"Don't Drink and Drive, Drink and Sleep"

“It is unknown when the first alcoholic beverage was created. Evidence of intentionally fermented beverages exists in the form of beer jugs dated as early as the Neolithic period. Since that time man had created various laws prohibiting and reducing the rights of consuming alcoholic drinks” explained Rosenbaum (n.pag). In America, the drinking age has been set to 21 and serious consequences have been placed on anyone who challenges this authority. Since the time the law was mandated many specialists and people alike have argued the justice of this law and whether there should be exceptions to such a controversial topic. One of the current, main debates is whether a teenager has the right to drink. The only stipulation to this ideal is whether they should be allowed to drink only under the supervision of an adult.

According to Hepburn "Supervising underage drinking is encouraging underage drinking" (n. pag.). Parental supervised drinking has never actually been legal but has had many considerations. One of the main questions David Hepburn raises is, "Why are parent supervised parties hypocritical"? Hepburn believes,

The argument answers that when a parent lets their child consume alcohol, they are losing their authority and trying more to relate to them as a friend rather than a parent. [He also] raises the suspicion that if a parent supervised an alcoholic party then they are likely to consume alcohol as well, as they are trying to find common ground with their children (n. pag.). There is a plethora of other ways to relate to a child and it shouldn't have to be one where their judgment is impaired.

Another point cited is that the commonest age of those killed in traffic fatalities is 19, 40 percent of those being under the influence of alcohol (Hepburn n. pag.). The parents supervised their drinking that one night and everything went well, but now the parents are no longer there and the fact that they allowed underage drinking still lingers in the back of the teenager's mind.

Where the last argument comes into play is with all the billboards and alcohol ads that tend to show mixed messages. Stated by Hepburn, “Parental stewardship demands strong and definitive decisions to offset the immaturity of those they are meant to protect. Instead, too many kids get brutally confused messages” (n. pag.). Hepburn also refuses to accept the fact that “parents believe they are going to drink anyway” (n. pag.). Hepburn explains that

The parent lets them drink and refuses the laws of this country. [They] encourage the teenagers and even give them a helping hand. The parent believes they have done the right thing, but they fail to understand that now the teenager feels it is okay to drink in any instance, even after that night (n. pag.).

Despite the laws that prohibit underage drinking, preventing teenagers from doing this can be considered a violation of human rights. At one point every human was of the same power, then one day someone must have rose up and decided they wanted to control people. The authority may want to help prevent accidents but it isn't fair to tell people what they can and cannot do. Politicians and higher authorities claim that everyone is equal and we live in a "free" country. How free are we?

Besides human rights, statistical information seems to not add up. As stated by Hepburn, “Forty percent of those 19 year-olds were drunk when they got in an accident” (n. pag.). What about the other 60 percent? What about people who are legally allowed to drink? For instance,

Young drivers 21 to 24 years old were most likely to be intoxicated (BAC of 0.08g/dl or greater) in drunk driving accidents and fatal crashes in 2003. Thirty-two percent of drivers 21 to 24 years old involved in drunk driving and fatal crashes were intoxicated, followed by ages 25 to 34 (27 percent) and 35 to 44 (24 percent) (“More Sobering Facts about Drunk Driving Accidents” n. pag.).

It clearly states in the first sentence that people who were legally allowed to drink made up the most of fatal accidents involving alcohol. Before someone listens to a statistic they must look at all the statistics. Numbers must add up to equate to anything.

Human rights and statistics are both very important factors in this matter, but the people who simply tell us what to do are more important. The “Alcoholic Beverage Advertising Code” argues “alcohol ads fail to show the kids that end up in the hospital after drinking and driving. These advertisements are not to promote anything other than sales, not underage drinking or the consequences that may take place” (n. pag.). The Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code is designed to “provide the legality and censorship of alcoholic advertising” (“Alcoholic Beverage Advertising Codes” n.pag.).

When enforced, The Code is designed to ensure that alcohol advertising will be conducted in a manner which neither conflicts with nor detracts from the need for responsibility and moderation in liquor merchandising and consumption, and which does not encourage consumption by underage persons (“Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Codes” n. pag.)

Well, what about the ads for fast food industries? What about Cosmetic companies? What about Army advertisements? There is no picture of obesity and people dying of heart conditions. All that is shown is a sandwich and large fry that people love to enjoy. They have a right to enjoy this. Cosmetic ads do not show the animals used for testing, only the product that is perceived to be best thing to enhance a person’s look. We are allowed to sacrifice animal's rights but we cannot consume an alcoholic beverage? There are no pictures of soldiers with missing arms or ones who are paralyzed. All that is said is what they do is a good thing. Teenagers are allowed to fight for this country to the death, but they cannot consume alcohol? That seems rather illogical.

Sometimes telling something to someone is not the best method. Teenagers go throughout school hearing every year that alcohol is bad and it only causes problems. It's only logical that they would ponder why people do it if it is "so bad" for you. This is why teens emerge themselves into something that is not allowed. It is almost as if it's a forbidden fruit that they cannot have.

If parents were allowed to subject their kids into alcohol, under supervision, then it would become less of a desire and more of an event that can happen whenever. A teenager appreciates drinking more because they cannot have it all the time. They can watch the television everyday of their life but how often can they purchase a bottle of Gin?

Wouldn't teenagers drinking at home with their parents also be safer? The teenagers wouldn't even have to drive anywhere and that totally eliminates the biggest issue presented. The fact is that underage drinking will happen, no matter what. Just like everything else that is labeled "wrong" in this world, it will be done anyways.

These parents do not condone or promote drinking. Nor do they provide or serve alcohol at parties. But they understand that underage drinking will occur, whether or not they approve. The difficult decision they make has driving in the forefront of their minds. They confiscate car keys and keep an eye out for problems, believing their teens are safer at home where they can be supervised rather than on the road. (Rosenbaum n. pag.)

Just because someone says you must be 21 to drink doesn't mean that everyone will listen. The human's greatest attribute is the ability to choose. Although drinking is not the healthiest thing in the world it is going to take place. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports, “Almost half of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol in the 2001 survey (48.3 percent)” (n. pag.). This is a heavy percentage that proves drinking occurs, even underage.

We may be doing what is perceived to be right, but maybe instead of totally ridding teenager’s rights of drinking, there should be exceptions made. What is more logical? A kid consumes alcoholic beverages at a friend's house where no parents are home. He gets into his car and drives home. Who knows what is bound to happen. In another instance, a kid drinks a couple alcoholic beverages with his parents at home, and then once he is done he simply goes to his bed and falls asleep. What happens next is nothing to worry about. Drinking won't cause a bed to flip and crash into a wall. Drinking and driving will.