quote:I think it is just something that teens do these days and it should be accepted ... I'm just trying to tell the parents the facts and realities of older teenagers life.
Being factual is one thing, but in this case being factual is not RIGHT. It is illegal, period bottom line. I know that drinking alcohol is prevalent with teenagers ... I don't contribute to M A D D because I think it is a good thing but because I think it needs to be discouraged ... and I will always do whatever I can to pass along the message. In our house, it was known up front that drinking was illegal and totally unacceptable. We did NOT allow a little taste of beer or a small glass of wine during a special dinner because we wanted to discourage underage drinking, and promote a sober lifestyle as an adult due to alcoholism on both sides of the family.
I don't know how others on this site feel or believe but just because teens drink doesn't mean we should accept it ... our acceptance does not make it right. There really is a valid reason that the drinking age in this country is 21, even after experimenting with lowering it to 18 for a while ... it has to do with the neurological development of the brain and the ability to take thought processes to their full and logical comclusion (e.g., if I drink too much I could cause a fatal accident ... ). So I am a proponent for not just saying "Don't drink and drive" but "Please don't drink."
Being sober never hurt anybody !!!!