No

2 of 17

by Shirley Love

• 

Write now Print Invite a writer™ Add to Favorites RSS Feed Contact this writer

Should the National Drinking Age be Lowered to 18?

Twixt Twelve and Twenty! The teen years, as described by Pat Boone, are the years of confusion and doubt. That is true for all teens, but more so for some than for others.

We seem to have two categories of teens and most of their problems, or lack of problems are associated with home, school and peer pressure.

On one side we have those well-adjusted young people who are much more mature at an earlier age compared with teenagers of the mid twentieth century. They have had to learn so much more, much more quickly, in the midst of much more confusion; and they have done so admirably.

These teens come from homes where parents take an interest in their children. There seems to be good communication between them when the child is not only included in the conversation, but listened to as well. Their ideas, doubts, anxieties and fears, are topics for conversation and the parents let them vent, as well as offer suggestions and helpful solutions.

A close family unit is imperative for the well balanced teenage life, but the family should not be overwhelming. Teens need time of their own to reflect, as well as time with their peers.

On the other side of the story, we have teens from broken homes or homes where the parents do not spend quality time with their children, do not have time because of the job situation, or just do not care about the child's welfare. These unfortunate kids are overwhelmed with doubts, fears, anxieties, low self-esteem, and are often badly influenced by their peers.

Of course, the majority of teens do not fit 100% into either of these categories, but maintain a confused life somewhere in between. Some are able to cope much better than others with the new emotions plaguing this time of their lives.

According to MSNBC, many teens believe they are going to die at an early age in this war-torn, badly bruised world of ours. They are described as fatalistic teens, and they are more likely to attempt suicide and get into fights resulting in serious injuries. This attitude often leads to drug use and other unsafe behavior according to Dr. Iris Borowsky, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, who explains that they take risky chances because they feel hopeless and figure that not much is at stake. This recent study shows this type of teen engages in threatening behavior, that may turn their fatalism into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

These teens have difficulty making rational decisions, often display violence and are prong to rage. They have no respect for parents, teachers, authority figures and most alarming, no self-respect. Although these teens are going to find alcoholic beverages on their own, lowering the age limit would just make it easier to obtain.

There are studies from the Marin Institute regarding the physiological effects of adolescent alcohol use, that should have a great bearing on the legal drinking age across this nation.

According to Dr. John Nelson, American Medical Association, scientific evidence suggests that even modest alcohol consumption in late childhood and adolescence can result in permanent brain damage!

From the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey of 2000 we read: Girls 12 to 16 years old who currently drink are four times more likely than their non-drinking peers to suffer from depression.

The American Medical Association's 2003 article, Underage Drinkers at Higher Risk of Brain Damage, states that research shows teen drinkers score worse than their non-drinking peers on vocabulary, visual-spatial, and memory tests, and are more likely to perform poorly in school as a whole.

Adolescents who drink alcohol may remember 10 percent less of what they learned compared to non-drinking adolescents, as stated in the article - Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2000.

From the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999, we are told among current drinkers aged 12 to 17, thirty-one percent suffered extreme levels of psychological distress, and thirty-nine percent exhibited serious behavioral problems.

This same source tells us that among 12 to 16 years olds, regular alcohol use is associated with attention-deficit disorder. In one study adolescents who reported higher levels of drinking were more likely to have ADD.

www.marininstitute.o rg

These stressful years are depressing for all of us, and the average teenager has not had enough experience in handling the doubt and fear associated with threats of annihilation from our enemies. Many of them live in areas where gang wars and drive-by shootings are the norm. They are exposed to robberies, drug use, prostitution, disease and extreme poverty. These kids need every tool at our disposal to help them escape this type of day-to-day living. They do not need the added temptation of easy access to alcohol.

So, what can we do about this situation? We can and should begin in the home certainly. However, when you have kids whose parents do not care, we need some sort of out-reach solution. Some of the inner-city citizens sponsor basketball camps, baseball camps or other sports related activities.

Teachers should recognize the troubled kids and try to reach them. Sometimes just a few words of sincere concern could go a long way. If a child shows promise in music, art or writing, a teacher or instructor in that field should show a little interest in that child. Sometimes a little encouragement and praise might make a big difference in the path of life a teen might take.

There are various ways we can reach out to those in need, but lowering the drinking age is not one of them. Not for the kid who cannot control his rage; nor for the teen who is fatalistic; nor for the child who has no respect for himself nor anyone else!

We have too many drunk drivers as it is, and tempting the uncontrolled teenager to endanger human life, his own as well as others, would be a big mistake.

Learn more about this author, Shirley Love.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.