Why Is Underage Drinking So Alluring?

"Alcohol remains the most heavily abusedfoster an underage drinking culture that has kids
substance by America's youth," said actingfeeling like "everyone is doing it" and that it's "no
Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu. At least 11big deal." In G-rated films, nearly 50% of the
million kids are underage drinkers, with nearly 7.2characters were shown consuming alcohol without
million of them binge drinking, which means havingconsequence, for example. The National Bureau of
more than five drinks per occasion. MoritsuguEconomic Research released a report saying that
says we need to have a "change in the culturereducing or eliminating alcohol ads would
and attitude toward drinking in America." Whilesignificantly decrease underage and binge drinking.
underage tobacco and illicit drug use hasThey found that young kids really liked the
decreased over the years, underage drinkingBudweiser talking lizards and Spuds MacKenzie
remains a prevalent "rite-of-passage." However,dog, as well as the colorfully packaged drinks like
"Research shows that young people who startSmirnoff and Skyy Blue. From an economic
drinking before the age of 15 are five times morestandpoint, the "Alcohol Advertising and Alcohol
likely to have alcohol-related problems later in life,"Consumption by Adolescents Working Paper"
Moritsugu warns.(Saffer & Dave) indicated that doubling the prices
Many parents struggle to find answers. Why isof alcoholic drinks would decrease underage
drinking while underage so alluring? The teenagedrinking by 28% and reduce binge drinking by
years are a relatively long period of maturation51%. "Advertising is one thing, but just the
where kids are continually pushing their minds,prevalence [of alcohol] itself is normalizing," says
bodies and boundaries to the limit. Many kidsNIH peer pressure study leader Bruce
enjoy the physical feeling of being "drunk" andSimons-Morton.
their bodies are naturally more susceptible to the"Parents tend to see underage drinking and
negative effects of alcohol, like drowsiness,occasional binging as a rite of passage, rather than
withdrawal or lack of coordination, which explainsa deadly round of Russian roulette," the Columbia
why binge drinking is so common later on.National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
Some kids drink to cover up behavior problems,study reported. Approximately 5,000 minors died
antisocial tendencies, aggression, depression,in alcohol related incidents, including 1,900 car
anxiety, low self-esteem or shyness. Drinkingcrashes, 1,600 homicides, 300 suicides and
while underage can be encouraged by genetic orhundreds of other falls, burns, and drownings.
environmental factors as well. According to theAs a community, the National Institute of Alcohol
NIAAA, children whose parents are alcoholics areAbuse and Alcoholism recommends that we raise
4-10 times more likely to develop addictionalcohol prices, increase Zero Tolerance laws,
alcoholism.improve school based prevention programs,
Perhaps we can combat underage drinkingcommit to law enforcement and develop
through more subtle social and economic changes.family-based treatment/prevention programs.
One theory suggests that advertising is helping to