The people we spend time with have an influence on us, although we ultimately have free will and must take responsibility for our own decisions.
Until we have established our "center of gravity" in our consciousness, where we are most connected with divinity, we should try to limit our exposure to negative influences when possible, within reason.

"The first step to negotiating our karma is by choosing to behave in a better way. And the best way to do that is to provide ourselves with conditions that support our decisions.

If you want to stop drinking alcohol, the first step is to stop going to the bar.

You may think that spending time with drug-using friends is okay; you aren't doing drugs, so what's the harm? But being with them puts you in certain conditions. It's like the example we gave of fire: if the elements that create it are brought together, only certain results can come of it. It is a law: if you place certain things together, then there will be definite results. So, if you spend time with peaceful, serene people, it will have an effect on you. And if you spend time in bars, it will have an effect on you. This is unavoidable."