Alcohol Plan

[stargroup100]

I posted this like everywhere, so might as well do it here too.



Everyone knows about the dangers of alcohol abuse, and the problems it causes for the country. But in addition to that, there also other deeper problems related to alcohol. Surprisingly, most of all these alcohol-related issues can be resolved with a simple solution. But before we talk about that, let’s understand a few things first.

Alcohol has been around since ancient times, and a majority of people will drink at some point in their lives. Millions of people drink regularly, and for different purposes. However, it is these different purposes for drinking that causes problems to arise. America has developed a binge drinking culture, which is extremely detrimental to the people and the country. We are not educated enough about alcohol. We don’t drink to appreciate alcohol; instead, we drink to get buzz or to get drunk. This results in bad habits developing and sticking, and eventually, passed down from generation to generation if not controlled.

Drinking is actually healthy when consumed in moderation, and many people can appreciate the tastes of refreshing beer, fine wine, or powerful spirits. Alcohol is not something to be feared. When used responsibly, it is a great compliment for meals, can help relax people, is a great social activity, etc. We shouldn’t drink to get drunk because that is not what alcohol is for. On top of that, it’s dangerous and the reason why most, if not all, alcohol-related problems arise.

Now if there are some of you that are saying to yourself, “What? Alcohol is healthy? This guy is crazy,” listen to this. The damage sustained when drinking in moderation is so minimal that it is negligible. In fact, it may even provide certain benefits, including reducing the risk of certain heart diseases. The world’s oldest people will probably tell you that the secret to their longevity is a little bit of alcohol each day. This may be related to how the alcohol keeps the blood vessels active and moving, allowing it to stay healthier longer. If you are still not convinced and/or you can pull a bunch of statistics that can prove me wrong, keep reading. Later, I will expose some myths. And if you’re not convinced my information comes from reliable sources, I will link my typed editorial with the bibliography.

So what’s the plan? How do we get people to stop abusing alcohol and begin to use it properly? First of all, we have to understand what causes them to develop the bad drinking habits in the first place. It actually all begins from school. We, as a nation, fail to realize that teens will drink no matter what, and instead of teaching responsible alcohol use, we teach abstinence. Teens will drink for a few reasons. For one, teenagers are naturally curious and experimental, so they will not only try new things, but they will also be attracted to taboo.

So now that we know that teens will drink and we’ve established the facts, we can break this down to two possibilities:
- If a teenager fails to abstain from alcohol and drinks discreetly, then he or she is in danger for obvious reasons. He or she is not being supervised, and breaking the law. And since the teenager did not drink under supervision, he or she will end up developing bad habits, which will probably stay with them their entire lives.
- If a teenager does abstain from alcohol, then by the time they are of legal drinking age, they will probably have left home already, without any experience with alcohol whatsoever. This means that the first time they drink, they are unsupervised and still don’t know how to deal with alcohol responsibly, which will also result in bad drinking habits. 21 is not a magic number that we hit and suddenly know how to handle alcohol responsibly.

As you can see, both possibilities make it almost inevitable that a teenager will have no way of being educated about alcohol. And here is where the plan comes in.

If parents can supervise teenagers as they drink at home, then we can educate teenagers about the proper way to handle alcohol and how to appreciate it. Wait wait wait. Did he just suggest that underage teens SHOULD be drinking? Yes I did, BUT, note the circumstances. I said that the parents would supervise the teens to make sure that they are developing healthy habits.

What does this accomplish? Teens will no longer be curious, they will be able to enjoy alcohol responsibly, and they will develop good habits which will stay with them their entire lives. And when they grow up, they won’t be absorbed in the unhealthy binge-drinking culture the nation is developing. Hopefully, when they have children, they will teach their kids the proper way to handle alcohol as well, thus ending the binge-drinking culture altogether. If we, as a nation, collaborate, we can almost completely eliminate drunk driving, alcohol abuse, and any other alcohol-related issues.

But wait, what about legal issues? Is this allowed? Technically, it is. Even though the legal age limit is 21, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act explicitly allowed kids to drink at home or in “private clubs or establishments.” I wouldn’t push the “private clubs or establishments” part but at home, sure.

