Underage Drinking

[Ghel]

On the radio today, an ad was playing from one of the local high schools bragging about how their students are too busy to indulge in alcohol. One of the students was saying "I guess that's why 72% of <Nearby> High School students don't drink in a typical month."

Hold on a second. That means that 28% of students DO drink in a typical month. This is something to be proud of?

[Greenday]

On the radio today, an ad was playing from one of the local high schools bragging about how their students are too busy to indulge in alcohol. One of the students was saying "I guess that's why 72% of <Nearby> High School students don't drink in a typical month."

Hold on a second. That means that 28% of students DO drink in a typical month. This is something to be proud of?

Sounds pretty low to me. I know almost no one from my high school class who didn't occasionally drink back in high school. And I just graduated high school in 2006.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Unless the school in question happens to be the Extremely Christian Academy Of Fairly Unattractive Uptight Young Men And Women Wearing Chastity Belts, I find that figure to be complete BS.

I'd have to imagine that in a normal high school, at least 75% of the student body has drank alcohol underage in a typical month. Just about everybody I knew my high school consumed alcohol at some time; if they didn't do it at parties they did it at home with their parents unaware. I know I did.

But then again this is Wisconsin I'm talking about, where beer is handed out with grade school cafeteria lunches.

[sanchopanza65]

Honestly, I think most of my friends engage in underage drinking, but I'm not surprised given the situation I'm in, in that I'm turning 21 in about 4 months, and in college. I don't primarily because I hate the taste of Alcohol, from what little I've had, and fail to see the attraction in getting drunk. Maybe I'm unusual like that, but whatever.

[blas]

Irv is right. Weuns was drunk in kindergarten!

[Shards]

Two of my friends and I have made it to 19 without drinking underage (at least not since we've known better, anyway) and don't see the need to drink now instead of waiting another two years or so until we'll be legal. I'm fairly certain we're the only ones who don't drink for a reason other than "Because I don't like it" out of my entire graduating class, which had over 700 people in it.

[Bandit]

That means only 28% admitted to it.

Odds are the numbers are reversed.

B

[SorryIsGoodEnough]

I'm 21 and I've never had a sip of alcohol.



Sex is my only vice. And I don't even have that anymore.

[Jester]

Hold on a second. That means that 28% of students DO drink in a typical month. This is something to be proud of?

If that figure is accurate (which I highly doubt), that may be something to be proud of in the sense that I do believe that the national average is 50% or higher. I would wager on higher.

Of course, I didn't start drinking until I was 17....actually, maybe 16....but that's just me. And Beer knows I've been making up for lost time ever since!

I'm 21 and I've never had a sip of alcohol.

And you are the exception....and you know it.

[XCashier]

I never had alcohol until I was 22. Namely because my parents were near-teetotalers (one drink a year at most; they just weren't big on it) and didn't have any alcohol in the house.

Even now, I very rarely drink.

[Fenrus]

See, even in Consertative Utah, about half my graduating class (2007) would be drinking on a regular basis, possibly more.

Even I was drinking at 16, just when my parents weren't home, or if I was at a certain friend's place. It never effected my ability to go to school in any way, and I still graduated a semester early.

I just think this is a non-issue, but just my opinion.

[blas]

I have to be super careful.

Both sides of my family give me incredible alcohol tolerance....it truly is a crazy thing when 5'3 120 lb blas87 can outdrink her 6'0 200 lb boyfriend under the table, and hold all that alcohol.

In fact, I've only thrown up a couple of times from drinking....once I had such an awful hangover, I didn't throw up while drunk, but I felt so ill that I made myself throw up just to feel better.

The other time, a bunch of coworkers and I went out and I just lost all control. I spent nearly $60 that night (but some of that was for shots for everyone, we took turns buying rounds of shots) and I just pounded down drink after drink after drink with no break in between.....then I proceeded to try to drink an entire fishbowl of several different alcohols together.......and then at 2 am, I was carried down the stairs, lit up a cigarette on the curb, proclaimed "I'm going to burp"....grabbed my hair and puked all over my coworker's shoes and the road. And I felt 110% better.....then we went out to eat and I indulged in some awesome shrimp and fries and cheesecurds.

Back on topic, though....with that tolerance also comes from my mother's side of the family, very bad alcohol abuse problems. I have had my ups and downs....when I had more money, I'd go out and get drunk every single Friday and Saturday night. Last summer, when I was dating Nancy Boy and was extremely unhappy with him....even though money was getting tight, I still went out and got as drunk as possible, because just for a few hours, it was as if I had all the friends in the world and I didn't have an asshole boyfriend who didn't think I was good enough for him. I'd go out with him and wait for my girlfriends to show up and I'd ditch him and get so drunk I could barely walk, but I'd love every second of it.

I saved all of these gift certificates that we get every Christmas at work for the local grocery....they only take $1 off every year for not using them....so when money got REALLY tight....I bought a bunch of booze and I'd get shitfaced drunk at home, then get picked up and go to the bar already drunk so I'd only have to buy a couple of drinks the rest of the night....or at least buzzed enough so that it would last a while.

I'm just glad that for the past 9 months or so, I have kept in under control, most of that alcohol is still in the fridge and barely ever gets touched, and I don't waste tons of money anymore at the bar. It helps when you get a reality check and meet someone who makes you happy and you have a great group of real friends who are willing to do other things with you than drink.