The Problems Associated with Underage Drinking Essay

Simply remarking that such a decision is dangerous fails to suffice as concrete evidence of the negative effects of underage alcohol consumption, and so statistical evidence must be given. Approximately five thousand underage drinkers die each year; the most prevalent cause is, not surprisingly, motor vehicle accidents. What many do not understand is what other factors constitute the other approximately three thousand; sixteen hundred to homicides, that is, murders and other deliberate killings, as well as 300 to suicide, usually caused by an exacerbation of underlying depression or other psychological difficulties. The remaining thousand are usually caused by such grisly circumstances as falling, burning, and drowning. While this may seem a relatively small number in the vast amounts of the twelve to twenty year old age group, estimates are that within the past month one-quarter of underage persons used alcohol, while two-thirds of those were binge drinkers. Not only does underage drinking increase the chance of dying in related incidents it encourages other destructive behaviors: engage in sexual activities, carry a plethora of illegal substances, and correlations have even been found that links underage drinking to poor performance in school. Other observations have been made that negatively link underage drinking with mental

The article, “Alcohol can rewire the teenage brain,” starts by stating that more than 4,750 American kids aged 15 and younger, said they took their first drink of alcohol already. Kids who start drinking before the age of 15 are more likely to become alcoholics because they get addicted to the drug. The article also states that they are more likely to start binge drinking. A study conducted by Lorena Siqueira a pediatrician at the Florida International University and Nicklaus Children’s hospital in Miami, reported that, “When kids drink, they tend to do heavy drinking,” and that, “Their bodies are not ready to handle that kind of alcohol.” Teens think that alcohol will help them feel happier and better, but that is not true. Teens also drink

“’ Were seeing kids coming in with blood alcohol see levels in the mid-.3s, even .4, which four to five times the legal limit for driving. That’s the level at which 50% of people die,”’ says Dr. Mary Claire O’ Brien, an emergency medicine physician and associate professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Underage drinking has become an issue in young teens. Teens are drinking large amounts of alcohol in short periods of time. The effects of alcohol in adolescents are much more life threating then an adult. In the article “The Underage Drinking “, Emily Listfield acknowledges that binge drinking is common in adolescents, it causes long term effects, physical injury and death.

Most people would concur that alcohol should not be given to teenagers. Despite the fact that we concede to this essential truth, underage drinking is still a noteworthy issue in our nation. Since adolescents need development and information with regards to liquor, they put themselves, as well as others in incredible danger when they decide to consume. Regardless of the risk, there are individuals out there who believe that the drinking age should be lowered.

Underage drinking is very common in the United States. Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug in the United States, even more so than illicit drugs (Marijuana, Cocaine, etc…) and tobacco. “In 2012 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 24% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 15% reported binge drinking. In 2013, the Monitoring the Future Survey reported that 28% of 8th graders and 68%

The importance of having the proper in depth education about alcohol is often overlooked. As a result, underage drinkers do not learn about having limits when it comes to drinking. Underage drinkers often drink until intoxication because they think that being wasted is the goal. Through research linking to the pattern of underage drinkers , they "drink on fewer occasions,but when they drink they are more likely to binge drink" (Henry Nelson). Many adolescents from ages 16-20 will find themselves in situations where they experience life and learn from their mistakes. In time, they become more tolerant and by the time they are actually 21, underage drinkers are able to withstand more alcohol and know how much they can drink before being totally intoxicated and even blackout. But not having the proper education on how to drink responsibly is only the first half of the problem. Many people 16 and up have permits and licenses so after these long sessions of drinking they make horrible decisions such as driving. Teaching adolescents will result in less incidents of drinking and driving. Having a more in depth learning curriculum about alcohol instead

Education is another great way to prevent the number of teenage alcoholics from rising any further. We can control this situation with just a couple lessons and speeches to inform kids about the consumption of alcohol by explaining how it affects their mind psychologically. Sure, drinking may cause stress relief and relaxation to the teenagers burdened with the amount of schoolwork and deciding their future. However, when

If one is to drink alcohol at a young age, this person is put at greater risk of becoming a full on alcoholic quicker. “Alcohol is the oldest and most widely used drug in the world” (Cima). Once addicted, alcoholics use this alcoholic beverage as a substitute for regular

Underage drinking has become an immense problem in the U.S. There are many reasons that lead kids under the age of twenty-one to drink. CNN states that “ Only a sip early on in life could be a problem later on in life” (CNN News). This quote states that having that one drink as an underage drinker won't just affect you then, but it will affect your life later on. Our country has come to realize that we have a problem with teenage alcoholism; schools inform their students about this problem, the news talks about tragic events that have happened involving teenagers under the influence of alcohol, there is even movies that have to do with underage drinking. However, kids today choose to make the wrong decisions and put their

First off, alcohol addiction and abuse among teenagers today is a bigger problem than ever before. The root of the problem lies in the fact that the teens are so exposed to the culture of this day and age, leading them to where they have easy access to alcohol. For example, their parents may already be alcoholics, and it's merely a few bad decisions later which could cause the child to have a few drinks and cloud their judgement. This is a big problem because their young bodies have never encountered anything like alcohol before, so in turn, the body does not know how to process it, and therefore leads to their downfall. A publication released by the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAA) suggests that by age 18, an astounding 60% of US teens would have had at least one drink. Moreover, according to the NIAA, youth between the ages of 12 and 20 will often binge drink as well.

When they have the opportunity to drink, they do so in an irresponsible manner because drinking by these youth is seen as a badge of rebellion against authority and a symbol of adulthood. Clearly, this kind of devious attitude does not encourage responsible drinking.

The family strategy basically involves the parents and other family members creating a good relationship with the adolescents under their care. The parents and guardians should be good role models to their children in terms of their alcohol related behavior (Bonnie and O’Connell 19). For example, if a parent is an alcoholic, the child is bound to get the wrong picture about the parent and eventually get into alcohol in later stages of life as they argue that, alcohol is not bad since their parents also drink. Good rapport between parents and adolescents is vital as it sets a foundation

Every problem has a beginning, where the domino effect starts. In most cases people get started drinking not because they like it, but because it is illegal and it gives them a chance to rebel. The so-called “rebel” becomes bored of drinking alone and eventually seeks “company” when they are drinking. The only catch is that the “rebel” can not be the only one drinking so the “company” has to drink. This is where the problem with peer pressure and teenage drinking begins and the first domino starts the chain reaction. There are two types of peer pressure. There is direct peer pressure where a subject’s peers actually force him into having a drink. There is also indirect peer pressure where the subject enters a setting and his peers are drinking so he decides to have a drink to fit in with the rest of his peers (Articles-Teenage Drinking 2). Surveys show that alcohol abuse is related to teenage activities such as going on dates and going to parties (Teenage Alcohol Misuse 2).

And because many parents and other adults use alcohol socially-having beer or wine with dinner, for example alcohol seems harmless to many teens” (Ed. Joseph Tardiff)

Teenage binge drinking (consumption of five or more alcohol drinks in a row) has grown to be a serious problem in the United States. A report in 2009 from the Surgeon General’s office show alcohol consumption by teens start as early as 11 years of age for boys and 13 years of age for girls (Grant & Dawson, 1997). In the youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Report (2007), data results showed that over three million teenagers in grades 6 through 12 are alcoholics, and several million teens have serious health issues due to drinking. Further research conducted by the Harvard School of Public health (2006) show a direct correlation of automobile accidents, alcohol poisoning, poor academic performance. violence and