In recent times, underage drinking has become pretty prevalent. Still, with all the health problems this kind of drinking can cause, alcohol is still the most used drug by America’s youth. So why does this kind of drinking take place? As it turns out, there’s a lot of reasons why someone underage might be drinking…
Underage Drinking: Why Does It Happen?
Fitting in
Perhaps the most common reason behind underage drinking is a desire to fit in. As most people know, the want to fit in with the “popular” crowd is very strong during one’s teenage years. As a result of this, they’ll be willing to do nearly anything to feel accepted, including drinking.
Drinking is seen by a lot of young people as a “cool” and “adult” thing to do. Alcohol can also be used as a tool to “brag” about, which is why binge drinking is also very popular with underage drinkers. Plus, peer pressure plays a big roll in making more youth drink than usual.
Experimenting
A person’s teen years are full of change and self-discovery. Everyone has at least one memory from those years they look back on and can’t believe they did. However, underage drinking is one of those things that can become permanent, and not in a good way.
With how prevalent alcohol is in places like media and ads, a lot of youth don’t think it can be “that bad”. They think that it’s fine for them to drink, and that they won’t go overboard. However, this drinking usually turns into a snowball effect. One drink becomes two, two becomes three, etc. Eventually, this drinking turns into a full-blown alcohol problem.
Escape from reality
Plenty of adult drinkers like to use alcohol for a little bit of escapism. Drinking is seen by many as a way to reduce the stress that can come about from day-to-day life. This is also true for some of those who do underage drinking as well.
Teens can get a lot of stress from dealing with school, family, and friends. As a result, they might end up turning to alcohol. Alcohol can give them that temporary feeling of relaxation, so they’ll continue to drink more and more. Plus, unlike other drugs, alcohol is substantially easier for teens to get their hands on.