Hi and thanks for your question.

Good on you for not giving in to peer pressure from your friends! You are unfortunately correct though: you can't stop your friends from drinking, but you can give them some information about drinking and the risks and you can also be there to look out for them. You also want your friends to look out for you too right? They may not be able to do that if they are all drinking at the same time.

Young people drink for different reasons: sometimes it's to try it out, sometimes it's just because everyone else is doing it. It could also be because they are socialising, because they think it's cool or because they are bored. The most worrying reason that young people drink is because they are trying to not think about a problem they have or trying to forget about something in their lives that is bothering them.

Ask your friends why they drink and see what they say. If you are worried that any of your friends are drinking to forget their problems, ask them if they are okay. If you are still worried about any of them, talk to an adult you trust about it.

If your friends all keep drinking and you don't like it, maybe think about what it is about your friends that you like. Why are your friends your friends? What do you have in common? What sort of things do you like doing with them when you are hanging it? Do you have the same interests? I'm not saying you need to find new friends but it's always good to know why your mates are your mates. If you are not sure why, you could think about making some new friends who share similar interests to you.

Have a look at the links below to find out more about alcohol, and communicating with your friends. All the best with your friends and good on you for being a strong young man. It sounds like you are also a great friend. Take care.