Underage drinking has become a severe problem not only among college students, but sadly even young kids who are years away from being able to drive are drinking. Many factors are responsible for these drinking problems and unfortunately even though the causes are known, rarely action is taken to stop them. Are future children doomed into a world where underage drinking is accepted?
The average age when youth first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls according to a national study. It’s shocking to think that kids in junior high schools are experimenting with alcohol. Many teens face adult problems at a very young age. Underage drinking viewed in the eyes of parents and law enforcement agencies is a major problem among teens. Hopefully there will be a day that underage drinking is no longer cool or accepted and kids had other things to do than drink.
How truly vast is this problem of underage drinking in America? According to a recent study by the FDA, by age 14, 41 percent of children have had least one drink. That means on average, half of the students in a freshman high school class have tried alcohol. Underage drinkers consumed as much as $27 billion worth of alcohol in 1998 — $15 billion on beer alone (Grunbaum). Kids are not mature enough at that young age and therefore are responsible for more than 5,000 deaths annually. It is frightening to know that a children’s sleep over party which parents would willingly consent to, may have alcohol. Nevertheless, underage drinking is very common and still remains one of the greatest problems among the youth.
Many reasons and excuses form when it is time to give blame for underage drinking, but the problem is not caused by one factor alone. The most obvious and known reason for underage drinking is linked to the parent’s lack of parenting. Although the parents should be held responsible for their kids’ decisions, they are not alone to blame. The media is another factor in underage drinking. Kids see all their favorite movie stars and actors drinking in movies and shows and they assume it is ok to do. Not to mention the peer pressure they get from their fellow classmates and friends. With all these people telling underage drinkers it is ok to drink, the children believe that drinking underage is acceptable. And lastly, the availability of alcohol these days is shocking. Most kids know at least one person who can get them alcohol.
Lack of Parenting is commonly mistaken for the number one factor in their kids’ drinking problem (Bane). The parents should be held accountable for how they raise their child, but I do not agree that they are fully to blame. It is the responsibility of the parents to discipline and teach their children about the dangers of alcohol. There is an ongoing debate as to whether parents should allow their kids to taste alcohol at a young age or not. The argument is stated that if a child tastes a disgusting alcoholic drink at a young age he will be more likely not to try another. On the other side, people argue that exposing the youth to alcohol will make them more likely to drink later on in life. Unfortunately, no studies have proven either way to be effective yet. Parents must watch their kids and provide knowledge and facts about the dangers associated with alcohol.
Another problem is the availability of alcohol for underage drinkers. Many underage kids know at least one person who is willing to buy them alcohol. A study held by The Journal of Drug Education which involved 19 college students showed that these college students had very few problems getting alcohol. “We conducted focus groups pertaining to access to alcohol and related issues with 19 underage college students. They reported that alcohol is easy to obtain from a variety of sources, with friends/acquaintances who are of legal age or those with a false ID being the most common” (Fabrian). With alcohol so available, kids don’t have to work too hard to get alcohol and therefore they drink at an early age. They see their friends drinking and they believe it is ok. Media and television are also responsible for this accepted behavior. There are many reality television shows and mature movies that kids are exposed to that influence negative behavior among the youth. These kids are lost and need guidance not acceptance. They see their friends drinking, their parents drinking, celebrities drinking, why should they feel that drinking is a bad thing? Not to mention the peer pressure that these young kids receive from their older siblings and friends. Alcohol is out there and widely available and no one is really telling these kids that drinking is wrong and they should wait until they are of age.
Underage drinking is not a joke and should not be taken lightly. With this problem getting worse and worse and no solution on the way, there will be more alcohol related deaths and more injuries from this drug in the future. Alcohol is a dangerous drug, and until the youth can realize this fact, society will continuously become more acceptant to this juvenile behavior.