Students, experts discuss
According to 2013’s PA Youth Compared to a
Underage Drinking Story by Suproteem Sarkar
55%
Design by Michael Zhang
Senior Paul Ortiz* had his first drink the summer before freshman year with a few of his good friends. At first, he and his friends took liquor from home, pouring themselves small amounts behind their parents’ backs. He says that he only drank once in a while during freshman year, but his drinking became more frequent as he continued high school and met more people. Eventually, he started to get alcohol from older friends who were of age, or from students who had fake IDs. Now, he says, he drinks at least twice a week, sometimes more. “My friend group is probably the biggest influence on why I do it,” Ortiz says. “I haven’t hung out with the kids who don’t. Mostly, I hang out with the kids who do, and then you’re kind of pressured into it.” He backtracks. “Not pressured. You want to do it, kind of. But it’s weird if you don’t do it, too.” Ortiz says he knows that drinking can have health risks. His grades have dropped this year, and while he thinks that it’s mostly because he has had less pressure to work after submitting college applications, he also worries that his drinking could have some influence. “I won’t be at the same level, especially in school now. When I don’t do so well on the test, I think of that as affecting it,” he says. “Especially when you wake up in the morning and you’re like, ‘I definitely hurt myself in some way.’” Still, he says, he drinks because “it makes for better nights” and because he gets to meet new people. “I’ve acquired a lot of new friends senior year,” Ortiz says. “If anything it’s expanded my social circle. That’s also because there’s more parties now because of the alcohol: they go hand in hand. You meet a lot of new people. Socially, it hasn’t affected me at all—if anything, it’s gotten better.”
A social drink Christine Dunleavy, Conestoga’s mental health specialist, says that drinking is a part of culture—even for children, who see ads for beer on prime-time television. “I think our culture in America, it’s a drinking culture. If we look at how we socialize, as adults, alcohol is often a part of our socialization,” Dunleavy says. “We have
adults that feel as though engaging in alcohol use even as an adolescent under the age of 21 is a rite of passage.” Last year’s Pennsylvania Youth Survey reported that 78.3 percent of the ’Stoga class of 2014 had drank alcohol in their lifetimes by the fall of senior year, and 54.6 percent had drank in the past 30 days. “I feel like it’s pretty common,” says senior Walter Jacobson,* who drinks almost every weekend. “I feel like there’s almost an expectation that by this age you should be drinking.” Junior Sofia Russo, who doesn’t drink, says she thinks that alcohol isn’t a necessary part of the high school experience. “It’s a tough balance between teenagers coming into their own and finding their place as young adults, but still respecting the evidence behind laws,” Russo says. “I don’t think it’s something that needs to happen in order to enjoy high school or become an adult.”
The right age In the United States, people under 21 cannot legally buy alcohol. In Pennsylvania, it is also against the law for those under the age of 21 to possess or consume alcohol, while other states, including New Jersey and Louisiana, have exceptions for drinking in private or with parents and guardians. Senior Tanya Rickman,* whose family is from Europe and visits there on occasion, says she believes there is a difference in drinking culture in the United States and abroad. Most developed countries let people drink at 18 or younger. “I think that America’s way of dealing with alcohol with their children isn’t really conducive of making kids drink responsibly,” Rickman says. “I think having it at 21 encourages binge drinking and a lot of hiding it.” Ortiz says that since students know they can’t legally drink for several more years, they drink more when they get the chance. “It’s kind of weird how you can join the military, drive a car, do everything before you can drink,” Ortiz says. “It really creates an unsafe environment because it’s rarely available, so when it is, people binge on it. If it was consistently available, I think people would be more
BY THE EFFECTS
acclimated to it. It would come into a culture where it was acceptable and they wouldn’t have to binge.” But senior Thomas Hayes,* who started drinking his sophomore year, says that he thinks the current drinking age can help prevent teens from drinking too frequently. “It at least forces kids to think about when they’re doing it, not just like, ‘Oh I’m bored let me go drink,’” Hayes says. “They have to plan it out ahead of time, or at least take some precautions, so at least being a little bit safer about it.”
All in the family Dunleavy says that some parents let their children drink before they turn 21, but aren’t aware of the risks of underage drinking. “We have parents that think that ‘Well if kids are doing it anyway, let me allow them to do it in my house, or in the basement where it’s safe,’” Dunleavy says. “Those attitudes that are passed on to students by their parents about society have them minimize the effects of how dangerous it is to engage in alcohol use under the age of 21. There is no such thing as safe consumption of alcohol under the age of 21.” Dunleavy says alcohol consumption can contribute to mental disorders, and that ongoing abuse can impair the brain. She says underage alcohol consumption hinders decision-making ability, and that students who consume alcohol at a younger age are more at risk of becoming addicted to other substances. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a government agency whose goals include funding prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse, has an underage drinking prevention program called “Talk. They Hear You.,” which encourages parents to discuss alcohol with their children as early as nine years old. Brad Stone, the Acting Director of the Office of Communications at SAMHSA, says the group studies underage drinking patterns and provides adults with advice on how to talk to children about alcohol. Parents’ attitudes toward underage drinking vary. Jacobson* says most parents in his friend group know that their kids drink, but don’t usually discuss it. Ortiz,*
Underage drinking can lead to...
