Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Outreach/Temperance/Role-play

This activity can be done during Sabbath School, during a club meeting, or anytime you and a few friends have some free time together. It's best to do this with a small group (3-8 people) so that everyone gets a chance to participate and no one is overwhelmed with making a "public performance." Small groups are also more conducive to drawing participation from shy people as it is a less threatening situation.

Try to make each scenario as realistic as possible. A completely unbelievable depiction of the situation or one that seems purely hypothetical is far less likely be recalled when the Pathfinder actually finds himself in a similar situation.

• The "classmate" who asks you to sell you marijuana may be one of the Pathfinder's close friends rather than some strange kid he's never spoken to before. Attach the name of a person he knows and likes to that classmate. Also, you might introduce other complicating factors such as the Pathfinder's special need for some extra money. When the Pathfinder refuses, try to convince him that it'll only be this one time. When that fails, add the threat of a hypothetical blackmail - I'd hate to see that picture of you playing in your kid sister's wading pool show up on Facebook tomorrow".
• Ask who the best friend is before letting the Pathfinder know the scenario of "your best friend asks you to try a cigarette." You may also wish to add that the person upon whom the Pathfinder has had a crush since the second grade is there watching and urging the Pathfinder to smoke.
• Make the party situation a little more desperate before revealing that the friend is drunk. For instance, "this friend is the only person there you know who can drive." Or perhaps "it's past your curfew and your Dad is going to kill you when you call him after he's gone to bed. He has to get up at 4:30 am tomorrow!" It is almost always the complicating factors that lead to poor judgment in situations like this.