Teenagers Under The Drinking Age

This research is to study if teens should be allowed to drink an alcoholic beverage in the teenagers’ home with the consent of a parent. Teens who drink without an adult around tend to drink more, then when a responsible adult is around. Teenagers who drink more could be putting themselves at risk of dangerous situations, such as car accidents, violent behavior, alcohol poisoning, and other health problems. If a responsible parent is supervising when a teen is drinking the parent can control the amount of alcohol the teen can consume. It also prevents the teen from seeking to get alcohol in an illegal way, from a stranger, or going to jail for being in possession of alcohol.

Introduction
Alcohol is a gateway drug to trying
other hardcore drugs. Teens often drink as a cool thing to do with friends, but this could cause teenagers to act risky and be a showoff. Alcohol can have a negative effect on teenagers if used irresponsibly. Drinking at a young age can cause teens to have health problems now and later in life. Drinking with a responsible adult can help teens learn how to drink responsibly and still be able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage every once in a while. When a teenager does not have a guidance to help with finding the right amount to consume, this can lead to drinking and become an alcoholic. Parents have to ability to control when, where, and the amount of alcohol a teen is given (“The Law.” 2011). The parent or guardian, also have the right to decide if the teen can drink alcohol at home. (“The Law.” 2011)
Misuse of alcohol can cause teens to become addicted. This can take a financial toll on the parents and the teen. This could cause a teen to adapt to violent behavior, become ill, and even worst drink and drive (“Long Term.” 2011). So, why not guide this generation of teenagers in a better and safer direction.
History
For many years, the legal drinking age has changed repeatedly. In 1919, alcohol beverages was prohibited to all ages and was not allowed to be consumed or sold (FESSLER, 2010). The Prohibition Period failed because suppliers and consumer found ways to sell and drink alcohol in secret nightclubs. In 1933, the eighteenth amendment then was replaced with the twenty-first amendment (FESSLER, 2010). States were able to choose the legal drinking age for that state and most considered twenty-one as the drinking age. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the legal age was lowered to eighteen in many states, and the traffic fatalities among young people increased (“National Institutes of Health.” 2006). The drinking age was then increased again to twenty-one because of the increase in traffic fatalities.
Today the legal drinking age is twenty-one. Teens are allowed to drink an alcoholic beverage in the privacy of the teenagers’ home with the consent of their parents (“The Law.” 2011). Alcohol is the drug of choice among American adolescents, used by more young adults than tobacco and illicit drugs (“National Institutes of Health.” 2013). Underage drinking is the leading contributor to death (“National Institutes of Health.” 2013). In the future alcohol can cause some serious health problems later in life.
Problem Statement
In the U.S and many other countries, underage drinking is a widespread problem amongst teenagers (“Teenage Drinking”).
Underage and binge drinking is risky and can lead to car accidents, violent behavior, alcohol poisoning, and other health problems (Teenage Drinking: Understanding the Dangers and Talking to Your Child, “Teenage Drinking”). Drinking at a young age greatly increases the risk of developing an alcohol problem later in life (Teenage Drinking: Understanding the Dangers and Talking to Your Child, “Teenage Drinking”). Talking to teenagers early and openly about the risks of drinking can help reduce a teenagers’ chance of becoming a problem drinker (“Teenage Drinking”). Could the influence of a parent or an adult truly influence teenagers not to drink until the age of twenty-one? Teenagers can learn to drink responsibly by limiting the amount of alcohol consumed. Supervision of a teenager and a time agreement between the parent and teen can persuade teens not to
drink.
Statistical Findings
Figure 1: TRU Study- Wave 42, 2003 The graph above shows where teenagers are more likely to consume an alcoholic beverage. Seventy-one percent of teens tend to drink at a party when there are no parents around. Forty-three percent of teens that drink at parties, there is a parent supervision around. According, to an American Medical Association study it is reported that twenty-five percent of teens acknowledged the fact of attending a party with underage drinking with the presence of a parent (Carroll, 2011). Teens are less likely to drink if there is a parent to talk about how underage drinking is completely unacceptable (Join Together Staff. 2014), but is this always true? Parents hosting a party with underage drinker could possibly have a negative effect on a teenage drinker. As an ideal situation, it seems like a good idea and can help teens but in the end, the results of drinking still stand.
