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Sadie Sutton Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 11/7/12

DWI: Drinking While Immature The year of 2011 was a very hard year for many of the students and graduates of Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg, North Carolina. It was especially hard use another adjective for senior twin brothers, Michael and Matt Sciascia, as they mourned the tragic death of their older brother, Joe. I was there to witness the emotional breakdowns many of my fellow senior classmates had as word spread around the school that Joe Sciascia had died in a car accident. Joe was well known and liked by many people because of his incredible talent in art and his outgoing personality. He graduated a couple of years before myself and his brothers but remained close friends with many students still attending Hickory Ridge. Joes death came as a shock to many and once the shock passed why did the shock have to pass for them to realize?, it turned into a brief realization that underage drinking can affect anyone. Joe and two of his friends, none of which were of the legal drinking age, had been drinking and made the decision to get behind the wheel of a car. Joe was not driving, but was sitting in the back seat. As they were driving down a back road, the driver took a curve to fast, lost control, and hit a tree directly where Joe was sitting. Joe was killed on impact. Try using he in place of Joe when you can Although The other boys passengers survived with some minor injuries; , however the drivers life was forever changed, as he was charged with driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol under the age of 21, and felony death by motor vehicle doesnt sound right?.

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Joes death was an example to many teenagers, that drinking can lead to very bad decisions which can result in permanent tragedies. I thought that after this happened and after so many people gained heartache from Joes death, that the students of Hickory Ridge would change their mind about drinking. However, I was very wrong. Not even a week after Joes death, the fun drinking stories began to linger down the hallways once again. Try to use different words than very, itll make you sound very smart (haha) In todays society, it is extremely rare, if not close to impossible, to find a teenager who has never drank alcohol or who doesnt have a friend who drinks. Underage drinking is one of the biggest issues in the United States today and is growing at an immense rate. This issue is not one that people are ignorant of; however when you use however, be sure that youre disproving a previous statement not qualifying it. it seems to be one that is not taken as seriously as it should be. I say this simply because even after all the injuries, accidents, and deaths caused by underage drinking, it still goes on in todays society on a regular basis with no further attempts to terminate the issue. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism about 5,000 young people who are under the age of 21 die each year due to underage drinking. These unfortunate events include around 300 deaths from suicide, 1,600 deaths as a result of homicides, 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle accidents, and hundreds more from other injuries such as drowning, burns, and falls (Underage Drinking). These horrifying facts are ones that should awaken awareness that underage drinking should not be taken lightly. It is such a common problem among high school and college students. My curiosity leads to wonder, however, what really causes this issue? Why are people who are underage so drawn to alcohol and why are they so prone to making the worst decisions possible while under the influence?

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Teenagers seem to think that they are mature enough to drink alcohol; however the truth is their brain is not mature enough to decipher the outcomes that alcohol can have on their decisions. In a New York Times article, author Katy Butler discusses the neurobiological aspect of alcohol on an adolescent; neurobiological meaning having to do with a persons nervous system which is directly connected to the brain. Because a younger persons brain is not as developed as an adults, their brain is more susceptible to the negative effects of alcohol. Butler addresses the hippocampus which is one of two major areas in the brain affected by alcohol. The hippocampus is essential for a persons memory and learning skills (Butler). It contains chemical receptors which help a growing brain learn and remember things. Butler discusses experiments conducted by Aaron White, an assistant research professor in the psychiatry department at Duke University, whose outcome showed that the equivalent of one or two alcoholic drinks cause these receptors' activity to slow. Even further, at a higher consumption of alcohol, the receptors shut down almost completely (Butler). This activity is what causes a person to lose memory of what they do while they are drunk. It is also an explanation of blackouts. A blackout is a lack of memory for events that occur during heavy drinking without a loss of consciousness. Because a younger brain is more apt to this kind of brain reaction to alcohol, they are also more likely to experience blackouts more often than an adult drinker. This reaction is also one that causes a younger brain to have a harder time weighing the possible outcomes their decisions can have. Alcohol also appears to damage more severely the frontal areas of the adolescent brain, crucial for controlling impulses and thinking through consequences of intended actions (Butler). During adolescence, a brain is going through the biggest change modify and is mostly shaped by experience. Alcohol to an adolescent brain is much like a computer virus. It easily slows and can even shut down the activity of the brain. Great comparison It also deforms neural

