How Can WeStop Our Children From Participating in Underage Drinking and Binge Drinking?

Underage drinking has increased despite tougher laws against it. Itappears to have always been around despite whether the legal age to drink is 18 or 21. One of the main problems with underage drinking is that the brain in the teenager is not fully developed in the region of judgment and decision processing. Because of this teens are known for deciding to do the wrong thing. That often includes drinking alcohol or experimenting with illegal drugs. A lot of teens do not just have onedrink, they usually participate in binge drinking. This can continue long into adulthood and soon develop into a full blown alcohol issue. Cincinnati DUI attorneys have witnessed a rise in binge drinking in their area. Binge drinking is when a person drinks a lot of alcohol until they are drunk. This kind of action can lead to drunk driving, and other choices that get them in trouble with the law which could require getting a Cincinnati DUI attorney.

Underage drinking can causemany problems with our young adults. Unfortunately the typical teenager does not ever believe anything bad will ever happen to them and therefore they do not really have a full grasp of what can occur when they are drunk. All too often, we hear about sad stories in the news and the words, “alcohol related” are used in the news story. This is particularly common in car accidents with teen drivers. Not only are they young and less experienced drivers on the road but also participating in drinking and it is often a fatal mistake. Drunk driving continues to murder more innocent people on the roads thanever before. Many feel that the laws punishing those convicted of a DUI charge are too easy and if stronger laws were in place it would help deter people from participating in this destructive behavior. Teenagers today are more worried about their parents finding out they were at a party where they drank alcohol than getting behind the wheel drunk. This should change as well where better open communication of parents and their teen drivers takes place.

Binge drinking is usually reported on the news as well often referring to college age students. A couple of years ago at the University of Colorado a young Freshman died from alcohol poisoning after participating in a fraternity initiation. After he passed out from binge drinking, the members of the fraternity let him stay in a roomalone “to sleep it off” instead of checking on him and make sure he wasall right. They were more nervous about getting caught for serving alcohol to a minor than the freshman’s well being. Unfortunately that decision resulted in his death. Hopefully more stories like these will help teach young people of the dangers of drinking too much and the results of doing it too much can be lethal. Teaching young adults and teens to be responsible drinkers at a legal age is what is needed today.