Introduction
Human beings face various challenges in life that confront them with great dilemmas. In most cases, these situations have more than one alternative, and each choice has consequences for the victims and other members of society. Therefore, it becomes difficult for a person to make a decision when it is required, hence subjecting the victim to stress or depressions. While some decisions are made in a hurry, their negative effects outweigh the benefits accrued, and this leads to cases of regrets and remorse. In this discussion, I am going to explore the ethical implications of deciding on my friends’ request to join them in a drinking spree; thus, I am to decide whether I should agree or refuse and risk losing their friendship.
The Dilemma
In my class, I have four close friends who are also my neighbors, and this makes them very important in my life. I have grown up with them, and our families get together very often to celebrate our birthdays and other social events. Our parents always encourage us to behave well and urge us to take responsibility for our actions. We always have family and friends meetings at the end of every school term where we are advised on how to spend our holidays wisely.
However, one day, after school, my friends invited me to accompany them to a party in the neighborhood for the weekend. I knew nothing that they had had other plans in their minds. We had always accompanied each other on various occasions, and, therefore, I could not imagine that they were up to do mischief. However, before that day, I asked them what we were going to celebrate. They seemed confused, and no one wanted to tell me the truth. Finally, they opened up and told me that they were going to drink alcohol. They had several bottles of beer in their school bags. I was shocked to find out that my friends had been drinking alcohol without my knowledge though I considered that we were very close and always shared everything.
One of them told me that they had used to drink for the last three months and thought it would be wise to introduce me to that habit. As I was staring at their innocent faces, they gave me two options to choose, to join them and lose their friendship. Also, they warned me against disclosing their plans to anyone. Many thoughts crossed my mind, and I wondered which way to go. Before I took any step, the following decision-making aspects had crossed my mind.
People Involve
We were all students, and, therefore, no one was allowed to take alcohol. Our parents trusted us very much and would be heartbroken if they realized we started taking alcohol. Our teachers always advocated for proper behavior among all the students, so they would also be disappointed to discover we indulged in drug abuse. In case the police got the information, we would be severely punished.
Ethical Alternatives
It was wise to consider that drinking alcohol by children going to school is dangerous for their health and may as well have a negative influence on their education, therefore, it must be avoided as something unacceptable. The fact that my friends had begun drinking almost three months before they told me and were carrying alcohol in their school bags meant that they were becoming alcohol addicts. The best decision would be to inform their parents about their behavior for their own sake. I planned to talk to my parents, explain everything to them, and ask them to visit my friends’ parents and inform them about their children’s behavior.
The second alternative was to inform the teacher or the guidance and counsel his/her on my friends’ behavior. Perhaps, if they were punished, that would prevent them from indulging in alcohol in the future. Lastly, I had the option of informing the authorities to take necessary actions against my friends and the person who sold alcohol to them, thus violating liquor laws that prohibit selling drugs to children.
Unethical Alternatives
However, I could have chosen a different path to join them in their drinking expedition since they had been my best friends, and we had never revealed our secrets to others. We were brought up together and, therefore, shared all our secrets without challenging our moral standings. If I had decided to inform them, I would have risked not only their friendship but my life as I would have been discriminated against for betraying my friends which would have lowered my self-esteem.
I also had the option of refusing to drink the alcohol, walk away, and keep my mouth shut until someone else discover their tricks and report on that. I would like to stay with their friend but not fall into the temptation of drinking alcohol. I would ensure I advise them on the side effects of the drug abuse and the consequences involved.
Consequences of Alternatives
Every action has a reaction, and if I had broken the silence and reported on the case to their parents and teachers, they would have been punished and stopped taking alcohol. Even if I had risked losing their friendship, the separation would have lasted for a short until they discovered and recognized their mistakes. So, we would regain our friendship, and they would be thankful for me saving their lives. The authorities had to take necessary steps and arrest the people who sold alcohol to my friends. This would help eradicate cases of students abusing drugs since there would be no one willing to sell drugs to them.
However, if I had chosen to inform them of their parents, they could have made their threats real, and this would have devastating effects on me. They could have decided to beat me senselessly after school or hire someone to do it. Since they had already been addicted to drugs, they could have even poisoned my drinking water or meals during our family meetings. Besides, I valued their friendship very much, and if I had lost them, there would have been no chances of making other friends shortly. Moreover, if I had decided to keep quiet, one day, someone would discover their secret and report to the relevant authorities.
The fact that we were best friends meant that I would be included in the offense and punished with them. The more I would try to prove my innocence, the more I would be subjected to harsh treatment by our parents and teachers for keeping quiet while watching my friends ruin their lives. Lastly, it would be difficult to join their company and avoid falling into the temptation of indulging in their activities. Indeed, birds of the same feather flock together, and soon or later, I would find myself taking alcohol to please them.
Conclusion
Making sound decisions is not as easy as it may seem due to the negative and positive consequences involved. In every action taken, some people will feel betrayed or oppressed despite the benefits associated with the decisions made. However, people should be prepared to make sacrifices and account for their actions if they expect good results since all good things cost heavily.