Underaged Drinking

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Kids holding a bottle of beer instead of a milk bottle—this is what may become as the age of alcohol drinkers become younger and younger. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports a surprising drop in the age of children who drink alcoholic beverages, from an average age of 17.5 years old in 1965 to about 14 in 2003.[1] If this trend persists, are we going to see our 5-year old grandchildren asking for a bottle of beer instead of a pack of juice? Underaged drinking is gradually turning into one of the country’s primary public health issues and it’s not just the US that has this problem.

Why underage drinking is becoming more and more popular in the younger generation is baffling many sectors of society. While many blame it on the naturally inquisitive nature of the young, others think it’s an offshoot of modernization, most especially greater access to the media. With the advent of recent inventions such as the television, radio and the internet, alcohol has been extensively advertised, publicized and glamourized. These ads can negate some of the dangers involved in drinking. In fact, a study conducted to determine how adolescents react to these advertisements showed that those children who enjoy watching alcohol-related ads tend to view drinking positively. [2]
However, regardless of what is causing this prevalence of alcohol underage drinking, the problem remains at hand. It needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed fast. One of the early campaigns against drinking underage was launched in 2004[3]. In the recent years, more and more states are responding to the growing public health crisis. New Jersey and Boston launched separate campaigns against underaged drinking in 2008 and January 2011, respectively. [4] [5] Orange County also launched a sticker campaign in February 2011[6]—all in the hopes of ending underaged drinking by raising public awareness.

In the end, these children who drink at a very young age are not the only ones to be blamed. The people that surround them need to take responsibility as well. Parents, sisters, brothers, friends, neighbours and every concerned individual all need to take part in putting a stop to underaged drinking. Everyone plays a role in making sure that children remain children as long as possible, to preserve their youth and to see them drinking a glass milk rather than anything stronger.

Underaged Drinking

[1] http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/AboutNIAAA/NIAAASponsoredPrograms/underage.htm

[2] http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/AA67/AA67.htm

[3] http://www.wate.com/story/1732290/campaign-against-underage-drinking-brings-message-to-knoxville?redirected=true

[4] http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/state_launches_campaign_agains.html

[5] http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/01/02/boston_joins_fight_against_underage_drinking/

[6] http://www.ocregister.com/news/alcohol-287676-teens-sticker.html

 

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