Alcoholism In Minors
Essay by 24 • October 31, 2010 • 2,018 Words (9 Pages) • 1,612 Views
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
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