“When we get drunk, crazy fun things happen, people do hilarious stuff and get to be themselves. People stop being awkward and just hook up. I’m having a new different kind of fun than when I was a little kid, because I’m totally different now and I really want to see what it’s like to party like a rock star. So I sneak out and get drunk when I get a chance—that’s what the people my friends and I want to hang out with do. Sure it’s a little insane. Thank goodness we don’t remember half of it.” Much like the teen that said this , most teens use drinking as just a way to have some “fun”( qtd. in “Alcohol Abuse”). As a young teen myself, I constantly am surrounded by those teens who seem to just not get it yet. We all know what it’s like to be in high school and be surrounded by all the peer pressures that follow, including drinking.Is it fun to look like an idiot and embarrass yourself in front of all your friends because you got a little tipsy? Is it fun getting up the morning after and feeling like straight up crap because you chose to drink enough to make you pass out the night before? Is it fun not remembering what happened that night and realizing later on that you regret more than half of the things you did? Think about it. As teens we need to learn how to be more aware of the true dangers of drinking, just because you thinks it’s “cool” to do it now, it’s not going to be cool later.

Society has targeted teens as being wild, crazy, and stupid. Even though we all know that this is not true, well at least for some of us, that is what we are stereotyped as. Who is anyone to judge a group in society based on a few rotten apples? Teen alcohol abuse is a serious issue, and we need to realize that if we aren’t aware of this, we will have a dangerous and problematic future. Now, every teen has probably heard that drinking is bad and you shouldn’t drink and it could kill you yeah, yeah, yeah,but do you actually care? People don’t just raise awareness because they don’t care or don’t think that this isn’t an important topic to be discussed.

Let’s try something. Imagine getting invited to what was said to be one of the biggest parties of your high school career; there’s going to be a lot to do there of course, but are you going to choose to live above the influence or will you be tempted by peer pressure into doing something you would have never done? Despite your answer, statistics have shown that more than half of the students who attend such parties that include alcoholic beverages will at least have a drink or two. And what most students do not understand is that alcohol seems to be the most predominant feature of the teen drinking culture. As teens we need to be aware that our bad drinking habits are dangerous, if anything do it for yourself and your safety.

We are growing and developing teens who need to help keep our bodies clean from harmful substances such as alcohol. “When researches examine juveniles, they find that alcohol can be quite damaging.” The systems of the youth are more sensitive and fragile compared to those of adults, leading them to be affected more by drinking alcohol. Drinking can lead to much more than just a hangover the next morning. Being more aware of the consequences of drinking benefits teens more than anyone else because this seems to be the time when some teens feel the need to be young, wild, and free, and forget to be SMART.

Choosing not to drink now can actually benefit you in your future, and most of us know this already. Choosing not to drink will help build your character when you’re older.