Underage Drinking Articles

For modern American communities, the problem of underage drinking offers a variety of problems. It has been widely discussed by the media, in television shows, newspaper headlines, podcasts, radio shows. And in many underage drinking articles, people have expressed their thoughts about underage drinking.

In a newsletter released by human relations media in 2003, teen drinking is a “hot topic.” And the conflicting ideas on the message of alcohol are not helping teens make a decision. In ads, TV programs, movies and news reports, drinking alcohol is seen as normal, ordinary and even fun while others draw attention to risks and consequences of drinking. And for teens who have not yet settled on which path to take when it comes to alcohol, it becomes even more confusing.[1]

The media’s influence on the minds of people has also helped in the perpetuation of some doubtful statistics about alcohol, for instance, the belief that adolescents will have seen a hundred thousand alcohol-related commercials between the age of 2 and 18. Cynics are trying to dispute that fact saying it’s an overestimation. To do that, you would need to watch 7 alcohol related commercials each day, every day for 16 years. This data has been published in publications like New York Times and Sports Illustrated. This worries them because there might be other inaccurate information on underage drinking, sending the wrong message to the people.

However, in spite of the exaggerated publicity that underage drinking is getting, the fact remains, it STILL is a major public health issue. There are many reports about underage drinking incidents. Several weeks ago, 49 minors were caught in the possession of alcohol and marijuana in Massachusetts. [2] In Chicago, 2 incidents of underage drinking were reported last April 9, one of the children arrested was also charged with battery.[3] If you scan the news, you will see that underage drinking is not uncommon and the consequences can indeed be terrible.

This compels people to respond. Then again, even the response to underage drinking is causing some arguments among people. Some insist on imposing strict policies and raising penalties. Others argue that a more realistic approach is to embrace alcohol, using it responsibly rather than completely detesting it. Some articles on underage drinking argue that alcohol could never be separated from American society. Further adding that, “To pretend that young people will grow up to enter a world of abstinence is both unrealistic and irresponsible.”[4] It suggests that the best way is not to STIGMATIZE alcohol consumption and the focus of campaigns should be against alcohol abuse rather than alcohol itself.

Nevertheless, no matter what these underage drinking articles are asserting, whether we should promote drinking alcohol in moderation or on the other hand go for total abstinence, efforts on campaigns against underage drinking appear to be paying off. Recent reports say that drinking alcohol among middle school and high school students is the lowest it has been in thirty-six years. Of all the reports on underage drinking, this is probably the most comforting.