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A Drink or Two?
Teen Thoughts on Drinking
By Carma Haley Shoemaker
It's a common scenario: Teens going to a party at a friend's house on a Friday or Saturday night only to drink and get drunk. Some teens claim it loosens them up, or it keeps them from being shy or even that it makes the whole night more fun. Regardless of why they drink, thousands of teens illegally consume an alcoholic beverage each day, taking the risk of being arrested, assaulted or even killed, reports Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.
Just as with drugs and cigarettes, alcohol becomes more readily available as teens get older, says Dr. Gail Gross, host of the "Let's Talk" radio show in Houston, Texas. "As teens get older, they change schools and will begin to interact with older peers. These older peers may have access to alcohol or may know someone who does," she says. "All it takes is one person to agree to purchase alcohol for a teen and the 'connection' has been made."
In addition, with age comes internal conflict. "Teens are caught in between childhood and adulthood," Gross says. "What may have been an issue at the age of eleven or twelve is nothing compared to what these children feel at the age of fifteen or sixteen. There are issues of self-esteem, identity, relationships, sex, love and acceptance. These issues can cause teens to have internal feelings they don't know how to deal with, and some may turn to something to numb themselves from it, such as alcohol."
Finally, there is peer pressure. Wanting to be accepted can be a big issue for teens as they grow. Gross explains that if a teen feels they can be accepted by drinking a beer, they will. "Teens will often take part in inappropriate behaviors as a means to belong," she says. "If a teen finds a group that regularly drinks alcohol, they will drink with them because they want to be with them. Just as an adult will take up the game of golf to impress their boss or colleagues, a teen will begin drinking, smoking or whatever else it takes to impress -- and essentially belong -- to their peers."