Whats the big deal about under age drinking?!
Answers: This is the situation. Someone please tell me why parents get so mad at under age drinking. I mean what is the freakin deal. What is the diference between now (my age being 16) and being 21? When your 21 your not that young anymore and getting drunk is not nearly as fun. Why waste the years of your life when drinking is fun. I'm not stupid, I dont drink and drive, I only drink once or twice a month, so whats the big deal.
I think sarrah (post above) summed it up, its against the law..
This for some misguided reason seems to equate to its wrong, when there is no medical basis whatsoever to prove that an 18 year old shouldn't drink and a 21 year old should
This is why america and about 2 other countries are alone in this arbitrary restriction
I think education from an early age is important and its just irresponsible of parents not to let their kids try alcohol because its been proven that when they can get hold of it they're more likely to abuse it.. you sound responsible so enjoy!
p.s. ANTM you are a sanctimonious fool.. you have no idea what your talking about
edit: yea I hear what you're saying. If its not affecting your grades whats the problem? Plus, this is a medical fact, a couple of drinks a day actually increases short term memory..
Furthermore the idea that you're more likely to become addicted to alcohol if you drink from a young age only works because logically if you're gonna get addicted you'll get addicted sooner rather than later. Don't think you hear too many statistics about ppl getting addicted to alcohol when they're 50.. good old benjamin disraeli summed it up "there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics"
Have fun
i agree with you. lol i have my theory that its only a big deal to make it more fun for teenagers to feel more 'badass' when they drink
It's against the law
your brain is not fully developed yet and is why teens make irrational choices and if you drinking to the mix it makes for very bad decisions
i find
that a lot of parents are concerned cause alcohol nd
stuff like that can really mess up your brain. has to do with development issues, and being a teenager and whatever. its just not good for you yo.
you are a stupid little kid who needs to think twice about your decisions. Drinking is way fun when your of age because hello you can go to the club and drink legally to you dont have to FREAK OUT when parents come home or cops come to your party.....plus you know your limits (usually) and are less likely to get taken advantage of...But go ahead I hope you get caught :)
the big diff for you is that right now your parents are held accountable ... once you are 18 however you can get arrested all on your own ... legal drinking age was and should be 18 period. Pete Coors has lobbied congress till he is blue in the face with conclusive evidence that highway deaths have not decreased since raising the legal drinking age to 21
DON'T EVER EVER EVER DRINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! didn't you join a drug-free club? don't drink. ever. seriously. it's a big deal cuz u will get addicted to it and it will cause you to get a little hole in your tummy and it'll get bigger and stuff. IT'S A BAD THING.
if you drink, you can't do cheerleading! if you drink, you can't ride horsies! Don't drink any beer or wine or hard liquor.
drink red bull. hate red bull? coffee (i recommend Starbucks). hate coffee? drink Dr. Pibb Xtra caffeine. HATE THAT? Drink that new pepsi extra extra caffeine. way better and it will get you more hypererer.
Drinking = NO
Sugary yummy drinks = DUH!!!!!!!!!
gosh. do thing's right.
God is watching us....
~SHEA
You shouldn't be drinking and the law says so! That's the big deal.
one is legal, the other isn't.... that is basically it...
though honestly at 16, there are a lot more new distractions...
i live in australia where the legal age is 18 and even thats too long to wait, i started drinking when i was 14, im 17 now so its stil not legal for me to drink. i dont see a problem with doing it and neither do most adults iv spoken to because they all did it wen they were young too
Your parents get mad because it is their job. They are your parents and they love and care about you. They want you to stay safe.
If that isn't a good enough answer then consider that your parents are responsible for your actions until you are legally an adult. That means that if they don't get mad and freak out about you drinking and try to stop it while you are still under age, they could get in trouble. They could get arrested and have to go to jail or they could lose their rights as your parents and you would become a ward of the state.
Looking at it strictly from a scientific standpoint, your brain continues to grow and develop most of your life (dendrites forming, synapses connecting, that sort of thing), but it grows the most and fastest up to about age 25. Alcohol inhibits that growth. So there's one good reason not to drink. Also, the part of the brain that helps you make good choices is actually one of the last parts to develop. As a teenager, it is actually physically difficult for your brain to make good, sound, rational decisions, so your parents make those big decisions for you.
To look at it another way, if you're drinking underage and you get busted, you are going to get fined, go to juvie if it's bad enough, have your drivers license revoked until your 18 or 21 (depending on what state your in). Not to mention what your parents will do to you.
I have to agree, as well, with an earlier poster, drinking when it's legal is a lot more fun. You can hang out at clubs or bars and enjoy the atmosphere instead of always worrying about getting caught by mom and dad or the cops.
