One major issue affecting many people is alcohol abuse, including teenagers. Drinking has short term and long term effects including injury and addiction. I personally feel that this is the most important underage substance use issue. Of the more common substances used by teenagers like vaping and smoking it is the most dangerous. Not only is it the most dangerous now but in the future as well as it is highly addictive. Drinking as a teen has the possibility of ruining someone’s life forever.
One major concern is just how hazardous underage drinking is excessive drinking is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth each year according to the CDC, 4300 that would have been avoided if they understood how to be safe while drinking. It’s not just deaths but serious injuries. In 2013, there were approximately 119,000 emergency rooms visits by persons aged 12 to 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol according to the CDC. Alcohol is a very addictive substance and people who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives . Being physically addicted to something as serious as alcohol is no laughing matter. It’s dangerous to that person and those around them. Especially at an age when their future depends on what they do now an addiction to alcohol is a great way to mess up their future.
Something needs to be done to address the amount of people who are being negatively affected by alcohol especially through underage drinking. In the past people have been harshly against drinking. All campaigns have been zero tolerance. But that hasn’t helped, the actions taken did nothing. I believe we need to be against underage drinking but realize that many are gonna to do it anyways, so they should be aware of how it affects you, and how to be safe while drinking. Warn against its effects and give ways that people can be safe while doing it. It’s more effective to tell people how to be safe than top tell them not to do something. Because if they go ahead and do it anyway they won’t know how to be safe with it. This is directed toward teens, educate them on the negative effects of drinking, and if they choose to do so while knowing the risks learn how to be safe.
Sites used
https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm
https://www.centeronaddiction.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAhKviBRCNARIsAAGZ7Cfv02Hrz2khiygHW0mV1IdlsJmmtE6_C1nu3kUtzax5ze84usfye0EaArrvEALw_wcB
Hi Enzo, I really enjoyed reading your article and think that you discussed some very interesting topics. I was very nice to see that you backed up your ideas with facts and interesting evidence. Specifically, I was shocked to learn that “people who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives.” I have always known the dangers of alcohol but I surprised to learn how influential decisions made in high school can be for students in the future. I am currently a senior and I have seen the negative affects on students in my school and have lost a family member to alcohol abuse. It was very interesting to read your article.
Hello Enzo, I thought that this article’s arrangement was very well thought out. Most articles that discuss underage drinking have the same content as your first two paragraphs, but I thought your line “I believe we need to be against underage drinking but realize that many are gonna to do it anyways, so they should be aware of how it affects you, and how to be safe while drinking” makes this writing stand out from others like it. As a teenager, I can see that underage drinking is prevalent almost in every community. To see that you recognize this and form your article around it shows that thought was put into your article. One question I have is what ways can adults promote safe drinking among youths. Listing the dangers is a good start, but I would like to see other recommendations for how teens can prevent injury if they end up drinking. Other than that this article was very well written and had a lot of good points.
Enzo, you make a very compelling argument. I liked how you started off with talking about how underage drinking is dangerous and stating facts that you found related to that. Then, you talked about what you think should be done about it: educate youth about these dangers. I think it is very clever to have mentioned that what is happening today, with zero tolerance, is not working, therefore something different needs to be done. Here is a link that I think you might be interested in: https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-1/5-14.htm. It talks about more strategies to prevent reckless, underage drinking. Great job!
Enzo,
Hello, my name is Sante and I am a senior at Judge Memorial High School. I think you are discussing something very important and prevalent to today’s society. Often times, society has thought that the solution to problems such as underage drinking is to just tell people to not do it. More than often, this makes an underage and not fully developed brain more curious to know why they shouldn’t be doing it, ending up in them doing the very thing they were told not to. Awareness is key in preventing this problem. In this article, they talk about how communication with young adults is key (https://www.quitalcohol.com/guides/preventing-underage-drinking-and-alcohol-abuse.html)