Underage Drinking Solutions

The problem of underaged drinking has become too out of hand.  Society needs to get be much more proactive in order to find underage drinking solutions. And the key to finding solutions that work is by stopping the very root of underage drinking. As mentioned in the Surgeon General’s guide to action in 2007, alcohol use among adolescents is “influenced” more than it is “inherited.” And this report also added that minors can ONLY obtain alcohol if this is done for them by an ADULT.[1] It is clear that solutions must be directed more towards those who are “of age” rather than towards the “underaged.”

Statistics show that underage drinking has a better chance of KILLING minors than ALL illegal drugs combined.[2] And another hair-raising fact is that each year alcohol tends to claim more lives. Solutions for underage drinking are unquestionably needed—fast!

So, what can we do?

Parents play a vital role in the prevention of underaged drinking. And as children learn to be more manipulative over the years, parents need to more creative in their parenting as well. And for both mother and father, the first thing you need to do is talk to your child. The more distant they are from you, the closer they will be to bad influences. It is important to make them feel that you CARE rather than making them think that you are just another obstacle to their happiness. Also, you have to set and consistently reinforce clear rules in order to inculcate discipline, even when no one is watching.[3]

Apart from parents, state officials need to take an active effort in finding solutions to underage drinking as well. Laws or policies need to be reviewed, amended and improved in order to create an environment that is less conducive for alcohol access by minors. Enforcing local policies such as conducting trainings for retailers to be more responsible in dispensing beverages, inhibiting underage drinking at parties and establishing recreation areas that are alcohol-free, have been shown to significantly reduce the occurrence of underaged drinking in cities all over the country.[4]

In the end, EVERYONE has a role in the fight against underage drinking. Friends, relatives and communities must all take an active role in seeking underage drinking solutions. This can be done by relentlessly discouraging alcohol use among children and by continually acknowledging a child’s effort in not drinking alcohol. Apparently, in order for us to have responsible children, we all have to be responsible adults as well.