By Matthew Seidner
 

We see it all around us—breathalyzers at teen dances, parents getting thrown in jail for allowing kids to drink in their homes and, of course, Saturday night parties where everyone’s getting blotto on beer. It all spells teen drinking.

The problem has become so common that some adults figure we’re all out there getting blasted.

That’s the stereotype. Is it true?

Some teens around the country are furious that all adolescents are grouped together and assumed to get wasted every weekend, when many teens find other, more productive things to do.

Natural Highs

Amanda Elliot, a senior from South River, NJ, has decided not to drink. “I can just have fun with my friends. We can go to the movies or even a party without drinking. Besides, I have natural highs,” said Amanda.

Teens can indeed amuse themselves without downing a six pack or shots. For David Kushner, a junior from Coral Springs, FL, Saturday nights mean a video at a friend’s house, or a trip to the local theater.

“With school and work, I couldn’t even find the time to drink if I wanted to,’’ he said. “I guess others need to rely on alcohol to have a good time.”

Some teens do think drinking is fun.

“Alcohol is necessary to have a good time,” said Jackie Flam, a senior from Oceanside, NY. “The person who ends up drunk earliest becomes the entertainment. There is nothing else to do, at least nothing better. We’re bored. Teens need something to keep them busy, and drinking seems to work; teens have fun with alcohol.”

Swallowing Peer Pressure

Teens also drink because of peer pressure. Melissa Markowitz, a senior from Carteret, N.J., believes “the sad fact of being a teenager in today’s society is that the pressure to drink and do drugs is a daily occurrence. One of the big parts of high school life at my school is the various drinking parties.”

David Kushner feels that pressure, too. “At parties, you’re expected to drink. For some people, alcohol makes a party good,” he agreed.

Most of us have been tempted to drink—and it always seems like it has to be a guzzle fest, instead of maybe just one beer. It is possible to find something else to do, but it takes a mind-set that says alcohol should not be the focus of your social life. We need to keep a positive attitude and realize that a life without drinking does not mean a life without fun.

SEX, etc. board members Arlene Brens and Michelle Maskaly contributed to this article.