* No Alcohol * No Tobacco * No Narcotics * No Promiscuous Sex

   There are many, many different variants of this. Some choose to stop eating meats, and become Vegetarian. Some choose to give up animal products altogether, this includes milk, cheese, leather, and so on. This is called Veganism. Also, some people choose to stop drinking or eating caffeine, which from a medical standpoint is considered and classified as a drug. Even more amazing is that some people give up all medicine completely, this includes Tylenol and other over-the-counter medicine.

   The reasons why people choose to become Straight Edge are different, but there are several very common reasons.

1. Past drug problems, either with the person or a close friend/relative 2. Hopes to succeed 3. Wish to purify life, usually includes Vegetarianism/veganism. 4. Seen the effects of drugs and wish to avoid them

    I myself choose to live my life to its fullest extent, and be all I can possibly be. I don't ever want to worry about where I slept last night, or struggle to remember the show I went to last night. I want to have a positive impact on the world that surrounds me, to choose the road less traveled by.

    As far as different bands that can be accredited with creating the label "Straight Edge" There are several different disputes, I cannot give a definite answer as to who coined the name, but the Minor Threat Song "Straight Edge" outlines the lifestyle quite well.

   sXe is active. Many straight edgers are choosing to go out and do something constructive for their community, scene, or fellow sXe'ers. I have created this web site, which has taken some of my time, and a couple of my friends have contributed to it as well. Straight Edge has no direct attachment to these actions, but many sXe'ers see the improvement within themselves, and choose to share it.

   sXe is non-violent. Many people think that straight edge is a "clan" or "cult", and that sxe is directly associated with violence. This is completely untrue. There are two major reasons to this uneducated belief.

   1. The small amount of preaching, violent straight edgers who tend to be violent in their ways and hated by the community. These people are labeled Hardliners/Hardedgers. These few people who make up a small population of straight edgers have stained the label "straight edge".

   2. The formation of groups in specific areas. These are groups of sXe'ers that tend to control the scene in the area, and scare away others. There is no groups like this where I live, so I cannot fully understand this.