Hopefully, the subject of underage drinking will be treated as a health issue with measurable consequences rather than an argument based upon opinion to justify personal behavior.

So, who is teaching teens to drink correctly?

Advocating, enacting and enforcing zero tolerance laws for underage drinking (that prohibit parents from teaching their children how to drink responsibly) has encouraged millions more teens to learn to drink by binging with their friends.

I didn't realize there was a CORRECT way to teach CHILDREN, yes, teens are CHILDREN, to drink. Peer pressure is huge, but giving in to it by teaching them how to drink is not the answer. They are not developmentally and emotionally capable of handling such a dangerous and addictive substance. My daughter alamost died of alchohol poisoning less than an year ago. We were and still are very open in discussing the dangers about underage drinking, among other subjects. She told us it would not have mattered what she was told in regards to HOW TO DRINK. She felt totally capable of handling what she was drinking before it hit her so suddenly. She would tell anyone that there is no right way for anyone underage to drink. Now it has been suggested to tell teens to just hold a beer and pour some out now and then to give the illusion, and just hold the same can all night. Or just say, no thanks. But, to tell them "go ahead and drink and this is how", is absurd.

Teens can be taught about drinking responsibly by their parents without ever taking a sip. Parents can lead by example and talk openly about the effects and responsibilities of drinking. It is not "responsible" to break the law. Therefore, teens cannot drink responsibly. How do parents teach their kids about sex? By watching them do it to make sure they are safe? Probably not.

Oh that it was so easy as to teach, tell, example, encourage or limit a teen's drinking. After 25 years in the substance abuse field, I have come to accept that only a multi-faceted approach may be successful in assisting teens or anyone develop safe and/or responsible drinking attitudes and behaviors. However, this much seems for sure: if parents do not directly involve themselves in monitoring their teens behaviors, well then all bets are off. Parents, like it or not, unless you are willing to involve yourselves in a daily, and NIGHTLY monitoring of your child's actions, behaviors, friends, location etc. then in my professional opinion, you are not serious about helping.

The child, teen, individual most likely to suffer damage from drinking is the one that abuses alcohol. That person will generaly be accepted to have compulsion to drink that was likely passed down from... their parents. Perhaps telling them that there is evidence they are harming their brains will get them to "drink like a normal person". Immediate consequences related to something they already hold dear would likely work better, such as taking away their drivers license, cell phone,or other priviledge that would motivate them to not pick up the first drink.

I DO teach responsible drinking to teens in the Health classes I teach (to Grades 5 through 8). I am the Drug & Alcohol counselor for my school district. I teach the kids that the legal drinking age is 21 in all 50 states. I teach them that a teen who begins drinking by age 15 is 5X more likely to have alcohol problems for life. I teach them that 1 drink= 1oz ethanol, not "whatever is inside of one glass", and that it takes 2 hours to digest/eliminate that one drink. I also teach them that 60% of problem drinkers are that way because of genetics and that it IS possible to become addicted at first use with those kind of genetics. I want them to see alcohol as just one possible choice of beverage among many, when they are old enough to drink it. Everything I tell them is science-based and I have seen anecdotal support for it during my 18 years as a practicing addictions counselor. What the kids (and most adults) may not realize is that researchers are learning new things about alcohol & its effects all the time and it is a drug which needs to be respected because it's powerful.

This is precisely the type of information I need as a lobbyist and advocate to educate lawmakers. They want to see "proof" of damage and this certainly speaks to that issue.

Our lawmakers have heard this information. The question is are we ready to make them enforce youth alcohol access prevention? We know that the earlier "humans" begin using alcohol, the more damage to the brain occurs. We also know that the longer an individual waits to start using alcohol, the less likely they will. QUESTION: Have you ever heard the alcohol industry use "don't drink" in a sentence? NEVER: They say Drink Responsibly or If You Drink-Don't Drive. Are we ready to see million(billions) of dollars lost when our children decide not to drink? If it means developing smarter, more responsible and healthier young adults I certainly am!

Helping students and parents understand the brain development that goes on from ages 12 - 21, often through age 25, can help explain why alcohol during those developmental years can be so damaging. This link explains this concept. http://www.breakingthecycles.com/blog/2009/02/14/teen-brain-development-and-alcohol/

As an underage drinker, if I had known that alcohol was actually yeast poop, I never would have touched my first drink. I think we need an education campaign with a yeast organizm named "YAZ" who eats some hops and takes a dump into a beer bottle and tries to get kids to drink it. We also need to punish the liquor industry for advertising directly to youth, especially through the internet and media popular with kids.

If the power that be wanted to reduce underage drinking they would be doing it. Look at what was done with tobacco. Alcohol is so interweaved in our society that addressing would mean that adults need to look at their own use of alchol. We can't continue to tell young people to do as we say not as we do and expect them to change.