on the other hand, says his parents know he drinks and are fine unless he passes out. Rickman* says some parents even hold parties at their houses knowing that kids will be drinking. Dunleavy says that parents’ alcohol habits can have an effect on their kids’ health. “Kids learn more about alcohol from how their parents respond and engage in alcohol use than from any other source,” Dunleavy says.
and
15%
of ’Stoga freshmen
Rules and repercussions Officer Rhonda Carroll, Director of Community Policing for the Tredyffrin Police, says the state has a zero tolerance policy for alcohol. Students found in possession are fined, and their driver's licenses can be suspended for a year for multiple violations. Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger says the school uses a prevention, deterrence and support model to address drugs and alcohol. The district discusses drinking in health classes and assemblies, holds canine sniffs, relies on police presence at larger events like dances and sponsors counseling through mental health specialists and CARE. T/E Policy 5405 states that use, distribution or possession of illegal substances, or even substances that look like illegal substances, result in an immediate suspension. Teachers and administrators are required to immediately report drug or alcohol possession. The policy applies to school buildings, school grounds, school vehicles and school-sponsored activities both on and off school grounds. Still, Rickman* says students find ways to skirt the law and avoid penalties. She says her friends drink “where they know they won’t get caught.”
Pushing boundaries The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as drinking leading to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08, typically caused by five drinks for men and four drinks for women in a span of two hours. Jacobson* says he drinks every week—typically
3.) John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath
reported regularly drinking 1 alcohol at the time of survey. around five to seven beers per party, and one or two parties per weekend—which falls under NIAAA’s definition of binge drinking. He says that most of his friend group drinks more than he does. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that binge drinking causes many health problems, including injuries, alcohol poisoning, liver disease and neurological damage. On top of his regular five or seven beers, Jacobson says he once had an experience that “put things into perspective” about his drinking habits. “One night I drank way more than I should have. I took a good amount of shots and drank a good amount of beer, then I had a Four Loko—a decent amount of alcohol—and I was pretty drunk,” Jacobson says. “I was just throwing up a ton and I felt like s--- and it was just pretty unpleasant, and the sole reason was because I exceeded my boundaries.” Still, he says, he continues to binge and push his limits. “You really shouldn’t push your boundaries,” Jacobson says. Pausing for a moment, he admits, “I would probably say it, but no, I wouldn’t really abide by it. I still do it on occasion, on some nights.”
Drug Addiction
Cognitive Impairment
Property Destruction
Future Medical Issues
2
as reported by the CDC.
78% 55% 43% of seniors
of sophomores
drank in their lifetimes.
says she found the assembly “powerful,” adding that “it’s never going to be that quiet again in the school.”
Meisinger says the school seeks to prevent underage drinking through health programs and assemblies. Senior Nick Cruickshank says he thinks the health curriculum “does a decent job deterring a lot of kids.” He says he also learned more about the risks of underage drinking in psychology. Students Against Destructive Decisions Co-president Sage Forté says that students should be exposed to alcohol and its consequences less formally. “I don't think there should be a ‘classroom lesson’ on drinking where teachers read facts from a book—I feel there should be a more personalized message from students or young adults,” Forté says. “Although I hate to say it, some people only learn these lessons the hard way—like seeing a friend unconscious in their own vomit or having a friend killed in an accident caused by drunk driving. Kids need to see just how awful it is to risk their lives for a good time.” In October, Conestoga invited former NBA player and drug addict Chris Herren to speak about his experiences in an assembly attended by the entire student body. Russo
The number of underage drinkers aged 12-20 in the US
‘It just slowly faded out’ Jacobson* says he was moved by the Herren assembly, and hoped it “would be impactful for others.” He says students who had planned to throw a party shortly after the assembly later cancelled after people had second thoughts. “It was very deep and everyone thought highly of it that day, and the weeks to come,” Jacobson says. “And then it just slowly faded out and no one really thinks about it anymore.” Jacobson says that he doesn’t think the school can change students’ drinking habits by talking about the problems associated with underage drinking. “I don’t think people really need or want to hear the school pushing that stuff down their throats,” Jacobson says. Even though his alcohol habits fall under NIAAA’s definition of binge drinking, Jacobson says he prefers not to think about the risks. “I’m not too worried about it—yet, at least,” he says.
4.) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
4
4,700
of freshmen
at ’Stoga said they 1
Outreach and prevention
BY THE NUMBERS
2.) 2013 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey
regular Average ofunderage drinkers
sophomores
9.3 million
Academic Problems
National
27% of ’Stoga
*Some students requested that their names be witheld in order to protect their privacy
3
34.9%
Survey,
of ’Stoga seniors
1.) 2013 Pennsylvania Youth Survey Tredyffrin-Eastown School District
Alcohol-related deaths concerning teens happen each year
in having a 2drink 5 report before they are
15