Teen Drinking is No New Issue

Teen Drinking is No New Issue

            Teenage drinking is not a new epidemic.  For many years, schools, parents, and organizations have been warning people against the dangers of this popular pass-time.  Adults, often make stupid decisions while drinking.  This can be proved through the number of DUIs reported yearly.  It’s no secret that teenagers still need guidance as they are blossoming in to adults.  I believe that there is good reason the legal drinking age is twenty-one. Through my own experiences, I have witnessed teenagers doing pretty stupid things.

            Twitter and other social networking sites have become a major part of our lives as teens.  I can’t count how many times I’ve seen girls and boys tweeting about getting “screwed up” or “sauced”.  I do not think this is okay.  Not only are teenagers getting away with underage drinking and breaking the law, but they are also putting their lives in major danger.  In the article I read, tons of tweets were being sent out the night that Daniel Fernandez, 16 years old, passed away.  Teens shouldn’t be doing this, and they definitely shouldn’t be broadcasting it on the World Wide Web.

            I also think parents take a large part in underage drinking.  Sometimes, it’s hard to keep an eye on your children at all times, but if you maintain a good relationship with your child, they will be less likely to lie to you.  Some parents also BUY alcohol for underage drinkers.  In my opinion, this is definitely wrong.  I think parents should be informed how bad this is for their children and how fatal it is to their health.  Everyone should take part, and maybe the rate of deaths every year will go down.

            Teenagers don’t have the right mentality to be able to drink.  There is an age limit for a reason.  It alters the way that you think, and makes you do reckless things.  Daniel Fernandez was decapitated the night of his friend’s sweet sixteen. Only 16 years old, he and tons of friends were in a large bus having a party with catered alcohol.  Not thinking before making a dumb decision, Fernandez stuck his head out of the top of the bus while going under an overpass.  He was killed on impact.  Not long after that, his girlfriend tweeted, “I guess us kissing tonight was goodbye??”

            To conclude, teenagers make stupid decisions when under the influence of alcohol.  Daniel Fernandez would still be alive today, had he not made a split second decision that ended his life.  We can only assume that alcohol was the main source of this problem.  In my opinion, this fatal mistake could have been avoided had he abided by the law and abstained from the use of alcohol.  To all teenagers, drinking is

dangerous.  Spontaneous bad decisions are more likely to be avoided with a clear head.