Underage drinking

You can drink occasionally, but once you say you "need" alcohol, you're in deep shit.

questionable content:

^ There are other reasons to drink than to rebel. Otherwise I don't think many people overage would drink.

I hardly get myself drunk, but when I do authority doesnt even enter my mind. I do it to have a good time.

honestly i dont need alcohol to have a good time, i've drank before but i've never been drunk. i prefer to be able to remember the night

I think that at times underage drinking is perfectly okay. I'm not talking about getting totally wasted (that's not good for your health no matter what age you are.) but champagne on New Year's eve or a glass of wine with a fancy meal seems harmless to me.

when i was underage, i drank alot but only at parties, and it was never about doing it because it was "cool" or anything. i think the main reason i did it was because it was a nervous thing, your inhibitions go away and it makes you feel more confident, and not care what people think, i wish i could be like that sober... and i guess another reason was because i was allowed to by my parents and older friends bought me drinks and stuff so i thought it was okay, but people forget that it is against the law.

i dont drink, so i dont really know how it feels . but i've seen my classmates do that, and i find it bad for them . they do .. uhh .. stupid stuffs .

HQuinn:

I hate the fact that some parents are so protective of their children and won't let them drink.

Yeah, they're such bad parents. Because, you know, alcohol is really good for your body and stuff and by drinking it, you can only benefit!

I use sarcasm here because you're implying that parents are somehow doing a disservice to their children by warning them not to drink, when in reality they are probably doing them a favour.

Not letting your child drink is actually a pretty mature and responsible thing to do, which is funny because you talk so much about maturity in your post, and you imply that maturity is "knowing your limits". No, maturity is actually realising that alcohol is one of the most abused substances in this world and that the earlier you start drinking, the more it impacts on your brain, your body, your liver, your heart. Drinking kills brain cells. Imagine how healthy we would all be if no one drank alcohol? If no one were an alcoholic? If no one had a binge drinking problem (binge drinking is a problem amongst young people)? Alcohol does more harm than good. Parents shouldn't be chastised for doing something responsible because that just doesn't make any sense.

^^ I think what HQuinn meant was not letting them have a glass of wine at dinner or champagne at New Years or stuff like that. I agree with HQuinn on that.

My parents let me have wine when they do, and I think that if you let your kids do that then it lowers the taboo against drinking and it lowers the risk of teens doing it just to rebel.

^I fail to see where you got that impression, considering she didn't even mention any of that in her post.

The whole post implied to me that it's better that kids start drinking earlier because then they won't want to as much later on, which isn't true for everyone.

HQuinn:

But anyway, as long as your aware of the dangers, then have fun. You can't stop anyone from doing what they want to do but you can inform them.

Honestly, there will only be about 3 kids at an entire party who will have their health in mind. And have you ever tried to take a drink away from someone who is smashed or even explain something to them that they'll listen to? No, that's not happening.

Adults 21 or over who have drank before the legal drinking age are about 5x more likely to have alcohol dependence or abuse.
Teenagers just do NOT have the ability to control impulsive actions, therefore 1 shot turns into 4, 1 beer turns into 5, and pretty soon you're stumbling around drunkly making a fool of yourself. The only thing more pathetic than a 15 year old thinking they're the shit while macking on everyone at the party is... oh wait, you can't get dumber than that.

Look, I'm not saying I don't go to the occasional party, but I've educated myself by looking at statistics and watching my peers make asses out of themselves.
It's rare that attendees at a high school party will know their limits, and it's ignorant to assume so.

Alcoholism - "a chronic disorder characterized by dependence on alcohol, repeated excessive use of alcoholic beverages, the development of withdrawal symptoms on reducing or ceasing intake, morbidity that may include cirrhosis of the liver, and decreased ability to function socially and vocationally."

Also, something interesting - "The three leading causes of death for 15- to 24-year-olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides -- alcohol is a leading factor in all three."

Mindfuck:

^I fail to see where you got that impression, considering she didn't even mention any of that in her post.

The whole post implied to me that it's better that kids start drinking earlier because then they won't want to as much later on, which isn't true for everyone.

I wasnt saying that at all, so your judgement is wrong. Why would I write a whole paragraph with that point of view, when I said that alcohol dependency is wrong. Of course any toxin is going to posion your body, its whether you make the decision to or whether not. Also, I never said EVERYONE. I'm aware that some people don't like drinking, even though they've never tried it which is fair enough and I can accept their views on that.
I was merely pointing out the factor that if parents control their children and make their decisions for them, then some may rebel against it and it really can damage them. I'm not encourging drinking, i'm just say let your child experience but don't let them run wild. You have to find a balance between that.

While I do agree that oppressing your child could be detrimental in the long run, I think parents do it because they've experienced or seen things in their lives that they don't want their children to have to experience. This isn't always communicated to or understood by the children. So I do agree that kids need to be taught the facts and not just be told "no".
Also, some people never drink alcohol because they know alcoholism is an inherited trait, and genetics could decide if they will become dependent on it or not. I know it runs in my blood, because my grandmother was an alcoholic, but I've learned to drink responsibly if the time comes around, which I rarely allow it to. But I do understand people defying the warnings and such, because I have obviously done so.

Ludwig.:

I was merely pointing out the factor that if parents control their children and make their decisions for them, then some may rebel against it and it really can damage them. I'm not encourging drinking, i'm just say let your child experience but don't let them run wild. You have to find a balance between that.

Well, of course. Teenagers have been rebelling for time immemorial.

But that doesn't mean a parent can't be responsible and not want their child to drink. You can educate a child and tell them "no" at the same time.

Your way of thinking makes little sense to me - you're saying parents shouldn't control their kids because they may rebel, but they should control them so they don't get too wild.

Mindfuck:

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Your way of thinking makes little sense to me - you're saying parents shouldn't control their kids because they may rebel, but they should control them so they don't get too wild.

Like I said, its about finding a balance between those two.

I think the real problem here is not that kids are drinking--- it's that cultures that label underage drinking as taboo or illegal are the same ones that have the most young people binge drinking and getting sick. It's like we're creating cultures that look down upon drinking, but look the other way when shit happens.

I'm a 17 year old American public school kid, and I've seen first-hand how much kids talk about "last weekend's party" during class, and the teacher or other adult simply stiffens their brow and moves on.

It's also a big problem in pop culture; of course, TV shows and movies need to have the correct dose of illegal underage activity (let's be realistic, now), but when shows like Gossip Girl depict glamorous lifestyles of drinking and unprotected sex, it gives teens the wrong idea.

It's probably been said before. It just needs to be rehashed.

edit; The correct solution? A culture more accepting of drinking. Less 21 shots and barhopping for your twenty-first birthday, more social drinking at a younger age around responsible adults, such as parents. (However, this opens up another can of worms- many parents simply don't know how to do this right. Other parents are even alcoholics themselves. This is where my country seems to have hit a wall.)