The moon scrolls across a dark sky, as herds of students gradually make their way out of the school building. They had entered pristine, dressed to kill, excited for their long night of dancing ahead. They leave tattered and tired. Bare feet trod along the pavement with heels in hand, shirts wave in the breeze loosely unbuttoned. Cleanup crews make their rounds, picking up all sorts of garbage and peculiar remains. As everyone makes their way out of their Homecoming dance, one can’t help but notice odd behavior in select partygoers. In a daze, they stumble and fumble, their words slurred, their vision blurred. It’s no surprise that some chose to have extra fun tonight.
The consumption of alcohol is an all too common occurrence today. With the ever-rising influence of social circles on teens, though, few are shocked by its normalization. Under the influence of appearing cool or sociable, alcohol has rooted into the average student’s psyche rather easily. Senior Hudson Gillming detailed how he perceives influences on teenagers in this regard.
“I’ve felt pressure to drink alcohol before,” Gillming said. “Generally, I think people feel like that because their friends don’t want to do it alone, or they feel like they’re ‘missing out.’”
Gillming is not the only one who understands how so many are pressured into drinking. Senior Nevaeh Smith believes poor relationships to be the cause.
“There’s a lot of people who will encourage you and push you to do things,” Smith said.
In her eyes, there’s more to it than that though. Smith also observes how people do it to appear differently.
“Some people do it to look cool,” Smith said. “If [someone] sees a friend with a beer in their hand, they’re gonna go grab one too. Not because they like beer, but because the other friend has one.”
Generally, students agree on where the urge to drink is derived from: peer pressure and having fun with friends. However, there’s mixed opinions on the safety of partaking in this as a teenager. Some, like senior Kat Mann, think a teen’s experience with alcohol could be a part of making mistakes and growing as a young person.
“I think that situations that teenagers put themselves into a lot of the time are about learning and experiencing new things,” Mann said. “But it could become dangerous if they do it irresponsibly.”
Similarly, Gillming associates the dangers of alcohol with the maturity of the user.
“Depending on the responsibility of the student, [drinking] can be inconsequential or very destructive,” Gillming said.
In contrast, others firmly believe that alcohol consumption can have a more grand effect on one’s life. Smith staunchly argues that drugs stand as a root issue for many high schoolers today.
“It messes with your head, with your brain and how you develop things. That’s why a lot of people are so slow, because all they do is party and drink and smoke. The only thing they’ve got going for themselves is going out,” Smith said.
Alcohol is made famous for its health concerns early on in high school, through the mandatory semester-long health class each freshman takes. Coach Drew Carter, one of the teachers of these health classes, elaborates on the physical dangers of drinking at this relatively young age.
“Besides the effects that alcohol can have on any user – dependency, impaired motor skills, passing out, memory loss and impaired judgment – teen’s brains and bodies are still growing and developing so the use of alcohol can impact a teen’s brain function even more,” Carter said.
The possible risks of underage drinking are undeniable; few disagree on that front. The true challenge for teens lies in keeping up good decisions when maintaining their social lives. The general consensus is that simply avoiding situations where one would be confronted with alcohol is the easiest way to keep an alcohol-free lifestyle.
“To socialize, me and my friends all go out to get breakfast together at least once a month,” Mann said.
Finding close friends to be around may also have a helpful impact.
“I like small little friend groups,” Smith said. “For me and my girls, we don’t go to parties on Fridays, we go and get food.”
Even educationally, the suggestion for good decision-making is avoiding poor circumstances.
“In Health class we discuss abstinence from potential risk factors,” Carter said. “If you abstain from speeding, you decrease your chances of an auto accident. I think teaching teens the risks of behaviors and guiding them to make healthy alternative choices is key.”
To protect oneself from the dangers of alcohol, it comes down to a series of choices. How someone will behave, who they will be around, what they will prioritize for themselves. In order to keep safe, give yourself a strong foundation to build off of.
“Know how to remove yourself from a situation if you don’t feel comfortable in that situation. Have a trusted adult to go to that will help you come up with alternatives,” Carter said. “If you’re struggling, reach out to our Guidance Department or administrative team, both are wonderful at helping our students.”
Even for a senior who hasn’t taken Health in years, Carter reinforces the security students have with their teachers within the school.
“I know as a teacher, my big thing is trying to help students come up with ways that work for them and to help them learn from others’ mistakes so that they don’t make the same mistake,” Carter said.
