone, far from home, surrounded by people who ate and drank differently.
Look at what he did: "But Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself" (Daniel 1:8, KJV). Two brilliant things here. First, he decided beforehand, in his heart. The battle was won at home, not in the moment of pressure. Second, he was firm but polite: he "requested," he did not fight, he did not humiliate anyone.
Do the same. Decide today, calmly, what you are going to answer, so you don't stammer in the moment. And practice short, light replies: "thanks, I'm not into that," "it's not my thing," "I'm good." You don't need to preach or turn your back on the friendship. Change the subject, invite them to do something else. Firmness in the heart, kindness on the lips. If it gets hard, talk to your Counselor; that is exactly why they are there.
The freedom temperance gives you
Maybe you read all of this thinking temperance is just a list of "no's." Flip the switch. Every no to these substances is a giant yes to something else. No to vaping is yes to clean lungs for running, swimming and climbing at camp. No to alcohol is yes to a clear mind. No to energy drinks is yes to sleep that leaves you whole the next day.
Whoever is temperate is free. Free from the addiction that rules the person, free from the pressure that drags you along, free from that little slavery that starts "just once" and never lets go. You are not missing any party. You are keeping the best of yourself for the things that are worth it.
And if you have already tried, or are already caught in one of these habits, hear this with love: it is not the end. God does not give up on you, and neither does the Club. Talk to a trusted adult, to your Director, to your parents. Asking for help is what brave people do, not weak ones. The way back always exists.