underage drinking Essays

underage drinking Essays underage drinking Essay underage drinking Essay E. Donahue Matt W. English 101 9/24/2013 Am I an Adult Yet? Some would argue that the drinking age shouldnt be lowered because of three very real risks, drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and violent or destructive behavior. Drunk driving is a stain on our civilization. An average of 17,000 individuals die each year in drunk driving related deaths. It seems quite plausible that were alcohol to be legalized for those under the age of 18, the 15. 1% of 18 to 20 year olds who drink before getting behind the wheel would rise significantly. A brief stroll through nearly very campus in America reveals keg parties, crowded bars filled with fake ID minors, and rowdy sorority and fraternity functions. When you consider that adolescence is a time of great impulsivity and tendency for violence and destructive behavior, the dangers of legalizing alcohol for minors become that much more real. The main problem with the United States having a drinking age of 21 is that the age of majority is 18 (19 in Alabama and Nebraska), as it is throughout most of the world. That is the age when a person assumes the legal rights and responsibilities of an adult. Consequently, anyone in the United States who has reached the age of 18 is legally eligible to vote, run for office, enter contracts, marry, engage in consensual sex with other adults, adopt children, Join the military, be subject to the draft, purchase tobacco, and purchase pornography; that is, everything under the sun except buy a beer. Just over half the 15-year-old boys reported drinking alcohol in the previous week, with an average intake of 14.5 units. This compared with 46% of 15- year-old girls drinking an average of 11.2 units. In their first year of secondary school, 5% of boys and girls said they had drunk alcohol in the previous week. This rose to 18% of boys and 19% of girls by the age of 13. Among the drinkers aged 11-13, the average consumption was 8.3 units by the boys and 4.6 by the girls. The findings came from a survey of more than 7,000 pupils at 225 schools in England, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research and National Foundation for Educational Research in autumn last year. A full report will be published later this year. Previous surveys showed the proportion of 11 to 15-year- olds drinking alcohol in the previous week rose from 20% in 1998 to 27% in 1996 before falling to 21% in 1998 and 1999. Last year the proportion rose again to 24%. A spokesman for the charity Alcohol Concern said: It reinforces our belief that there needs to be much more emphasis on education and prevention in terms of making people more aware of the dangers of alcohol misuse. Young bodies are just not made for drinking alcohol. The survey showed the proportion of 11 to 15-year-olds using drugs in the last month rose from 7% in 1998 to 9% in 2000. The proportion using drugs at least once during the previous year rose from 11% to 14% over the same period. At the age of 11, 3% had tried drugs over the last year mostly cannabis. Older children were more likely to have experimented, with 28% of 15-year-olds saying they had taken cannabis in the previous 12 months, 9% stimulants such as cocaine, ecstasy or amphetamines, and 1% heroin. Among 11 to 15-year-olds, 10% said they were regular smokers (at least one cigarette a week). Last year anti-smoking campaigners welcomed figures showing the proportion of young smokers fell from 13% in 1996 to 9% in 1999. The most prolific smokers were 15-year-old girls, with 26% owning up to being regular smokers compared with 25% in 1999. Sir Paul Nurse, director general of Imperial Cancer Research Fund, said the figures showed why the government was wrong to postpone legislation to ban tobacco advertising. Young peoples smoking rates have been falling since 1996 and it would be tragic if we were seeing the beginning of a reversal in this trend The government is sitting on a bill that would save thousands of lives each year and would protect precisely this group of vulnerable people. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: We remain on course to meet our tar get of reducing smoking among the 11-15 age group to 11% by 2005 and 9% or less by 2010. We are concerned by the small increase in the percentage of young people who have used drugs in the last month and in the last year. However we are encouraged that the percentage of pupils reporting use of heroin and cocaine -the drugs which cause the greatest harm has remained low. On the rise in teenage drinking, she said: We look forward to the publication of the main report which will provide more detailed information on the young peoples drinking behaviour, and we will continue to monitor trends. A separate report on teenage drinking published by the Scottish executive found a rise in drinking among 12 to15-year-olds in the period 1998-2000. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Thirty-nine young people died in 1999 after sniffing butane lighter refills, according to a report on UK deaths from volatile substance abuse by St Georges hospital medical school in London. Deaths due to gases, aerosols, glues and similar substances declined steadily over the past 10 years, but still account for one in 60 deaths among teenagers between 15 and 19. Is Your Teenager Using? The changes that youve noticed in your teenager may just be signs of growing up, but some can be dead giveaways for alcohol and drug use. Continued alcohol and drug use will affect your childs behaviour, attitudes and even choice of friends. If your child is using alcohol and drugs, its a good bet he (or she) is doing everything possible to keep that activity hidden. The last thing he wants is for his parents to give him a hassle about his newly found entertainment. But continued alcohol and drug use will affect your childs behaviour, attitudes and even choice of friends. Here are some signs to look for, if you think that your child may be using: Mood Swings Most teenagers go through normal mood swings. But look for extreme changes one minute happy and giddy followed by withdrawal, depression, or fits of anger or rage. New Friends? If you child is using, chances are he will begin hanging out with others with similar interests. Has your child suddenly turned away from his old friends? Is he hanging out with an older (driving age) group or with those that you suspect are using drugs? Bad Performance in School Has your childs attitude toward school suddenly changed? Have his grades gone from pretty good to very bad? Has he been skipping classes or school altogether? Physical Health Have you noticed a change in appetite? Does your child suddenly have digestive problems. Has he been treated for medical conditions that might be attributed to substance abuse, like gastritis or ulcers? Have his sleeping patterns changed? Evidence Have you notice any alcoholic beverages missing? How about the medicine cabinet? Anything missing there? Have you found unexplained empty containers around the house or grounds? Any paraphernalia? Has he suddenly started smoking cigarettes openly? Attitude Has your child developed a negative attitude against anti-drug or anti-alcohol programs, materials or literature? Has he been in trouble with the law for any reason? Has he developed a bad attitude toward any authority figures in his life? Have you found that your child has generally become dishonest about things? Little Things Have you noticed a change in hairstyle or fashion choices? Is he suddenly using breath mints consistently? Has he lost interest in tidiness in his room or does he pay less attention to personal hygiene? Overt Signals Has anyone ever told you your child is drinking or using drugs? Do you know that he has experimented. Has he suddenly developed the need for additional money, for vague or unexplained reasons? Have you ever seen him stagger? Or have you noticed any slurred speech? Changes in the pupils of his eyes, or redness or bloodshot eyes? Conclusion: A Better Way Instead of stigmatizing alcohol and trying to scare people into abstinence, we need to recognize that it is not alcohol itself but rather the abuse of alcohol that is the problem. Teaching about responsible use does not require student consumption of alcohol any more than teaching them world geography requires them to visit Nepal, or teaching them civics requires that they run for office or vote in presidential elections. We teach students civics to prepare them for the day when they can vote and assume other civic responsibilities if they choose to do so. Because either drinking in moderation or abstaining should both be equally acceptable options for adults, we must prepare students for either choice. To do otherwise is both irresponsible and ineffective, if not counterproductive. A recent study of the effectiveness of alcohol education programs compared those that present an abstinence-only message with those that present drinking in moderation as an option. It is clear that programs accepting responsible use are demonstrably more successful than are no-use-only programs.29 In spite of noble intentions and the expenditure of massive amounts of time, energy, and money the best evidence shows that our current abstinence-oriented alcohol education is ineffective. Simply doing more of what is not working will not lead to success; it is essential that we re-think our approach to the problem. Our youth are too important and the stakes are too high to so otherwise.