Stephanie Robinson
Mrs. Weinblatt p. 4
Journalism 5.0
November 8 , 2009
The Reality of Underage Drinking
The reality of the situation means almost all teenagers do it. In February 2007, Columbia University
released a study showing that 49 percent of full time college students abuse drugs or alcohol or both.
Thousands of teenagers (ages 16-20) are arrested for underage drinking in America. Nobody wants to
pay unaffordable fines in addition to the confiscation of licenses when driving under the influence.
Teenagers want to experience a good time. The government can enforce as many laws as they want to
preclude underage drinking but kids are still going to do it either way. The drinking age should be
reduced to 18 again before the federal government changed it to 21 years in 1987. This will cut down
on abuse and destructive binge drinking, it could bring adolescents back into social situations under
where they can experiment with alcohol under adult supervision, and they can learn how to drink
responsibly.
Most teenagers drink just to have a good time, they are not looking for any trouble and what is the big
deal? If they are no affecting anyone else while they are drinking then why can’t they have fun in their
own household? Kids drink because like everyone else, it makes them forget their problems occurring in
their life, they do it for entertainment, when they are bored.
It has been a proven statistic that kids are drinking much more than adults do and most of them are
underage. Indiana University professor Ruth Engs released a 1989 study showing that young adults’
alcohol abuse actually increased markedly after the nationwide raising of the drinking age. In 20 years
of studies, she’s repeatedly found that significantly more underage drinkers than college students of
legal age are heavy drinkers. These findings underscore the truth of human nature that making
something forbidden increases its allure. When one minor was asked if she would drink as much as she
did if she could purchase alcohol herself, she replied no.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that in 2002, 6,788 persons
aged 15 to 20 were involved in fatal crashes and 29% of the drivers involved in this age group who were
killed had been drinking. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers underage
alcohol consumption a widespread and serious problem because it causes numerous public health and
safety problems including motor vehicle crashes, suicide, violence, homicide, assault, and rape. Of
course it does. Of course it causes death amongst young, innocent, American citizens, but what does
not? The population will give out someday, so be it. If kids were taught how to drink properly, almost
half of the deaths that occur per year due to alcohol-related problems would disappear. People over
drink and do not know how to control themselves, putting them into a very scary state in which they
cannot think properly. These drunken states obviously cause people to do irrational actions. If citizens
are given to chance to learn how to drink responsibly, say, with their parents at the dinner table, they
would most likely not go crazy and induce on five or more drinks per night.
Over in Europe, things get much lighter; a recent European Union study reveals that the countries where
the moderate daily drinking is the norm (Italy, Spain, and France) have the lowest binge drinkers.
Drinking is not such a huge deal as it is in the U.S. because they did not make it a big deal. Everyone in
America over thinks and overanalyzes the entire concept when it should not be thought about at all. It
was discovered or invented to spice up life and make others content and happy.
So, you can enlist into the army, buy a house or car, and make decisions for yourself at 18 but for some
reason you are not allowed to buy alcohol? Why can you do so much more at 18 but you can not
purchase alcohol? What difference does 21 make? Do those three years must make a huge impact on
society then.? In our humanity, getting rid of substance abuse is nearly impossible. If we approach
alcohol and adulthood more reasonably we can decrease much if the drinking born of simple defiance
and focus on kids who drink to escape mental, emotional, or spiritual problems. If the drinking age is
decreased to age 18, it might take awhile for the aftermath to occur but there will be a death reduction
when kids are taught how to drink. This will lead to better actions, which will lead to a better future
America.
Work Cited
Hanson, David J. "Minimum Drinking-Age Laws Are Ineffective." Opposing Viewpoints: Alcohol. Ed. Karen F. Balkin.
San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. North Penn High School. 16 Nov.
2009
.
Ruth Ann Dailey. "Lowering the Legal Drinking Age Will Reduce Alcohol's Allure." At Issue: Should the Legal
Drinking Age Be Lowered?. Ed. Stefan Kiesbye. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints Resource
Center. Gale. North Penn High School. 16 Nov. 2009
Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human. "Underage Drinking Is a Serious Problem." Opposing Viewpoints:
Alcohol. Ed. Andrea C. Nakaya. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale.
North Penn High School. 16 Nov. 2009
.