In honor of this issue’s center spread (“The Drive to Drink” pg. 4-5) I wanted to weigh in the always-fever-pitch argument of teen drinking.
Adults view teens drinking as a problem. Right now, that’s exactly what it is. It is illegal, whether you like it or not. You may choose to drink, but as it stands, and I doubt it will be changing any time soon, there are legal consequences for drinking if you’re under 21.
What I’ve noticed is that there is a vicious cycle here, though. Alcohol is a complex idea for teens. Some of us just don’t know how to feel about it. Because it’s withheld from us, for vague reasons we don’t understand, we don’t see the “big deal.” For those of us who are 18, we are allowed to vote, and we are allowed to die for our country, but we are denied by that country the ability to drink. If there is logic here, it’s lost on my generation.
While my Saturday nights are rather boring, I don’t believe that the drinking age should be 21. I couldn’t find any specific data pertaining to drunk driving with a comparison to US to Europe (where the drinking age is typically 18 or less) but I have been there recently.
The attitude teens have towards alcohol is different. From what I viewed it seemed as though people, teens included, understand their tolerances much better than Americans do. Drinking is not a big deal in their culture, so they feel less of a need to consume excessive amounts. So while the adults who think they know best choose to keep this at 21, I’m left wondering if they really are making the best decision. After all, most of our parents were allowed to drink when they were our age.
Teen drinking is an everlasting fixture on the teen partying scene. In fact, I’ve noticed more and more that saying “I like to party” is the Facebook friendly way of saying “I drink.” So while kids may not think it’s a big deal to have photos on social networking sights that suggest drinking, remember that every thing we in this age put on the Internet will stay there.
People are going to make their own decisions. If you’re safe about it, I don’t see it as my business to remind you that it’s illegal; we all know that. But I do feel it becomes a problem when anyone chooses to drive while intoxicated. If you choose to drink and drive you are not only putting yourself in danger, but everyone else around you as well.
Teens may feel it’s socially acceptable to drink, and it’s up to you to make your own decisions. Just make sure they are smart ones.
