Another Empty Bottle: Underage Drinking
             Barely out of childhood, young people are today experiencing more freedom, autonomy, and choices than ever, at a time when they still need special nurturing, protection and guidance. Without parents or other adults safeguarding, the young adolescents are at risk of harming themselves and others. Early adolescence is a critical turning point in one's life. This period, therefore, represents an optimal time for interventions to prevent destructive behaviour and promote healthy practices. "More than 10 million drinkers in Canada are between the ages of 12 and 20. Of these young drinkers, 20% engage in binge drinking and 6% are heavy drinkers " (www.cspinet.org/booze/alcyouth.htm p.1of 2). (1) On average, young people begin drinking at 13 years of age. The question then being: Can society be held responsible for the consequences to underage drinking? Throughout the following, you as the reader will discover the health consequences to alcohol abuse, what can happen as a result of binge drinking, the best practices for regulating underage drinking, social issues about why teens drink, search methods used by law enforcement, and lastly how youth can be easily lead to underage consumption.
             The use and the abuse of alcohol by teens is very common and can have serious consequences. Alcohol is a depressant that slows down the body and mind. Just one drink is enough to result in serious consequences. When and individual drinks, some of the alcohol is absorbed into the blood through the stomach, but most is absorbed through the small intestine. Once in the blood, it travels to many parts of the body, including the heart, brain and liver. The liver functions to remove alcohol from the bloodstream, but it can only eliminate a certain amount of alcohol per hour. When someone drinks alcohol at a faster rate than their liver can eliminate, problems arise. As the alcohol level in the blood in...