Teenage Drinking - Essay Example

Teenage Drinking Alcohol consumption among teenagers is a source of debate the world over with many countries including United States setting age limits for one to drink while others particularly in Europe fail to do so. It is not uncommon to come across arguments for teenage drinking and those against (Reid 2003; Joseph 2003). Amidst all the debate however, both parties are aware that teenage drinking is a matter of huge concern since alcohol is the most frequently abused substance by teenagers (Johnson 2) with statistics indicating that nearly 42% of teenagers after any given 30 days have taken alcohol, 24% of whom have binge drank. Arguments for Teenage Drinking: One argument for teenage drinking is based on the fact that at the age of 18 individuals are already legal adults and can marry or get married, have a say in elections through voting, adopt children, drive vehicles, procure abortions, serve on juries, fly airplanes, hold important public offices, serve imprisonment and even capital punishment and sue or be sued in court, yet they cannot drink until they are 21 years old. This can only be termed as hypocrisy especially considering that one acquires a driving license at 16 years and can be entrusted with a gun for hunting at the tender age of 12 years while they cannot be entrusted with drinking (Hanson). There is also the view that prohibition of teenage drinking in public places has resulted in teenagers hiding and drinking in unsupervised places and maximizing such opportunities through binge drinking which has far serious health effects. Lowering the drinking age may have the effect of removing the taboo tag on alcohol and thus remove the thrill that drives teenagers towards alcohol and breaking the law. This will result in reduced binge drinking and moderate teenage alcohol consumption (ProCon). Bryson weighs in on the debate with the view that at the age of 18 one can not only represent the country in war but also work at a beer/wine/liquor distillery besides owning a bar among numerous other adult rights and freedoms such as paying taxes, act and access pornography, engage in commercial sex activities in some states, sign legal contracts and run for most political offices while being forbidden to drink. This is tantamount to treating the adults of 18-20 years as second class citizens. Besides all these, the drinking restriction has not served its purpose as evidenced by the amount of unstoppable drinking occurring at college level. Studies also indicate that there are no significant differences in harm caused by alcohol between an 18 year old and a 21 year old. Arguments against Teenage Drinking: Alcohol drinking has been shown to have serious medical complications in teenagers especially when they engage in binge drinking. These include brain damage which is a consequence of the neurotoxicity of consumption of large amounts of alcohol and fears are that such brain damage may be irreversible. Comparative studies indicate that drinking teenagers have impaired memory and limited cognitive skills as compared to non-drinking ones. Teenager’s brain is not structurally fully developed hence teenagers are at higher risks of damage in comparison to adult brains (IAS 3; CADCA 1; Trudeau). Johnson (2) identifies alcohol as a major contributor to juvenile delinquency stating that such teenagers are more likely to bear guns and other weaponry, damage property, commit rape and assault among other violent conduct and illegal acts. A closely related consequence of teenage drinking is engaging in abuse of other drugs including drugs such as marijuana, inhalants, cocaine and smoking (CDC Factsheet; Hitti). Such drugs not only create problems with the law but also health and mental problems alongside drop in performance in schools. This is a scenario which results in cross-over youths which referring to youths causing concerns across multiple systems such as counseling, juvenile criminal justice, education and health. Teenage drinking is also the cause of the huge problem of driving while drunk among individuals aged between 15 and 20 years. The most recent statistics indicate that the major cause of death among members of this age group is drunk driving with about 1,900 of such individuals dying annually. The statistics further point to the idea that young people are more likely to suffer from alcohol induced driving impairment as evidenced by the fact that teenage drivers are twice as likely as their older counterparts to be involved in fatal accidents while driving (Federal Trade Commission). Drinking among teenagers also causes a host of other problems including alcohol dependence in later adulthood, suicidal and homicidal tendencies, risky sexual behavior as a result of impaired judgment, drop in academic performance and achievement, accidents such as drowning, burns and falls, sexual and physical assaults, teenage pregnancies and development of family problems among other social problems as a result of increased aggressiveness and arrogance (Scott). CONCLUSION Consumption of alcohol among teenagers has wide medical, social, legal, educational, economic and moral consequences and losses that far outweigh any argument for drinking however philosophical. Besides this, the pro-teenage drinking brigade offers no independent advantage to be gained by the teenager in any way possible and resorts to attacking the reasons for the age limit on drinking. While creative methods to prevent teenage drinking should be sought, the age limit remains an important tool that should not be done away with. Works Cited Bryson, Lew. Are You Adult Enough to Debate the Drinking Age? nd. Web. 26 September 2011. CADCA. Arguments Against Lowering the Drinking Age From a Prevention Standpoint. 2008. CACDA.org. Alexandria. Web. 26 September 2011. CDC Factsheet. Underage Drinking. Alcohol and Public Health. 2010. Web. 26 September 2011. Federal Trade Commission. Dangers of Teen Drinking. We Don't Serve Teens. 2007. Web. 26 September 2011. Hanson, J. David. Responses to Arguments against the Minimum Legal Drinking Age. State University of New York. Potsdam. nd. Web. 26 September 2011. Hitti, Miranda. Teen Binge Drinking: Common and Risky. WebMD Health News. 2007. Web. 26 September 2011. IAS. Binge Drinking – Medical and Social Consequences. 2007. Web. 26 September 2011. Johnson, D. Kelly. Underage Drinking. U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 2004. Web. 26 September 2011. Joseph, A. Califano Jr.. "Don't Make Teen Drinking Easier." The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. 2003. HighBeam Research. Web. 26 September 2011. ProCon.org. Drinking Age ProCon.org. DrinkingAge.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 15 July 2011. Web. 26 September 2011. Reid, TR. Let My Teenager Drink. The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. 2003. Web. 26 September 2011. Scott, Mogul. Effects of Teenage Drinking. Alcoholism Information and Resource. 2010. Web. 26 September 2011. Trudeau Michele. Teen Drinking May Cause Irreversible Brain Damage. NPR. 2010. Web. 26 September 2011. Read More