OP ED
Yuval Shavit
March 18,2015
Drink Your Problems Away
One of adolescents’ main characteristics is the desire to try and explore many different aspects in life. This desire, though, leads the curious young people to make some bad choices while not considering the consequences.
One of America’s top 10 issues is underage drinking. According to
"Facts About Teens And
Alcohol"
, in 2012, nearly 3/4 of students in America (72%) reported that they have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) before they graduated from the high school. Moreover, studies have shown that the three leading causes of death for 15 to 24 year-olds are automobile crashes, homicide and suicide- alcohol is a leading factor for all 3.
While youth might not recognize it, underage drinking has many atrocious, short and long term effects on their lives. Consuming alcohol leads to impaired judgement which can result in risky behavior. Youth who drink are more likely to carry out or be the victim of a sexual assault. Apart from that, researchers have found that alcohol damages brain development as well as physical development.
Aside from being illegal, underage drinking has damaging effects on adolescents’ life, their families and their communities.
Although adolescents might not think clear all the time, they are wise and are fully aware of the risks they take while consuming alcohol.
After considering all of this information, only one question comes to mind; why do adolescents keep drinking alcohol?
This question has many answers and is not only contemporary.
J.D. Salinger, in his timeless novel
The Catcher In The Rye refers to this question, giving several possible answers.
In his bo ok, that was banned in several nations in America due to its attitude toward subjects like alcoholism, sexuality and relationships between teenagers, one of the main issues is underage drinking. Throughout the book, the main character, Holden, who is a teenager under the age of 21, goes through experiences that
March 18,2015
Drink Your Problems Away
One of adolescents’ main characteristics is the desire to try and explore many different aspects in life. This desire, though, leads the curious young people to make some bad choices while not considering the consequences.
One of America’s top 10 issues is underage drinking. According to
"Facts About Teens And
Alcohol"
, in 2012, nearly 3/4 of students in America (72%) reported that they have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) before they graduated from the high school. Moreover, studies have shown that the three leading causes of death for 15 to 24 year-olds are automobile crashes, homicide and suicide- alcohol is a leading factor for all 3.
While youth might not recognize it, underage drinking has many atrocious, short and long term effects on their lives. Consuming alcohol leads to impaired judgement which can result in risky behavior. Youth who drink are more likely to carry out or be the victim of a sexual assault. Apart from that, researchers have found that alcohol damages brain development as well as physical development.
Aside from being illegal, underage drinking has damaging effects on adolescents’ life, their families and their communities.
Although adolescents might not think clear all the time, they are wise and are fully aware of the risks they take while consuming alcohol.
After considering all of this information, only one question comes to mind; why do adolescents keep drinking alcohol?
This question has many answers and is not only contemporary.
J.D. Salinger, in his timeless novel
The Catcher In The Rye refers to this question, giving several possible answers.
In his bo ok, that was banned in several nations in America due to its attitude toward subjects like alcoholism, sexuality and relationships between teenagers, one of the main issues is underage drinking. Throughout the book, the main character, Holden, who is a teenager under the age of 21, goes through experiences that
Bibliography: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. Mar. 2015 https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-teens-and-alcohol Human Services, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.