Of course, if you can’t drink for medical or religious reasons, that’s totally different. By all means, abstain.

And the plan is as simple as that. By now I’m sure a lot of you have a bunch of counter arguments, so I will address some of them now.

Even though there are an overwhelming amount of statistics that claim underage drinking has many harmful effects, realize that most of the statistics are probably biased. For example, studies have shown that excessive amounts of alcohol before 21 will cause serious brain damage. However, these experiments refer to the effects of long-term usage with alcohol levels equivalent to that of an alcoholic, not moderate drinking. So obviously, you can’t use this as a counter argument for moderate drinking.

Most of the alcohol debate, however, stems from drunk driving. It was the main reason why they raised the drinking age to 21 in 1984. However, this did help the problem in any way. Many of the same studies that showed a decrease in alcohol-related accidents in teenagers 16 to 20 years old also showed an increase in alcohol-related accidents in adults 21 to 24 years old. Obviously, we are not solving the problem.

Some of you may contest that there is a statistic that states the earlier kids drink, the more likely they are to become alcoholics. However, this statistic does not take other factors into consideration. The experiment most likely refers to when kids are not supervised, and develop bad habits. However, if a child drinks at home under supervision of the parents, they will develop positive habits, which will be beneficial, and actually lower the chances of binge drinking.

It’s okay to get drunk once in a while, as long as one doesn’t lose sight of the things that matter. It’s only a problem when there is substance abuse involved.

So ultimately, it is all up to the parents to teach kids about the proper way to handle alcohol, and there’s no better way than to do it at home. Hopefully one day we may break the loop of ignorance and end the cycle of binge drinking for good.

For more statistics and cited references, here is a typed editorial and its bibliography.

[JenovaSephiroth]

I support this

unsupervised drinking = loud parties on the floor below my room = I get annoyed

Also, I'd like to see where this thread will go. Will people give in to common sense or will they try to flex their self-righteousness that D.A.R.E. has instilled upon them?

Also, not liking alcohol because of taste is perfectly fine, if you just don't like it, then don't worry about it haha

[fido123]

I completely agree with this. My parents are doing what I think is best with me and alcohol. They know I'm going to drink, and they've told me ever since I've been 13 (They knew I wouldn't be drinking at 13 but they want to tell me long before I do), that if I'm at a party drunk, and can't drive home, I can call them no matter what time it is and they'll pick me up and not be angry at all. Also, they don't give me any trouble, for drinking responsibly, although they've told me they disapprove of me drinking but "We were kids too". Due to this, the first one or two times I've had alcohol at a party I got pretty drunk, but after that it's no big deal, and I now just drink to get a buzz, and mainly for taste and think people who drink strait Volka (at least most of them) are totally retarded. North America is general is pretty horrible at handling alcohol. Alcohol isn't a big deal, alcohol abuse is.

[psychoangel691]

This is a good idea. There are too many kids out there being irresponsible with alcohol. I've lost people to drunk driving.

[Prime8]

Although I'm morally against drinking, underage or otherwise, I do think that parental supervision of underage drinking is better than just letting kids run rampant at parties and such. I obviously go against your statement about teens drinking no matter what, but it is a sad truth that a disproportionate percentage of teens do/will/continue to drink. I would prefer if alcohol not exist at all, but this is a reality that will never come to be, same with a world where we lost curiosity, interest, taste, and need for it.

This seems to be a decent compromise, but the problem is how to make teens want to do this. I mean sure, I bet quite a few would be "Oh sweet, mom and pops are letting me drink at 15!" but others, most likely ones who already drink, would probably consider the presence of parents a buzzkill, metaphorically and somewhat literally. Would this need to be pushed onto parents, the kids, or both?

[stargroup100]

It's up to the parents to desensitize the kids to alcohol, in the sense that they will no longer see it as something taboo. If they don't see alcohol as something dangerous, they won't be excited about it.

