If youth don't know the risks they have been living on another planet. They know the risks.

Last time I traveling in Europe I came upon a group of obnoxious drunk young people. During my trip I was impressed by the demeanor of young Europeans. Those drunks were Americans.

Europeans grow up with alcohol. Americans kids are expected to magically acquire maturity with alcohol with they have had little exposure to it.

I'm glad I was drinking legally at 18. Drinking was never a statement to me. I've never been drunk. I know the effects of alcohol.

Straight down the middle of the church line. Not a balanced approach, and one that totally eschews personal responsibility, but that's Utah.

My parents were both European. They drank very moderatly when we were growing up. I never saw them ever have more than a glass of wine at dinner, or a cold beer on a summer day.

When my generation got into our upper teens it was a different story. Boy did we do some stupid, dangerious things. I straightened my life out and so did most all of my friends.

Having said that, I wish that I had never taken that first drink. I wasted a lot of years living a life of false happyness. My life turned out OK, but I think it could have been much better.

Just my two cents.

If adults accepted the dangers of alcohol consumption and did not imbibe, the kids might take the risks more seriously. But drinking has been made out to look glamourous, upper class, and very very adult. Adults give in to this image and so we "teach" kids that it is totally "cool" and "funny" to drink and be drunk. After all, it is the "adult" way to celebrate, and the only way one can truly "loosen up" and have "fun".
Alcohol is seriously socially detremental when it is used for drinking purposes.
If you disagree with me, then you have bought into the "image" I have described above.
And I am European, by the way. I have a friend from Nice(France) who grew up drinking wine all her life and came here and quit for two years. She was invited to a party where wine was served, and told me how revolting wine suddenly was to her. It smelled bad, tasted very bad, and made her feel a little sick. How really vile and Unnatural!!!
Another example of "if adults didn;'t do it and teach it, the kids wouldn't do it"!!!

My x-wife drank like a race horse.
She came from a very hard-core LDS family. Both her brothers were the same as she was.

If people are hell-bent on self destruction, they will complete the job despite their upbringing.

Hopefully they will come around full circle some day and use what they learned growing up to fix the rest of their lives.

Re Valeeda,
"If you disagree with me, then you have bought into the "image" I have described above."
Wow we can't argue with your "perfect" argument. YOu are the first person to win on the internet.

Pre-marital sex also harms teens. Smoking, drinking and sex. What a great trifecta!

Without drugs and alcohol, what would the 10 o'clock news consist of? No more fiery crashes, no more drug killings and robberies, no more alcohol-induced child abuse, etc.? Without tobacco, how would hospitals remain open?

Would you or anyone like to tell me what else drinking alcohol has to offer besides a phony sense of relaxation, the loosing of inhibitions, the bracing up a low self esteem by feeling all "worldy and with it", escape from reality, etc etc?
How about physical harm such as liver damage, diabetes, or just beating up your wife? How about addiction and death, yourself or your victim?
Why do people who drink have to have someone to drink with, like I noticed the last time I went home? You are simply not part of "something" if you are not drinking (alcohol)with them.
You should all know the answer to that one.
Yes, I have a perfect argument. And there is more where this came from.

It's pretty much a no-brainer that smoking and drinking hurts everyone, not just "youths".

Is there really someone out there today that still denies the health affects of smoking and drinking?

You can say you don't care, but you can't say there's no health impact anymore.

Veleeda: I bet you have alot more!

Please post anything else in the comic section, as you information is coming from "Bugs Bunny"

Which is why we need to give them more gun access. This way, they won't drink.

The social impact of drinking is tremendous. Our local Ute Indian Reservation is a terrible example of this. My home bordered the Reservation for years, and what alcohol has done to their youth(who then become alcoholic adults) is very very tragic.
I wish a real good alcohol prevention program could get started there, because these are otherwise a
very noble race of people.
And Karl: Bugs might be right on your level, so keep reading him, because if he is saying what I am , you might finally learn something.

RE: Valeeda,

When you live on a reservation, alcohol isn't your main problem it stems from being on a reservation.

I grew up with alcohol in my home and my life, I can't tell you the difference in my life when I gave it up and joined the church. I have said it elsewhere, and I will say it again, my life made a total spiritual turn around by dropping out of the drinking scene. I have heard others, who are not religiously affiliated who have said that stopping drinking really improved the level of their social life and made them stronger in other intangible ways.
Just a comment about American Indians, they have a special susceptibility to alcohol addiction. I guess it is one of those genetic things we are hearing about lately. They were introduced to alcohol by white men before being put on reservations, much to their detrement. A shame, really.

I think I would have to drink to sit through a meeting with a bunch of Bush loving conservatives on a nice Sunday.

If Tammy's life as much improved, great! That's what life is about.

There is a down side to drinking as we age. Alcohol becomes are means of socialization. You can become what I erm a recreational alcoholic.

Be honest with you about how you drink. If drinking is causing problems in your life, do as Tammy did, find something else to fill you life with.

Anonymous 7;31

Life can be real hard as we age.
We need frendship, and or family to help us through the tough times.
I hear my dog talk spanish to my car, and I wish I could stop the TV from playing in my teeth.
On a bright note, we can still try, always try, to improve our lives.

You reach a point where death is no longer abstract. Too many friends have lost the race with the reaper. You parent die, the dog and it's easy to let alcohol be a social lubricant.

Once you could just take off for the cost of a tank of gas. It's more chalanging to find constructive outlets.