Alcoholism In Minors

Alcoholism in Minors

According to a survey conducted by the United States Department of

Health and Human Services, fifty-three percent of American high school seniors

reported having drank alcohol in the last month. Of those surveyed, thirty percent

confessed to binge drinking in the two weeks prior to the survey. What is causing

America's youth to risk trouble with the law - trouble that would get them arrested

- for a few hours of fun? "Alcohol is the most widely used and abused drug

among youth" (Center for Science). In today's world, alcoholism is no longer a

condition only for adults; it now causes major problems for minors.

Not many people want to stand up and say, "Juvenile alcoholism has never

been a problem, is not a problem, and will never be a problem in America.

Alcohol simply does not entice minors". However, there are groups that will do

just that.

Nations that permit a much younger drinking age - around 16, usually - do

not have a problem with juvenile alcoholism. Nor do they find that their adults

suffer from alcoholism brought on by years of drinking as a teen. Dwight B.

Heath is a professor of anthropology at Brown University, and opposed to the

idea that alcoholism is a real problem in America. "In most parts of the world,

beverage alcohol lacks the 'forbidden fruit' appeal that invites its use by

youngsters as a demonstration of maturity and/or as a means of becoming

sociable, sexy, dynamic, or more powerful" (Heath). He goes on to state that the

children in that setting "learn simultaneously how to drink moderately, how and

why to avoid drunkenness, that drinking will not magically improve one's

personality, and that excessive drinking illustrates weakness" (Heath). This goes

very opposite of how American teenagers drink. Heath found "underage

American drinkers will be otherwise deviant and will flout the law also virtually

ensuring that they will often drink furtively and excessively or rashly, and that they

will do so among peers ignorant or unmindful of the specific long- and short-term

risks of alcohol abuse - peers who may be reluctant to summon an adult in the

even of an acute problem" (Heath). Those who agree with Heath believe that

America's underage drinking problem is not 'alcoholism', but a quiet protest of the

prohibition that has gone a little out of hand due to inexperience and brash

judgment. They say America's teenagers have been brought up incorrectly and

therefore do not respect alcohol's influence on their bodies.

The reason for underage drinking in America is not the only thing being

debated; the influence of alcoholic advertising on America's teens is also a hot

topic. David J. Hanson, a sociology professor at the State University of New York

at Potsdam, believes "...television commercials may actually encourage

teenagers to have responsible attitudes toward alcohol by presenting the

beverages as mundane products rather than evil temptations" (Hanson). A study

by the Federal Trade Commission found that there is "no reliable basis to

conclude that alcohol advertising significantly affects consumption, let alone

abuse." Even The United States Department of Health and Human Services in

its report to Congress concluded that there is no significant relationship between

alcohol advertising and alcohol consumption - although it did recommend banning

or imposing additional restrictions on advertising. Hanson says the purpose of

advertising, which is backed by the alcohol industry, is to increase market share

and to create brand loyalty. Both of those are huge factors in achieving success

in the competitive capitalist market of the United States. "Advertising increases

alcohol consumption, which increases alcohol abuse... Right? WRONG. There

is no solid evidence from either scientific research or practical experience that

this theory of advertising is correct" (Hanson).

A debate that has been raging for decades is the controversy of age

restrictions on drinking - do they work, or do they just cause more drinking?

Steve Chapman, a columnist and editorial writer for the Chicago Tribune,

believes whole-heartedly in the effectiveness of age restrictions. "High school

students today are far less likely to drink or to drink and drive" (Chapman). One

way to know that is true is to look at the facts. "Since 1982, the number of

youngsters killed in crashes involving a drunken teenage driver has plunged by

sixty-three percent. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

estimates that higher drinking ages have saved more than 19,000 lives since