Parents are not a "buzzkill" if that is how they are introduced to alcohol. It IS a "buzzkill" if they have already formulated inappropriate ideas. Part of the parents' responsibility is to fix that.

[Cavernio]

My life is an example of how your plan will not always work.

I was exposed to alcohol at a young age, maybe as young as 8? Definitely by 12. My parents drank wine on new years, christmas, dinner parties, and I was served it a young age myself. I suppose I didn't drink in highschool either, but that was a factor of who I decided I wanted to be friends with more than anything. My first experience of a buzz was at a cousin's wedding when I was a young teenager, surrounded by family.

Nowadays, my point in drinking is to get drunk or get a buzz. I may drink 'too often' or too much because I don't like my life overly much, and being buzzed or drunk is a stress reliever and almost always enjoyable for me (enjoyable on some level.) If I were so busy I had no down time to drink, which would only happen if I happened to like what I was being busy with, which has absolutely nothing to do with how my parents exposed or didn't expose me to alcohol.

[cooke71892]

well, it is a very good plan to reduce the irresponsible drinkers....but that plan won't see fruition for a few years even if it was put into effect immediately around the world. However, it's also about the only thing that can be done. So kudos to you!

[stargroup]

Originally Posted by Cavernio

My life is an example of how your plan will not always work.

I was exposed to alcohol at a young age, maybe as young as 8? Definitely by 12. My parents drank wine on new years, christmas, dinner parties, and I was served it a young age myself. I suppose I didn't drink in highschool either, but that was a factor of who I decided I wanted to be friends with more than anything. My first experience of a buzz was at a cousin's wedding when I was a young teenager, surrounded by family.

Nowadays, my point in drinking is to get drunk or get a buzz. I may drink 'too often' or too much because I don't like my life overly much, and being buzzed or drunk is a stress reliever and almost always enjoyable for me (enjoyable on some level.) If I were so busy I had no down time to drink, which would only happen if I happened to like what I was being busy with, which has absolutely nothing to do with how my parents exposed or didn't expose me to alcohol.

I never said it will always work, there's always an exception.

Something to consider:
Perhaps your parents did not teach responsible drinking habits, which is my whole point.
Perhaps you have suffered certain depression or anxiety that led you to drinking, not because of how you were exposed while you were younger.

There are tons more factors, but these stood out the most to me.

[massflavour]

Originally Posted by stargroup100

- If a teenager fails to abstain from alcohol and drinks discreetly, then he or she is in danger for obvious reasons. He or she is not being supervised, and breaking the law. And since the teenager did not drink under supervision, he or she will end up developing bad habits, which will probably stay with them their entire lives.

Drinking under supervision? What? This seems like some really wishful thinking. Kids aren't going to start having parties with 'of-age' people just so they can drink, and nobody would be able to make them. The only real application this might have is a kid having a drink with a family meal, but not many teenagers I've met do this, unless it's a special occasion. I know I rarely do, and I drink to get drunk sometimes.

If a teenager does abstain from alcohol, then by the time they are of legal drinking age, they will probably have left home already, without any experience with alcohol whatsoever. This means that the first time they drink, they are unsupervised and still don’t know how to deal with alcohol responsibly, which will also result in bad drinking habits. 21 is not a magic number that we hit and suddenly know how to handle alcohol responsibly.

If someone hasn't had an alcoholic drink before they are 21, then they probably aren't going to start unless there are some unusual circumstances involved.

As you can see, both possibilities make it almost inevitable that a teenager will have no way of being educated about alcohol. And here is where the plan comes in.

Schools talk about drugs and alcohol all the time, mostly telling people to abstain. However, any decent parent will talk to their kids about drugs and alcohol at some point and they can decide from there. Direct experience isn't the only way to learn about something.

Some of you may contest that there is a statistic that states the earlier kids drink, the more likely they are to become alcoholics. However, this statistic does not take other factors into consideration. The experiment most likely refers to when kids are not supervised, and develop bad habits. However, if a child drinks at home under supervision of the parents, they will develop positive habits, which will be beneficial, and actually lower the chances of binge drinking.

