Saturday nights are not complete without the introduction of alcohol into most activities carried out by teens. Alcohol consumption among teens is generally not well received among adults and lawmakers, but it is a fact of life which needs to be accepted and dealt with. This paper will attempt to examine some of the causes of alcohol related problems with youth and provide some insight as to what can be done and what is being done to resolve it.

             In The Perils of Prohibition, Elizabeth M. Whelan discusses the current state of affairs relating to alcohol and minors in this country. "Prohibiting the sale of liquor to responsible young adults creates an atmosphere where binge drinking and alcohol abuse become a problem." (Whelan 169) According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in the early months of 1998, "18 inebriated students died in alcohol-related mishaps like falling out of windows, falling into rivers, falling down flights of stairs, or simply choking on their own vomit." (Lizza 12) A 1994 study of almost 18,000 students nationwide, conducted by Harvard psychologist Henry Wechsler, found that nearly half of the nation's young students are binge-drinkers, meaning it's normal for men and women to consume more than four or 5 strong drinks in one night. (12) Students who binge drink are known to damage property, have more trouble with authorities, miss classes, have hangovers, and experience injuries more often than those who do not binge drink. Binge drinkers have been found to engage in more unplanned sexual activity as well, and to forgo safe sex practices more often than non-binge-drinking students. Little wonder that, in survey after survey, college presidents rank drinking as the number one problem on campus.(12).

             The most widely used policy tool in the campaign against youth and young adult alcohol abuse has been higher minimum legal drinking ages. After a downward trend in legal drinking ages beginning in 1971 when the voting age was lowered to 18, alcohol abuse among the young increased significantly.