Teen drinking is an issue that every high school student is faced with. The older we get the more and more common it becomes.
According to sadd.org, 72% of high school students have consumed alcohol by the time they graduate.
So, what is the big deal? Why do so many underage students decide to drink alcohol?
Many students may believe that drinking alcohol is the cool thing to do. They believe that if one isn’t invited to parties and doesn’t drink, they aren’t “cool” or “popular.” Many students who do drink alcohol are shocked when they hear about someone who chooses not to drink. A common response may be: “Wow, you don’t have much fun then,” or maybe, “So, what do you do on the weekends?”
Despite popular belief, there are teenagers who choose not to participate in teenage drinking. And another shocker: they actually have a lot of fun without ever breaking the law.
“I enjoy spending my weekends with my friends and not with alcohol. I don’t need alcohol in my system to enjoy what I’m doing,” says junior Rachel Hall.
If one has a Facebook or Twitter account, they can expect their newsfeed to be full of one thing every weekend: news and pictures about that weekend’s party. They vary from how drunk everyone got to the stupid and dangerous incidents that occurred. It seems as if many of these teenagers are boastful about their illegal experiences. They brag about how drunk they were, how bad their hangover was, and are proud if they don’t remember what happened over the weekend. A common phrase many of these teenagers use is: You know it’s a fun night if you can’t remember what happened.
“You completely lose your self-control,” says senior Mitchell Karr. “Honestly, it just makes you look like an idiot.”
Many teenagers don’t think they will be caught by authorities or even other adults. They don’t think it’s even a possibility. Others do not understand that employers and colleges look at social networking sites. A not-so-flattering picture or status could negatively affect one’s chance of getting a job. It could even affect ones acceptance into a college or whether or not one will receive a scholarship. Not to mention what could end up on one’s permanent record.
Not only can teenage drinking affect one’s chance at a good college or job, but it can also affect a person’s health. Teenage drinking often times leads to alcoholic dependency in adulthood. It can cause problems later in life in one’s liver or heart.
“It’s unhealthy and it has lasting consequences that just aren’t worth it,” says senior, Jennie Stare.
Unfortunately, it can also lead to one being unsafe and making bad decisions. Individuals may think that they are capable of driving when they are actually too intoxicated. If teens are hiding that they have been drinking from their parents, they may feel as if they can’t call home for a ride, in fear that they will get in trouble.
In 2008, 11,773 (nearly one third) of traffic-related deaths were caused by alcohol-impaired driving.
Some teenagers are too young to truly comprehend the full effects of teenage drinking. Many teenagers feel invincible and as if nothing can bring them down. Sadly, many teenagers learn the hard way that they can be brought down.
Teenage drinking cannot only put others in danger, but it can also put oneself in harm’s way. The negative possibilities are endless and simply aren’t worth one night of “fun.”