Kathleen McAleese
Editor-in-Chief

As teens age, a certain truth must be known. Alcohol use is bound to happen. I mean not to generalize all teens into one category of behavior, but experimenting with alcohol has become something along the lines of a norm.

In a culture that puts such activities to shame in a “hush hush” sort of way, I find that the way teen drinking, or any illegal behavior is dealt with perpetuates a larger problem. Where teens are punished so severely for something perhaps so commonplace as drinking at a party, they won’t want to seek the aid or assistance from a parent or trusted adult after being reprimanded so seriously about what feels like to them, a non-issue. 

According to a survey done by Cambridge Public Health, 78% of the 12th grade had ever consumed alcohol (other than for religious purposes). Alcohol, being illegal to persons under the age of 21, really should not be used in high school, but the unlawful use is present and hard to ignore. Regardless of the standing law, the public perception of the use of alcohol is worth rethinking. Where teens know they are not allowed to use alcohol, they overdue it. College rolls around and the problem worsens where the culture is even more party–centric.

Education can be the only solution to this issue. The use of alcohol is in high school and underage drinking will probably never end, but both teens and adults understanding and developing understandings of both sides could help. With maturity and creating an environment where teens can speak up about any issue in their lives, and where parents will listen, thee culture surrounding binge drinking could diminish.

Where there is a common understanding, there will be less and less rebellion, and regarding alcohol use, that could save someone from spending a night with their head hung in the toilet, or worse.