Drinking is a common problem in our society today and even in past generations. Partying and drinking is not an unusual concept to talk about. High schoolers throwing parties every weekend or during holidays is not talked about enough. 

Some teenagers drink because they want to forget about their problems for a while, relieve stress, or cope with difficulties, peer pressure, or even significant changes in their life. 

Drinking a ton of alcohol can lead to addiction and other nasty things. Some people can not go multiple days without drinking and are only in high school. Alcohol is addictive because it helps with dopamine and endorphins in the brain. Alcohol does not just affect your mind; it messes with your body. 

Also, for people who are addicted, when they stop, it feels like something is missing in their bodies. The body starts acting differently, causing people to want more alcohol to make everything okay. 

Drinking underage can cause many problems; for instance, high schoolers’ attendance and grades are lowering because they are hungover and don’t want to attend. To add, underage drinking leads to driving drunk, which can cause injuries and accidents. 

43% of Americans have confessed to drunk driving, which can lead to dangerous drivers on the roads. Teenagers are more likely to die drunk driving than other ages; the percentage of high schools driving drunk is 54%. 

High schoolers partying and drinking have been a problem for a long time. It is now just more prominent in our lives. Parker Dalton (10) said, “I think drinking is a waste of time and people around me do it. I see how it turns them into different people.” 

Drinking can start with parents saying, “Oh here, try a sip of my favorite drink,” or even buying them alcohol for their kids and kids’ friends. This is when alcoholism starts, and they can start at a young age. Most people have alcoholism in their family or have an alcoholic family history. 

Parents want their children to turn out like them so that some drinking problems can start. Parents want to feel close to their children and be open with them, so some adults buy their children alcohol or allow them to have parties. Parents frequently use the phrase, “They are safe if they are drinking under my roof.” 

Underage drinking is a severe problem and should not be allowed or normalized in our society. It is bizarre that middle schoolers and high schoolers are doing something illegal but think it is okay. When these people drink, they do not think about its consequences, so they continue to break the law.