Alcohol and Teen Drinking Essay - 2212 Words

Alcohol use among American teenagers is a problem of epidemic proportions. Alcohol is a drug -- the drug of choice of adolescents and adults. Abuse of this drug Is responsible for death and injury in automobile accidents, physical and emotional disability, loss of productivity amounting to millions of dollars annually, deterioration of academic performance, aggressive and disruptive behavior causing problems with family and friends, and individual financial ruin. It also is the primary cause of criminal behavior and a leading cause of broken homes. Despite the problems caused to young and old by alcohol, society sends a mixed signal to its youth. The media presents beer drinking with peers as not only acceptable but almost mandatory†¦show more content†¦While most adults drink occasionally, about 30% of adults don’t drink at all. Of those who do drink, 10% account for the 50% of the alcoholic beverages consumed (Youcha 1978) . For some groups the ideal drinking behavior is not drinking at all; for other groups moderate or infrequent drinking behavior is acceptable; for still other groups occasional heavy drinking or even frequent heavy drinking is permissible. The media bombard the American public, particularly its young people, with the acceptability of alcoholic beverages in adult society. A report by the Scientific Analysis Corporation examined portrayal of drinking practices on television. The study showed that alcoholic beverages were the most frequently used drinks by television characters. In 225 programs 701 alcoholic drinking acts were recorded, compared to second-place tea and coffee drinking recorded in 329 cases (Royce 1981) . Television characters seldom drank water or soft drinks. Furthermore, many of the references to alcohol in the scripts were of humorous nature. These findings should be brought to the attention of the teenagers in order to help them sort out the realities of alcohol consumption from the make-believe world of television. Drinking is viewed as an adult behavior in our society. It is promoted as a rite of passage from adolescence to adulthood. The age when young people areShow MoreRelatedAlcohol and Teen Drinking Essay552 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to Men’s Health, â€Å"alcohol kills more teenagers and young people than any of the other drugs taken to affect mood and behavior (heroin, cocaine, marijuana).† This issue interests me due to the many friends I have who drink overwhelmingly. Also, I have so many cousins that are younger than me that I am concerned about with this issue. There are many reasons to why teens may drink, not all of which are reasonable but is the truth, from what I know. Teen drinking can also result in very manyRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol And Teen Drinking1069 Words   |  5 PagesDryden-Edwards (2), teenage drinking is widespread, and teenagers believe that it is acceptable. But, teenagers’ bodies are still developing. They fail to realize that consuming alcohol places them in danger  for numerous issues.   Consuming alcohol is more widespread among teenagers than most realize. Alcohol and Teen Drinking (1) reports that three-fourths of seniors,  a little over two-thirds of Sophomores, and two out of five 8th graders have experimented with alcohol. With rising statistical informationRead MoreEssay on Alcohol and Teens: The Effects of Teenage Drinking1520 Words   |  7 Pages When at a party, a student sees another teenager drinking a beer. Thinking nothing of it, the teenager picks up a large bottle labeled Vodka and beings to chug the contents of the bottle. The alcohol rushes through her body and she suddenly has a sense of feeling free and letting loose. The next thing the teenage girl remembers is waking up in a hospital bed to her mother crying by her bed side. The only thing her mom could say was â€Å"Honey, please wake up. Please be okay, I want you to beRead MoreAlcohol Abuse Treatment: How To Han dle Teen Drinking. An1967 Words   |  8 PagesAlcohol Abuse Treatment: How To Handle Teen Drinking An estimated 10 million underage drinkers were reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services in 2010. Although the number of underage drinkers has gone down over the past years, still there are millions of teenagers who have been regular alcohol drinkers in the United States. Among the 10 million underage drinkers, 2 million were heavy drinkers. This surely can be very alarming considering how it is likely that these teenagers areRead MoreAlcohol And Teens : Should The U.s. Lower Or Rise It s Drinking Age?1031 Words   |  5 PagesAlcohol and Teens: Should the U.S. Lower or Rise It’s Drinking Age? Alcohol is a depressant. It slows down the activity of the central nervous system, including the brain. A debate amongst our nation has been â€Å"Should the minimum drinking age be lower than 21?† I personally do not think so. Even though at age 18 you are technically an adult and responsible for your own actions, I do not think the legal alcohol consumption age should be lowered because it causes health risks, bad decisions, and endangersRead MoreLowering The Alcohol Drinking Age1602 Words   |  7 Pages Lowering The Alcohol Drinking Age Now a day’s teens that are under the age of twenty-one are out in trouble and drinking. They know that they are not old enough to drink and that is what makes them want to drink even more. Teens drink when they are not suppose to, but they know that when they drink, they must stay out of trouble. Lowering the alcohol drinking age will keep a bunch of teens out of trouble. If teens can stay safe while drinking then they should allow eighteen year olds to drinkRead MoreLargest Number of Consumers of Alcohol in the United States are Teenages556 Words   |  3 Pages Alcohol is the most universally used and abused drug in the United States. An issue that continues to rise in today’s public health is alcohol use. Consuming alcohol in excessive amounts is not only a problem in the United States but worldwide as well. The largest number of consumers is teenagers. During this period of development, teens are faced with a multitude of pressures whether it’s trying to m aintain good grades in school or perform well in sports. Teens may also be influenced by variousRead MoreThe Drinking Age Should Be Lowered1599 Words   |  7 Pagestopic that has gone on for many years is whether the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen years old, as opposed to where it is now, at twenty one. Some argue that at age eighteen, a person is legally an adult and able to go to war, vote, and partake in other adult activities. If they are an adult at this age, why are they unable to legally drink alcohol? There are numerous reasons why drinking is unsafe for those under twenty one. The drinking age is set at age twenty one for a reason, and shouldRead MoreAlcohol Abuse Is A Problem Striking The People Of America910 Words   |  4 PagesAlcohol abuse is a problem striking the people of America. There are more than twelve million alcoholics in America, and the numbers only continue to increase. All Americans spend a total of about one hundred ninety-seven million do llars on alcohol in one day! It has gotten so bad that now even adolescents as young as thirteen begin to drink. Disconcertingly, every thirty minutes a person dies from an alcohol related incident. Alcohol has become the number one drug problem in all of America. In factRead MoreResearch Paper Drinking Age1565 Words   |  7 PagesThe legal drinking age refers to the youngest age at which a person is legally allowed to buy and consumes alcoholic beverages. The drinking age varies from country to country. Here in the United States the legal drinking age is twenty-one. There has been much debate on whether the drinking age in the United States should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. People in favor of keeping the drinking age at twenty-one believe that there will be less alcohol related injuries and deaths from