Not always. What's to stop the kid from going out drinking with his friends? Really, the only way this would work is if you sheltered the **** out of the kid, and that's another issue.

Speaking from experience, my parents always said they would prefer if I didn't drink, although they did offer me one on certain occasions, (I usually rejected as I didn't like the taste) almost always with a meal. Their influence certainly did not deter me from occasionally engaging in 'unsupervised drinking'. What do you believe will cause it to deter other kids?

Generally speaking I agree with your stance on alcohol use with minors, but your 'plan' is a bit fuzzy. You can teach kids whatever you want but they only learn what they want to. If a young person is curious about drinking then they are likely to pursue it at some point of the opportunity is given.

other thoughts:
-How exactly would you apply this plan?
-How can you prevent kids from drinking irresponsibly without controlling them too much? Parental influence only goes so far.

also:

Originally Posted by fido

people who drink strait Volka (at least most of them) are totally retarded.

i drink my volka straight u wanna mess?

[PhaeL v2]

The point is: What REALLY takes you to want to get drunk or something like that? People who doesn't have a "strong mind" automatically found in drinking a escape, an exit to their problems, ignoring friends, family, hobbies and anything else. Is it good? Yeah, I experimented it once, and I'm 17, but... It was just for some few hours. For those who have friends abusing alcohol, a good thing to do is emotional support, if they're going through a problem, don't matter if it's a bad family, a broken heart, a ****ty work, or even the three things, or four, five, all possible problems together. If these people keep them busy with GOOD friends, with laughs, hanging out to talk about many things, hobbies (including games), well, anything positive, they will not look for booze.

It's not up only to parents to control alcohol use. You guys reading, and agreeing with the idea, can do this to friends, relatives, or anyone else you feel needing to help. My father broke up his car twice, and both of the times I was there, and he drinks a fucen lot. Don't end up like him.

Well, I don't care if this thread is dying, or if you guys will not read this post, or even if I repeated part of anything already said here, but this alcohol stuff is serious business.

[Emo_Saur_]

Originally Posted by Prime8

Although I'm morally against drinking, underage or otherwise

Same here.

[rqm]

why would you be morally opposed to drinking? its not a moral issue.

in college kids drink. my friends drink almost every night. if i had the cash i would but i cant afford a 12 pack a day. alcohol is really not that big of a deal as long as you control yourself and stay on top of your work.

[Orench]

Originally Posted by rqm

why would you be morally opposed to drinking? its not a moral issue.

in college kids drink. my friends drink almost every night. if i had the cash i would but i cant afford a 12 pack a day. alcohol is really not that big of a deal as long as you control yourself and stay on top of your work.

That's the problem in today's culture. People don't control themselves and some think the only way to enjoy alcohol is by getting drunk a lot.

[StringsnKeys]

I'll be honest, I'm amazed people have responded the way they have. I live in Canada where the drinking age is 19, and I gotta say, 99% of people here drink underage, and abuse alcohol. The worst part is, no one accepts that they're abusers. Everyone keeps telling me it's fun to be drunk, and all the rest of it. I'm more convinced that if they'd been at the same party, and no one had drank......they probably would have had just as much fun. Anyone, who gulps hard liquor out of the bottle, is an abuser. I'm not sure if education is to blame...........but there's definitely something wrong with North American culture that all the kids are abusing alcohol like this.

I say all of that with respect to anyone who's ever lost anyone to alcohol abuse.

[MrRubix]

I lost my dad to drinking (he drank too much one night and killed himself by accident by going over 120 MPH in his Corvette, and he flipped over a Jersey barrier that separates two highways of opposing traffic and completely totaled everything), so I really do hate alcohol abuse, as it's totally stupid.

However, I'm all for getting drunk and having fun responsibly -- that's fine as long as it doesn't become a chronic issue or a reliance problem. I personally enjoy it because I feel happy on the buzz, and it loosens me up quite a bit.

I've always hated that the US has such a high age cutoff when it comes to alcohol... it doesn't facilitate proper exposure and education to it at all. Instead it winds up becoming an age-old "forbidden fruit" issue. Don't people remember what happened with Prohibition?

