| I used to love September when I was younger. It | | | | lead them to drink more? |
| was the back to school month and once I was in | | | | While all that may influence some teens to drink |
| college I loved going back to school. It meant more | | | | most will admit that they drink due to peer pressure |
| freedom and no one to answer to. Each September | | | | and the desire to fit in. Even though I am much older |
| my mom kissed me goodbye and told me to be safe | | | | than teens today, I still remember the pressure to fit |
| as she sent me on my merry way. Like my mom, | | | | in when I was in high school. I had to have a certain |
| most parents do not send their teens to college | | | | hair style, wear a certain brand of clothes and watch |
| thinking it is the last time they will ever see them | | | | only the coolest TV shows. It was tough. I used to |
| again, but sadly for nearly 1700 hundred set of | | | | cry when I didn't always fit in and looking at the |
| parents that is exactly what happens. | | | | pressure kids face today, I don't know if I would |
| Binge drinking is something that is often associated | | | | have lasted. |
| with college, but did you know that not all binge | | | | Most high school binge drinkers go on to college and |
| drinking begins in college. In fact some people start | | | | binge drink there also. In fact their binge drinking |
| binge drinking as young as 13. Studies have also | | | | increases. This is partly due to the fact that they can |
| shown that more than 35% of alcoholics had | | | | practically binge drink in the open and not under the |
| developed symptoms like binge drinking by the time | | | | watchful eye of parents. Another contributing factor |
| they were 19. Binge drinking by definition is 4 or 5 | | | | to the increase in binge drinking is the fact that |
| more drinks in one sitting. That is a lot of drinks for a | | | | alcohol is so readily available on college campuses. If |
| 13 year old to take. | | | | you are under 21 and want a drink, no problem, go |
| What is causing our younger generation today to | | | | to a frat party or find a friend in your dorm that is |
| drink? Can we blame the entertainment industry for | | | | 21 or older. If you join a fraternity or a sorority there |
| glorify underage drinking in movies such as "American | | | | is always someone who does an alcohol run. Perhaps |
| Pie", and "Can't Hardly Wait". Can we blame reality | | | | if the alcohol wasn't so easy to get on campuses, |
| shows that openly show underage drinking on TV? Is | | | | there might not be such a problem with binge |
| it the fact that they are rebelling against what we, | | | | drinking. Our job as parents is to teach our children |
| their parents tell them not to do? Does the thrill of | | | | the dangerous of alcoholism and then trust them as |
| doing something they know they are not suppose to | | | | they make choices through out their life. |