There are health issues, too. Alcohol addiction is very real and it's easier to get addicted when you're young. I had a friend in high school who had to have part of his liver removed when he was 17 because he was addicted.
And last, but not least, I gotta say, if drinking and getting drunk is your favorite way of having fun, you really need to get a life. It's kinda... IDK, pathetic, I guess.
You may not want to hear this (I know that when I was your age, I didn't) But, at age sixteen, you will be more subject to brain damage because you're not an adult yet. Your brain and body are still forming. And, I know, that it doesn't feel like any damage is being done, but trust me, it will show up later in life. I hope this helps you make a wiser decision than I made when I was your age.
1 - In the US parents are responsible for their children until they are 18. If you cause damage to other people or property, etc then your parents will have to pay for it.
.....Also, even after you are 18, your parents probably will still love you and care about your wellness and happiness.
2 - Drinking can cause health problems. Some people get addicted to drinking and cannot stop. That is one concern. Another concern is that it can damage your body. (I knew one person who died recently. She drank throughout her life and, even though she was lucky to live to be over 80, the consequences of drinking really damaged her health. She had problems with her stomach and with bleeding ulcers. It caused a painful death. And, if she had not drank so much in the past, she might have lived to be 90.) (Also it is well known that drinking can damage your liver. You need your liver to live. Don't damage it.) When you are 21 then you will have the privledge/responsibility of deciding how much you want to drink (and, therefore, how much you will damage your body).
Also . . . it sounds like your parents care about you. They do not want you to get in trouble with the law, hurt your body, etc. They want you to be healthy and happy.
Good luck with your decisions.
.
Drinking literally impairs judgment. When you are younger you are possibly more likely to not have as highly developed a sense of judgment, and are more susceptible to peer pressure. Honestly, people 21+ do all kinds of things that they regret and wish they could undo the next day, year, too, some are really haunted by actions that they took under the influence. I've learned a couple things in my college psych classes about drinking too:
1 It causes neuron death- that is, getting very intoxicated kills brain cells. You produce the majority of neurons you'll have, up through the teen years. You still produce some after that but not as many.
2 Findings show: The younger you're exposed to addictive substances the more likely you are to become addicted to them and the harder it will be to stop using them.
I'd say if you want to drink socially don't drink to get drunk. Those guys don't usually impress the ladies anyway. It's hard to find a guy who's puking very sexy. Also, like I said, brain cell death. You could just have a couple of beers or so to loosen up if you want. The prob is people start off drinking a couple and then judgment leaves and they get sloshed, drive drunk, get into fights, have unprotected sex which can lead to pregnancies and STDs, cause harm to themselves and others, etc. If you can drink in moderation like you see older adults do at parties then you can have a good time, without the major sacrifices others make to alcohol. There's a lot of fun things to do, parties are great fun, more fun if you're able to connect with people and be yourself than if you're the slow and sloppy version of you and forget everything.
Best Wishes!
I don't know what the big deal is. I drank at 16 and more stuff. I think that if you do not drive at the same time, which is mandated for any age, then you should be fine in your own house. Actually the law in many states says that you can do it with consent. There are may types of people that in their culture do allow drinking if your parents allow it; it is legal.
There is really no "underage" drinking. It is up to you parents to either allow it or not.
Its true that its because its against the law.
Parents want the best for you.
The drinking age is also that high because apparently to some asshole teens aren't prepared to make their own descisions.
Listen bud, go ahead and drink, have fun before you get older, no one's gonna find out, smoke all ya want, drink all ya want. Have fun
Drinking can be fun at any age. It doesn't become MORE fun legally. You just don't have to worry anymore. Don't hate me for saying that. Getting drunk at any age is not fun. I find it sad that some people think they are wasting their lives if they can't drink. Please, please, DO NOT think that you WON'T get addicted. I hope you don't, but I used to think I could stop whenever I wanted, and it isn't actually as easy as it sounds. And I used to defend drinking, too. I urge you, for you, not to drink TO get drunk mate. It is toxic and a depressant, and you deserve better for yourself. Please drink responsibly (and don't drive! I never do). Luck to you. (Imagine how great you'll look at 50 years old if you only drink water until then!)
who says drinking is not fun when you are older than 21? That is a complete crock i hate to tell you. The purpose of drinking alcoholic beverages is not to get wasted.
it is a big deal because it is illegal for you to drink, and if, the off chance you are caught intoxicated, could lead to legal ramifications for you and your parents. that is not cool.
and 21 for your information is still young. Most people live until they are into the 80s and 90s. so 21 is barely 1/4 of your life.
i actually have more fun now drinking in my 30s than I ever did in my 20s in college.