I just read some old blog posts about underage drinking, and thought I would throw in my two cents. What I think is ridiculous is the absolute extremeties of the opinions going both ways: either you are sober until you are 21, absolutely against underage drinking, cite horrific statistics (which I don't doubt are true), and try to scare kids into waiting to drink until they're older or you go out every weekend and completely blow your mind with drugs and alcohol and large house parties.
There needs to be a middle ground, because kids are going to drink no matter what. We don't need prevention programs, we need education programs. Yes, we need to know the consequences of drinking and driving and of drinking at a young age to be able to make an informed decision on when we want to drink. But too many teenagers aren't smart about how they drink. They attend large house parties where illegal drugs are available to them after they're ability to make decisions is hindered, where alcohol is available and shoved at them from every side far after they've reached their limit, and where plenty of hormonally driven teenagers of the opposite sex reside (that they don't/barely know) who could cajole and pressure them into doing things they don't want to do or wouldn't want do if they were sober.
I'm 17, I drink. But I've set rules for myself when I do drink.
A) I pick one place (not a public place, usually a house of a friend I trust) to drink, and STAY there until I'm sober.
B) I only drink with people I trust, with people I know won't pressure me into doing things I won't want to do.
C) I find out what type of drink I'll be consuming and set my limit, and stick to it.
D) Car keys and phones are all hidden by someone for safety.
I know that most teenagers aren't able to set rules like these for themselves because they're teenagers. They're young and dumb and unable to foresee consequences of their actions. That's why we need an education program that teaches these basic rules. Part of the reason why drinking and driving death tolls are so high is because our society places such a taboo on underage drinking (but that is a whole 'nother blog entry). But if kids are never taught how to drink safely, even if they wait until 21, they will STILL make these stupid mistakes.
Opinions?
I think that our society as a whole is remarkably stupid when it comes to underage drinking. I think it's pretty accurate to say that just about everyone who drinks starts drinking before they're 21 and it seems foolish to me to make something illegal that so many people continue to do. I think it leads to more of a distrust in the law and cops than it does prevent anything from happening. Besides, I know lots of 21 year olds on up to age 60 who don't drink as responsibly as you do at 17. Instead of spending time enforcing a law that really can't be enforced all that well, they should be spending time encouraging responsible drinking, kinda like safer sex lol. I also think that the drunk driving age should be harsher for those who are of legal age not more leinient, it's a rule my state's made that I really don't agree with. Anyway that's my rant, thanks for listening :)
Good for you for being so responsible. I agree with the previous poster: I know some 30 year olds who don't drink as responsibly as you do. Kudos!
Education is extremely important. I don't think we should lower the legal drinking age, but we should acknowledge that people are going to do it. Education about drunk driving is especially important. My mom used to work for a rehabilitation organization for drunk drivers who had been court-ordered to take these classes, and so she got to see some really awful stuff and meet some tortured people who were now living with the lives they had taken unintentionally. No one should have to live with the consequences of that, and teenagers should have to even less.
Also, I believe education is important early on because even if they don't drink while they're underage, they might take some of these lessons into a later time in their life when they are put into a situation where alcohol is involved. It's extremely important to let these teenagers know what could happen if they're irresponsible when they drink.
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I would say more, but you have pretty much said it, and I have said it other places.
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