Underage Drinking (MADD)

UNDERAGE DRINKING

 

There are many ways that one can look at underage drinking, and it can be from the eyes of a

Under age youth, the parents and love ones of those same youth, or even from the

police that enforces the laws.   All of the aforementioned parties are connected at the hip in this

dilemma of life and potential death.  Being a member of the military, stationed in foreign lands at

a very young age allowed me the opportunity to witness a great amount of what we in the U.S

would consider under Age Drinking.  I can honestly tell you that as a military policeman that 50

percent of our case work on the weekend were alcohol related and involved younger Soldiers under

the age of 21 drinking alcohol. Underage Drinking continues to be a very big problem in America.

 

The youths of America boast and brags about the day that they will turn the rightful age of 21, how

glorious the partying and celebrating is going to be with the inclusion of alcohol on site.  The Bing

drinking along with other drinking game are what makes a great party to many kids, companion,

and sometime even the parents. According to the Center for Drug Control

(http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm) reporting as recent as 2013,

 

there continue to be dangerous and questionable behaviors displayed by youths in the U.S.  They

 

have listed several of this behaviors below (Kann):

·         21% binge drank.

·         10% drove after drinking alcohol.

·         22% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.

 

There are other parents that are not so excited about their kids or other kids for that matter

prioritizing alcohol as the main attraction for parties. The organization MADD is a group of mothers

who advocate (http://www.madd.org/about-us/mission/) against underage drinking and

overconsumption of alcohol by kids or anyone else.  This organization was established 1980 by a

mother who loss her son do to an alcohol related traffic accident.  The organization later widened the

focus to all alcohol and drug related driving and the victims. They often share real and accurate

Portrayal of what really happens at the accident scenes and try to put a face and meaning to the

accidents themselves.  Voices of Victims is one of the ways in which they shed light on the tragedies

and their families.    

 voices of victims

If you or a loved one has been affected by drunk driving, MADD is here to help. 24-Hour Victim Help Line 877.MADD.HELP

Why We’re Here: Mary Irwin

A stop for frozen treats on a warm summer night...

 

The police officers are normally the first to arrive on the scene and have to persevere though the

accident with their priorities of work in insuring the safety of the driver, preserving evidence and

further investigate cause of the accident.  The also experience the senseless death

(http://www.cdc.gov/features/alcohol-deaths/index.html) of hundreds of youths annually in fatalities

involving Alcohol, including more than 4,000 between the years of 2006-2010. 

There are many who think that 21 is too much and wish that the minimum age limit would return to

18, but as the numbers and articles above the government should keep it status quo. 

Work Cited

 

Kann L, Kinchen SA, Shanklin S,et al. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2013 [PDF-3.46MB]. CDC Morb Mort Surveil Summ 2014;63(SS-04):1–168.

 

Miller JW, Naimi TS, Brewer RD, Jones SE. Binge drinking and associated health risk behaviors among high school students. Pediatrics 2007;119:76–85.

 

o    National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health