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messages and obstructs the formations of mature brain wiring. Alcohol not only impairs ones motor skills, but it also easily hinders a younger persons impulse control because it lowers discretion what exactly do you mean? Logical thinking or actual direction? which increases their chance of doing something the he or she will regret once they are sober (The Dangers). While reconsider this word lowering an adolescents inhibition, alcohol is the biggest contributor to the impairment of a teenagers capacity of judgment and decision making. It is true that adolescents are more commonly prone to making unreasonable decisions while they drink. According to the article, Is the Teen Brain Too RATIONAL? written by Valerie Reyna and Frank Farley, studies are now showing that the immature adolescent brain may be responsible for much of the risky business that young people engage in. Teenagers seem to find themselves to be invincible nowadays. Their feeling of invulnerability increases when they drink, which leads to unwise decisions such as driving drunk, binge drinking, or having unprotected sex (Reyna). All these examples are highly common among the adolescent alcohol consuming population. It would seem that these decisions are caused by underestimation of outcomes. However, studies over the past five years show that teens actually tend to overestimate rather than underestimate the true risks of potential actions (Reyna). Almost all teenagers have the ability to weigh right from wrong. They have been taught the risks and consequences that come with actions they chose to take part in; however it is more likely for a teenager to worry about consequences yet let the temporary benefit and thrill of the moment overcome that worry. This is what leads to a teenager carrying out a poor decision. It is as if alcohol causes an adolescent to see risky behavior as a game of Russian roulette. They know there is a chance at the outcome being bad, however they are not in their right mind or mature enough to weigh the decision properly. Like Russian roulette, an intoxicated adolescent is more

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likely to see the prize or temporary benefit, rather than the possible long term effect of a decision (Reyna). There are many cases when a teenager gets lucky and dodges the bullet when following through with a bad decision. These are usually the kids that continue to make wrong decisions thinking, Hey, I did it before and nothing bad happened. Then, they make one too many wrong decisions and the fun they were having before suddenly turns into a disaster. Most teenagers dont see drinking as a big deal. In todays society it is seen as a social normality and is a way for teenagers to have a good time with their friends. There are many different underlying reasons as to why an adolescent would choose to drink. Some kids choose to drink simply because their friends do (James). Others drink because they feel it is the only way to have fun. Fun is the key word here. Being a teenager and having friends who drink, its almost as if alcohol has become a sort of dependency for fun. The majority of teenagers only see the positive side in drinking. Their first thoughts are not, Okay, what are some of the bad things that can happen if I drink? Who could I possibly hurt? Will I regret what I do? These are some of the crucial questions that adolescents overlook before they open a drink. Teenagers simply crave alcohol. A little harsh and untrue for some, maybe say It seems that most A study was conducted and recorded by Delores C.S. James and Christopher K. Wirth called Minding My Own Business: Community Attitudes Towards Underage Drinking in which different types of people, including teenagers, were separated into focus groups and discussed the issue of underage drinking. One comment made during the discussions was, Im underage and Ill tell you what we drinkwhatever we get our hands on (James). This shows that teenagers dont care where they get it or what it is, they just want alcohol why does this matter?. This also shows the thought process of an underage drinker. Their thoughts are focused

