Dangerous Drunkards
A freshman in high school glances at the liquor cabinet his parents keep stocked with multiple brands of every alcoholic drink imaginable. The freshman thinks that his parents will not notice if one measly small bottle of Absolut Vodka™ is gone. He swipes the bottle, sniffs and analyzes the pungent clear liquid, and takes a swig right out of the bottle. He winces from the putrid taste, but loves the numbness the vodka supplies him. This is the start of a possible addiction. Experimentation with alcohol for teens is a ubiquitous problem in modern society and members of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): Chiung Chen, Hsiao-ye Yi, Gerald Williams, and Vivian Faden analyze this underage-drinking epidemic in the article “Trends in Underage Drinking in the United States.” This NIAAA article introduces the underage-drinking issue by declaring the risks of alcohol usage, especially at a young age, and provides many statistics about the prevalence of youths consuming alcohol and all the complications that ensue when children illegally drink alcoholic beverages. This article utilizes shocking statistics, a tense tone, and ample evidentiary support to report on the commonality of underage-drinking and the issues that entail such as unwanted behaviors including sexual misconduct, violence, and even driving after consuming alcohol. These behaviors are clearly hazardous, especially in young people, and this article takes a clear stance that displays the NIAAA’s desperate desire to end this epidemic.
The article
emphasizes the omnipresent epidemic of underage drinking and how often mere
children can obtain and consume alcohol. This article states, “23.8 percent of
high school students reported that they consumed their first drink of alcohol
before age 13” (Chen et al. 2). This absurdly young age and high percentage of
alcohol usage is a social issue that needs to be remedied, which is clearly
expressed in the author’s thesis: “Rates of alcohol consumption among underage
youth are a cause for concern” (Chen et al. 2). This blunt statement is
elaborated on by stating numerous facts and multiple sets of data to assert the
fact that underage drinking is far too normal and is a social issue that needs
to be remedied in order to have productive youths in modern civilization. The article emphasizes the issues that arise from
underage consumption of alcohol such as sexual misconduct, drinking and
driving, unwanted pregnancies, violence, and even the possibility of addiction (Chen et al. 2). The article states, “Age of initiation of drinking
affects future drinking patterns and alcohol-related risk behaviors” (Chen et
al. 3). This statement solidifies the authors’ focus that alcohol usage at a
young age can lead to further unhealthy behaviors that are damaging to the
lives of the ones abusing alcohol and those affected by that usage. The authors
clearly assert that the concept of youths imbibing alcoholic beverages is unethical
and leads to unwanted behaviors that damage the efficacy of young people in
this day and age.
The assertions that the NIAAA make are
thoroughly supported solely through statistics and facts about the pervasive
nature of juvenile drinking. Statistics such as “In 2007, 28.2 percent of youth
ages 12-20 reported consuming alcohol in the past 30 days” (Chen et al.1) are
plentiful in this article and cause the reader to understand the evidence and
prove the authors’ purpose to discourage underage inebriation. The authors
consult numerous studies and notable organizations such as the National Survey
of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services to collect the data to further demonstrate the issue at hand. Statements
that express the problematic nature of underage drinking such as “Overall rates
of binge drinking have increased among 12-to 20- year-olds between 1993 and
2002 from 12.1 to 19.1 percent” (Chen et al.1) are meant to shock the reader
and further the author’s explanation of trying to remedy the social problem of
youths imbibing alcohol. The usage of
the ample quantity of evidentiary support forces the reader to listen to and
put trust in the authors and understand the authors’ purpose to try to
discourage youths imbibing alcohol at teenage ages.
The
fact that there are numerous authors for this article including Chiung Chen,
Hsiao-ye Yi, Gerald Williams, and Vivian Faden ensures the reader that the
topic is well researched and is objective considering the article is purely
factually based and does not include the bias of the authors, whilst supporting
their purpose to discourage underage drinking to avoid the problems that
underage drinking trigger. The authors utilize a vast number of statistics and
facts to appeal to intellectual parents of teenagers and people concerned with
the issues presented by the National Institutes of Health to discourage the
youths from underage drinking and the undesirable affects that are caused by
imbibing alcohol at young ages. The authors compiled and wrote the article in
2009, which supports that this information is fairly recent and is applicable
to modern society. Since the article was written within the past four years,
the reader knows that the issue of underage drinking is still prevalent and is
a cause for concern for the youths in this time.
The
authors’ tone is very dignified and professional. Considering the article is
solely based on fact, the professionalism expressed in the tone is appropriate
and ensures the reader that the authors are knowledgeable about the topic. The
article utilizes formal diction, professional language, and an intellectual
tone to appeal to the audience whom want to hear about the issue from a
reliable source and not an ill-informed and unprofessional amateur. The
competence in the tone of the article implies that the reader is an intelligent
parent who wants teenagers to make smart decisions and avoid the usage of
alcohol despite the prevalence of exposure to drinking. However, the article
does alienate a large portion of the intended audience (parents of teenagers)
because the parents who are not or do not care to be well informed on the issue
of underage drinking would not bother to read this article. The tone and style
of the article ensure the reader that the information included in the article
is valid, relevant, and should be considered before exposing youths to alcohol
and other possibly dangerous behaviors.
The
article employs a mindset of health, wellness, and safety to support the
authors’ purpose of informing the public about the pervasiveness of youths
drinking. The fluid and fact-filled transition from statistics about the
ubiquitous nature of juvenile drinking to the problems and future possibilities
associated with youths imbibing is structurally effective in informing the
reader thoroughly on the topic. The article is organized from the specific
facts that support the fact that underage drinking is dangerous and is
unfortunately common to the general ideas of the future possibilities that
underage drinking can lead to. The structure of this article is very common
amongst other articles concerning health, wellness, and safety. Most articles
in this discipline are structured from the specific to the general concepts to
emphasize facts and open the reader’s mind to possibilities that can occur
concerning the topic the facts are about.
The
article concludes with the methods and resources used to compile this article
and compose a well-informed argument that is valid and germane. This form of
conclusion ensures the legitimacy of the article. The authors’ argument to
dissuade teenagers from drinking and the dangers of the consumption of alcohol
is effective and well-informed which inspires parents of teenagers to
discourage the teens of this day from drinking and encourage them to make wise
decisions in their life.
Works Cited
Chen, Chiung M. Trends in Underage Drinking in the United
States, 1991-2007. Bethesda, Md: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, 2009. Internet resource.
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