Approximately 11 million American youth under the age of 21 drink alcohol regularly. It is estimated that over 3 million of those are recognized alcoholics, according to dosomething.org.
High schools across the country are grappling with this widespread issue, and even Sion students agree that our school is not immune. Junior Megan Neisus said that most teens drink due to the immense amount of peer pressure present in social situations, stress from school, or overall unhappiness.
“I think some find it necessary to impress people and fit in with the crowd,” Neisuis said. “Others may feel that in order to have a ‘good time’ they need to be drinking.”
The consequences of drinking can be disastrous. Annually, over 5,000 alcohol-related deaths occur in the under-21 age group. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, these deaths are either alcohol-related car crashes, homicides, suicides, alcohol poisoning, and other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning.
And even if teen drinking doesn’t lead to fatal accidents, research has shown that teens who abuse alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop problems with, and dependency on, alcohol than those who put off their first drink until after the age of 21, according to the-alcoholism-guide.org.
And this desire in teenagers to “fit in” may result in some serious effects on their bodies and minds.
“The body is affected by alcohol by short term memory and ability to perform certain tasks while intoxicated,” senior Sara Owens, president of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Club, said. “Alcohol also does major damage to the liver if consumed frequently enough, possibly resulting in cancer. Not to mention the emotional effects like depression, addiction, etc.”
The SADD club at Sion attempts to fight teen alcohol abuse by hanging posters around school with facts and statistics, in hopes of keeping the school aware and updated, Owens said.
As the statistics show, abusing alcohol is dangerous, but is an epidemic in many American high schools.
“My advice would be to stand up for yourself if you feel uncomfortable and not let anyone try to change your mind,” Neisius said. “Peer pressure can be difficult to deal with, but your closest friends should respect your decision and leave it at that.”