In either case, parents do need to instill in their kids that drunk driving is absolutely retarded. We've already proven over and over again over time that abstinence education simply does not work, and in fact has negative consequences. From a behavioral standpoint, the best way to curb the issues of alcohol is to properly educate the end user, and that is best done through the parents, in my opinion.

[Ghakimx]

I once experienced a taste of vodka a few months ago. I really hated it.

So to me, having a taste of it at young can lead people to decide if they like it or not. My case is that I despised of it, so I would never take up alcohol, which is a good thing. Although in some possible other cases, they may just enjoy it and possibly want more, but thanks to the age limit, they probably won't, unless their parents have a storage of alcohol and what not. Though this still won't stop people from finding private storages of alcohol to drink out with their friends.

Still, due to religious reasons (mine being Islam), I wouldn't have alcohol either. We should have events that never do have alcohol. All Muslim events never do, so why not try that?

[stargroup]

Originally Posted by MrRubix

I lost my dad to drinking (he drank too much one night and killed himself by accident by going over 120 MPH in his Corvette, and he flipped over a Jersey barrier that separates two highways of opposing traffic and completely totaled everything), so I really do hate alcohol abuse, as it's totally stupid.

However, I'm all for getting drunk and having fun responsibly -- that's fine as long as it doesn't become a chronic issue or a reliance problem. I personally enjoy it because I feel happy on the buzz, and it loosens me up quite a bit.

I've always hated that the US has such a high age cutoff when it comes to alcohol... it doesn't facilitate proper exposure and education to it at all. Instead it winds up becoming an age-old "forbidden fruit" issue. Don't people remember what happened with Prohibition?

In either case, parents do need to instill in their kids that drunk driving is absolutely retarded. We've already proven over and over again over time that abstinence education simply does not work, and in fact has negative consequences. From a behavioral standpoint, the best way to curb the issues of alcohol is to properly educate the end user, and that is best done through the parents, in my opinion.

Probably the best response in this entire thread so far. Rubix, I have applaud you on being mature enough to see the positive sides to alcohol and think so rationally even though you've lost one of your closest family members to it.

As for the rest of you, few of you understand both that our society needs alcohol, whether we like it or not, and that there is a problem with the "normal" attitude towards drinking. Just because you don't like drinking doesn't mean that you should impose that view and abolish drinking altogether. On the other hand, you can't completely disregard that attitude and say that drinking is fine because everyone does it all the time without any regard to responsible behavior.

Everything in life needs to be in moderation, and that is the key point of this plan: not to teach abstinence, not to teach freedom, but to teach moderation.

[Wineandbread]

This might be a good idea in theory, but I have serious doubts that it will be implemented anytime soon, if ever. You can't exactly force every parent to do it, and there will always be a few who don't.

Peer pressure is something that can not be denied. What parents tell us and what schools stress about alcohol is sometimes just not enough. Teens may lose sight of it all when they are unsupervised.

Teenagers will still be exposed to alcohol on TV shows, in movies, etc. Plenty of media has shown scenes of underage alcohol consumption.

[stargroup]

Originally Posted by Wineandbread

This might be a good idea in theory, but I have serious doubts that it will be implemented anytime soon, if ever. You can't exactly force every parent to do it, and there will always be a few who don't.

Peer pressure is something that can not be denied. What parents tell us and what schools stress about alcohol is sometimes just not enough. Teens may lose sight of it all when they are unsupervised.

Teenagers will still be exposed to alcohol on TV shows, in movies, etc. Plenty of media has shown scenes of underage alcohol consumption.

I have doubts of its implementation as well, but as long as the word is spread and more people are educated, there will be a higher chance of change. As always, there will be those who won't agree, but they will have to either find a way to deal with it or find an alternative.

Hopefully though, by implementing this plan, alcohol will no longer be a taboo, so peer pressure will not be as much of an issue anymore. In addition, by putting alcohol in a better light, it is hopeful that the media will change as well, as well as pop culture. This plan, if successful, will have long-reaching effects that will change America's attitude towards alcohol.