Figure 2: 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report In the pie chart above it shows some of the possible ways that teens are able to come in contact with alcohol. Teens are more likely to buy the alcohol, then get it from an adult that is twenty-one and over. Buying alcohol while under the age of twenty-one can cause trouble with the law. For teenagers to purchase alcohol without being of the age of twenty-one the underage drinker must have been using a fake ID. A teenager under twenty-one who uses a fake ID can be charged with possession of alcohol and be charged against the fake ID (Thornton, 1991). When a teen uses a fake ID to purchase alcohol, a teen is not only bringing upcoming charges against the teen but it also affects the provider of alcohol to face (Portman, 2017).
Resolution
Parents can help to prevent teens from drinking while underage (“Families Can Prevent Underage Drinking | Too Smart to Start.”).
Parents should be more aware of all the factors that may increase the risk of teenage drinking, to lower the chance that the teenager will drink (“Families Can Prevent Underage Drinking | Too Smart to Start.”). Social transition, history of conduct problems, depression, and family history of alcoholism are some of the key factors that can cause teens to binge drink (“Families Can Prevent Underage Drinking | Too Smart to Start.”). Parents should drink responsibly for teens are to be responsible drinkers as well (“Families Can Prevent Underage Drinking | Too Smart to Start.”). Parents can help by working with the schools, community, and government to protect teenagers from being controlled by the temptation to drink alcohol. (“Families Can Prevent Underage Drinking | Too Smart to Start.”). Parents can show teens how to avoid being pressured to do something by being assertive (“Prevent your child from drinking underage.”). There are many organization that are in young adult neighborhoods trying to help teens from drinking while under the legal drinking age, such as an organization called Mothers Against Drunk
Driving.
Conclusion
Teens drinking with the consent and supervision of a parent can have a good and a bad effect on a teenager. Even with the consent of a parent teens still face the risk of mental health problems and becoming an alcoholic when underage drinking. Drinking with a parent around could help the teen be able to control the amount of alcohol a teen consumes. Teens may be able to have a drink on a special occasion like holidays and family events. The best way for a teen to learn how to be responsible is to avoid drinking alcohol underage until the age of twenty-one.
Works Cited
Carroll, Linda. “Letting teen drink under parent’s watch back fires.” NBCNews.com, NBC
Universal News Group, 29 April 2011, www.nbcnews.com/id/42807670/ns/health-children_health/t/letting-teen-drink-under-parents-watch-backfires/#.WRHfXYjyvct. Accessed 9 May 2017.
“Families Can Prevent Underage Drinking | Too Smart to Start.” What Families Can Do To Help
Prevent Underage Alcohol Use | Too Smart To, www.toosmarttostart.samhsa.gov/families/prevention/default.aspx. Accessed 14 May 2017.
Fessler, Elizabeth. “The History of Underage Drinking.” March 19, 2010 The
History of Underage Drinking - LA101H, www.personal.psu.edu/elf5089/blogs/la101h/2010/03/the-history-of-underage-drinking.html. Accessed 10 May 2017.
Join Together Staff, “Parents Influence Teens’ Drinking Decisions’ Survey.” Partnership for
Drug-free Kids-where Families Find Answer, 2 April 2014, drugfree.org/learn/drug-and-alcohol-news/parent-influence-teens drinking- decision-survey/. Accessed 10 May 2017.
“The Law.” Teen Drinking Law, 2011, www.teendrinkinglaw.vic.gov.au/parents/the_law.php. Accessed 5 May 2017.
“Long Term.” Teen Drinking Law, 2011, www.teendrinkinglaw.vic.gov.au/parents/whats_the_harm_long.php. Accessed 5 May 2017. “National Institutes of Health.” January 2006, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa67/aa67.htm. Accessed 7 May 2017. “National Institutes of Health.” March 29, 2013 National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, report.nih.gov/NIHfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=21. Accessed 10 May 2017.
“Parents responsible for Underage drinking” Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 03 June 2006. Web. 27 April 2017
Portman, Attorney Janet, “Minor in Possession of Alcohol: Underage Drinking Laws and
Penalties | Criminal Law.” 2017. CriminalDefenseLawyer.com, www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/crime-penalties/federal/minor-alcohol-possession.htm. Accessed 10 May 2017. “Teenage Drinking.” Teenage Drinking: Understanding the Dangers and Talking to Your Child,
Harvard Health Publication., www.helpguide.org/harvard/the-dangers-of-teenage-drinking.htm. Accessed 5 May 2017.
Thornton, Mark. “Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure.” Cato Institute, 17 July 1991, www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/alcohol-prohibition-was-failure. Accessed 10 May 2017.