Early Alcohol Use Causes Big Problems, Even for "Good Kids"

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I have been trying to teach my teenage son and his friends that drinking at a young age is bad for the developing body. Which I believe to be true. If it is scientifically proven, then the message needs to get out there. Into the schools. Onto the television. Out to the kids - in any way possible. While we are "online," most people are not. And even if they are online, how many parents are going to "google" for this info? I just had a discussion with another "educated" parent about alcohol being bad for the developing body. Now I have to collect supporting information to prove I am right. This needs to become common knowledge. Parents should not have to struggle to find the truth. Push this info out! Just like they push other info about how bad tv/computer use is for kids. We ALL know that message now. Alcohol use is worse for you.

Knox of WA 1:10PM December 03, 2008

Well, some church people are like me. We realize that prohibition doesn't work so you have to teach people about alcohol not stop others from selling it. We need to let teens know that drinking at a young age is never right, drinking in moderation as an adult is ok, and drinking and driving is deplorable.

of SC 3:52PM December 01, 2008

In my family mom and dad were drinkers. So were most of the rest of our families. Growing up in the 50's and 60's it seemed to be normal to enjoy beer or whatever. But health issues took their toll on all of those we loved I started to examine my life. Seeing that drinking was the biggest part of my problem was a shock! Quitting was not that hard. Stopping tobacco use was harder. Letting our Country continue the use of these types of products when we know they bad for people is very strange to me. As we spend millions of dollars to correct the problems of alcohol abuse and tobacco problems we are letting new children start a new cycle of problems. Don't Americans learn?

Raymond Michael Walsh of UT 2:20PM October 21, 2008

Dose anyone ever stop and take the time to think about what drives adolecence to drinking and smoking the plant canabis sativa. Mabee you should correlate some statistics about how horrible conditions at home and in schools drive kids to drink. Most people have kids at a young age and go to drug abuse because of loss of hope.
What is a "good kid" anyway. That term is absurd, as we are all born equal just because some kid grew up in the suburbs ignorant of any suffering or addiction, dose not make them "goog". In our history as a country, drunking has been excepatble at a young age for centurys before the drinking age was raised to 21. In conclution we have a drug problem becuase of the way we try and create civilians, if life styles of the average person were not so trying, perhaps we would have a reduced drug dependency rate. And if we loved our children for who they are and celebrate that, mabee they wont crumble to peer pressure and find a quick escape in meth.

Jack Larochelle of CA 1:37PM October 21, 2008

Aren't you glad that Cindy McCain owns one of the biggest beer distributorships in the country and is DIRECTLY CULPABLE in thousands of cases of child alcohol use?
A fine first lady, don't you think?

of 11:58AM October 21, 2008

This is a serious problem.Sometimes I can't understand the motivations of teenagers who use drugs and alcohol.I'm not American.It's impossible for parents in my country to give their children that freedom to take these horrible things.Everybody knows drugs and alcohol are very harmful,but why they keep going?

Nicolette 11:04AM October 21, 2008

I am at that age where everone thinks it is cool to use alchol, but in my opinon it's not. Just because of the dangers of using it in our not fully deveope body. It's wrong to drink under age. Nobody wants to get alcohol posioning, being sick just because you drank to much and your body can't handle it. Why would you do that

n/a of 10:43AM October 21, 2008

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/author/thomas_sowell/

heiko of FL 1:22AM October 21, 2008

I've read many posts on this topic and I don't think I've ever read a post from a 90 year old (let alone a 90 year old who has never used alcohol!)
I couldn't have said what Paul mentioned any better! About 6 years ago I wrote a little book called "20 Good Reasons to Stay Sober (even if you don't have a drinking problem)". Articles like this continue to confirm my battle cry regarding the dangers of alcohol use/abuse.
Dave
www.ReasonsToStaySober.com

David Eugene of CA 10:42PM October 20, 2008

So why do church people and other abstainers not rise up and have a negative conniption fit about the possibility of electing the McCains to the White House?
They're huge beer dealers---willful destroyers of a lot (lot) of people. Scumbags, both of them on this count alone.
Where the hell are the church people on this? Asleep in the pews? Deluded? Nuts?

of 9:27PM October 20, 2008