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on alcohol and not the consequences that may come with it How so? How does the previous quote prove that? (James). In many cases, teenagers become dare devils when they drink. Research shows that a persons brain continues to grow even once they are in their twenties (Underage Drinking). During this growth, their brain develops imperative communication connections. This period of development is thought to explain much of the irrational adolescent behavior having to do with dangerous situations confusing, maybe reword?. Because a teenagers brain is not at its full maturity capacity, a younger person becomes very risky when they consume alcohol. They want thrill and commonly act on impulse against their better judgment. This is the stage where regrets and mistakes happen. After a certain amount of alcohol, a teenager is incapable of using their best judgment in risky situations. The all too common question, If I can get married or go into the military, why cant I drink? has a simple answer (James). Maybe start the paragraph off with this? An adolescent brain is simply not mature enough. Studies prove that it is not able to overcome the reactions alcohol has on certain parts of a young brain. Fulton Crews, a neuropharmacologist at the University of North Carolina, conducted a study testing the outcomes of alcohol on adolescent rats. His results confirmed what many other scientist found which is that alcohol highly disrupts parts if the adolescent brain that are necessary for goal setting, motivation, and self-control (Butler). Getting married and going into the military are incomparable to adolescent drinking because of the medically proven evidence that an immature brain is not able to handle the effects of alcohol in a reasonable, controlled, and safe way. The negative effects underage drinking can have on the drinker themselves and on others are profuse. Joe Sciascias death is a perfect example of a tragic outcome of underage drinking. Joe may not have been driving, but he was drinking and was not able to make correct judgment

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and know to not reword get in the car with someone who had been drinking. Although drunk driving is a problem that occurs among adults as well as adolescents, it is more common among those that are underage (Underage Drinking). Important info, not sure if it fits well in this paragraph None of the boys in the car that night were old enough to drink. None of their brains were mature enough to think through their decision and see the possible negative consequences. None of them thought that having a little fun drinking and then going for a drive would result in the death of their close friend. Great emotional appeal Although underage drinking is a common problem in the United States, the enforcement of the legal age limit is not as strict as some would think. This is why so many teenagers get away with drinking. Schools and other organizations have tried to teach adolescents about the risks of underage drinking and to enforce the fact that it is illegal if you are under the age of 21; however many teens overlook these facts. Another comment from a person in the focus groups within the study conducted by James and Wirth was, We filter out a lot of the information we hear at school because weve heard the same thing so many times. It no longer has an impact (James). It has become harder in todays generation to keep teenagers from drinking because they are so comfortable with it. Law enforcement has not been much help due to some police ignoring calls about underage drinking, especially in upper income neighborhoods. Many officers agreed that underage drinking was not a high priority when compared to illegal drug usage (James). If the adults and police of todays society do not help teenagers to realize the risks involved with underage drinking, how will the problem ever be solved? The truth is adolescent drinking will most likely always be a problem. Most teenagers will continue to drink and continue to make poor decisions. Their maturity level has not yet reached the point where they

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are able to see the possible permanent risks over the temporary benefits. Underage drinking is an issue that results in making decisions that one will regret. These poor decisions could affect not only you but people you love. Use either you or one, try not to switch off. If teenagers took the time to think about the consequences before they took that first drink then so many negative outcomes could be avoided. Underage drinking is somewhat a selfish act because many adolescents only think of what they want in that moment and dont stop to think who they might be affecting. Not only was Joes life taken that night, but many hearts were broken as well. There is a legal drinking age for a reason. That reason is simply that teenagers are not mature enough to handle alcohol and to make smart decisions. Many will have to find that out themselves. Many will have to go through terrible experiences to realize they are not ready to drink. Joe learned the hard way, and it cost him his life. Sadie, your essay is well written and really draws the reader in. The introduction was strong as well as the conclusion. Your thoughts were well organized with a few minor paragraphs and sentences that didnt seem to belong. You used logical and emotional appeals that help the reader identify with your argument. Try to avoid using some of the same words over and over again like many, however and very. Also, be careful with your use of however. Besides that awesome job! This is a strong paper and I enjoyed reading it.

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Works Cited Butler, Katy. "The Grim Neurology of Teenage Drinking." The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 July 2006. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. James, Delores C.S., and Christopher K. Wirth. Minding My Own Business: Community Attitudes Towards Underage Drinking. Health Educator 42 (2010): 57-65. ERIC. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. Reyna, Valerie F., and Frank Farley. Is the Teen Brain Too RATIONAL? Scientific American Special Edition 17.2 (2007): 60-67. EBSCO. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

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"The Dangers of Underage Alcohol Consumption." EssaysProfessors.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2012. Underage Drinking. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. N.p., Jan. 2006. Web. 13 Oct. 2012.