03-13-2006
Causal Paper Draft: Underage Drinking

The United States Department of Health and Human Services conducted studies, which found that $22.5 billion worth of alcohol was consumed illegally in 1999 (“Economic Value”). The underage drinkers accounted for 19.7% of all sales on alcoholic beverages in that year (“Economic Value”). There is certainly a widespread contempt among American youths for the lawful alcoholic consumption. It can be attributed to their failure to realize the consequences resulting from this activity. Underage drinking is a catalyst for building a criminal record, missing career opportunities, and increased health risks.

Of course, it is unrealistic to say that underage drinking is the sole cause of these problems. The United States is unique among the world community with regard to its strict drinking regulations. Among a selection of seventy-five nations of varying economic backgrounds, only four countries (Egypt, Fiji, India, and Ukraine) have policies to enforce drinking below the age of twenty-one (“Legal Drinking Age”). Nearly all of the remaining nations have adopted eighteen as the standard age, though it is usually not enforced or is allowed with supervision (“Legal Drinking Age”). Simply lowering the legal drinking age to meet the world norm is not a substitute for personal responsibility that many American youths lack.

Most people are aware of the immediate consequences of underage drinking. In Pennsylvania, being cited for a blood alcohol content of 0.02 or greater will garner up to $500 in fines for a first-time offense (“Pennsylvania”). This is in addition to court fees and state restitutions that must be paid after being processed by the justice system. A mandatory six to twelve-month suspension of driver’s licenses also occurs in underage drinking cases (“Pennsylvania”). This severely limits a person’s ability to attend school or go to work. It can even lead to being fired for an inability to commute to work on time, resulting in a total loss of income. The situation becomes immediately important because most youths cannot afford the monetary costs of an alcohol-related citation. However, there are more long-term consequences that are not apparent right away, which most underage drinkers are unaware of.

Although underage drinking is usually a misdemeanor charge, it will remain on criminal records for seven years (“Pennsylvania”). Most employers require you to state your criminal history on an application and will quickly turn you down in favor of candidates with a cleaner slate. This may not seem important for a part-time position at Burger King, but after earning a degree you could miss out on landing your dream job because of a mistake during freshman year. The same type of lost opportunities could happen while applying for graduate programs, law schools, or medical schools that are highly competitive. College students do not think of the future at the end of a long week though. Drinking is perceived as a social tool to have a more enjoyable time and fit in with the crowd regardless of the law.

A study conducted in 2002 by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that “more than 70,000 students aged 18 to 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape” (“Reducing”). Alcohol affects not only the behavior of attackers, but also victims of sexual assault putting them at greater risk. It is believed that a large percentage of assaults are not reported. Almost 45% of teenagers with past sexual history believe that alcohol influences their decision to be sexually active (“Youth”). Sexual activity is an extremely risky activity while intoxicated because young people are more likely to engage without protection. This can lead to unplanned pregnancy, transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV. However, sexual habits are not the only behavior affected by alcohol. A youth who began drinking at age 15 instead of waiting until age 21 is ten times more likely to become involved in a fist fight after consuming alcohol (“Reducing”). The increased levels of violence are not discriminatory; strangers, acquaintances, and even family members can become targets.

Alcohol is a depressant drug and has an accordingly detrimental affect on teenagers. The hormonal chemistry of the human body changes during the teenage years and struggles to balance itself with the addition of alcohol. Hopelessness, depression, and suicidal ideas are common to teens who heavily abuse alcohol. In a study of eighth grade females who attempted suicide, 37% were heavy users of alcohol (“Youth”). The teenage years are also important to the brain’s developmental cycle. A shift occurs from producing as many neurons as possible to creating the pathways that connect neurons efficiently (“Reducing”). Alcohol is shown to have extremely negative effects in the frontal and prefrontal lobes of the brain where the majority of these connections are made (“Reducing”). One of the main reasons against underage drinking is that very important physiological changes occur during the teenage years and should not be altered by external substances.

“A child who reaches age 21 without smoking, abusing alcohol or using drugs is virtually certain never to do so,” according to Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Chairman and President of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (“Alcohol”). Unfortunately, at senior high school graduation 80% of American teens reported having consumed alcohol (“Youth). This does not stop once reaching college campuses where 40% of students are regular binge drinkers (“Youth”). Heavy drinking is proven to be the cause of many health problems and increases many health risks. Additionally, the younger a person is when they begin experimenting with alcohol, the more devastating the consequences seem to be in their adult life. “Adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21” (“Alcohol”). Alcoholism can be transmitted genetically putting your children at greater risk and creates a social dysfunction among those affected. Aside from lost wages, “treatment costs of alcohol dependence for those under age 21 for the United States are estimated at $1.008 billion annually. Treatment costs for alcohol dependence syndrome average an estimated $16,000 per case” (Levy 13).

“Alcohol and Teen Drinking.” Focus Adolescent Services. 2000. 15 Mar. 2006 <http://www.focusas.com/Alcohol.html>.

“The Economic Value of Underage Drinking and Adult Excessive Drinking to the Alcohol Industry.” The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Feb. 2003. 20 Mar. 2006 <http://www.hopenetworks.org/addiction/alcohol/economics_of_drinking_2003.pdf>.

“Legal Drinking Age.” Wikipedia. 15 Mar. 2006. 15 Mar. 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age>.

Levy, David T., Ted R. Miller, and Kenya C. Cox. “Costs of Underage Drinking.” Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Oct. 1999. 15 Mar. 2006 <http://www.udetc.org/documents/costunderagedrinking.pdf>.

“Pennsylvania Underage Drinking Law – Zero Tolerance.” Pennsylvania Drunk Driving Lawyers. 2005. 20 Mar. 2006 <http://www.pennsylvaniadrunkdrivinglawyers.com/pennsylvania-underage-drinking-law.cfm>.

“Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility.” Institute of Medicine. 2004. 15 Mar. 2006 <http://www.nap.edu/books/0309089352/html>.

“Youth and Underage Drinking: An Overview.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse For Alcohol & Drug Information. 15 Mar. 2006 <http://www.health.org/govpubs/RPO990/>.

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