Teens should not be punished for drinking alcohol

In regards to your argument as to the "reason" for why societies generally do not allow underage drinking, I believe this contention to be false and thus your argument built on a false premise. Here below are several reasons why Teens should not be allowed to drink, and thus punishments with respect to the crime committed should be enforced to deter the behavior.1. Alcohol is a major cause of death among teens. The leading cause of death is motor vehicle accidents, and of these 31% invovle alcohol. [1] It also increases the chance of an accident being fatal. "2 percent of drivers ages 15 to 20 involved in property damage-only crashes had been drinking, 4 percent of those involved in crashes resulting in injury had been drinking, and 22 percent of those involved in fatal crashes had been drinking. "[2]2. Increased Likelyhood of Alcohol Dependence. According to the results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey, those who begin drinking prior to the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol develop than those of a legal drinking age. [3]3. Dangerous Sexual BehaviorNot only are teens twice as likely to engage in premature sexual activity if they use alcohol reguarly than those who don't, but 1 out 8 binge drinkers in high school report to being raped while intoxicated. [4] STD's are also twice as likely to be present in the last year of an alcohol consuming teen than an non-alcohol consuming teen. [5]4. Health issues associated with underage drinking. Studies have demonstrated in the past that alcohol use prior to the age of 21 can directly impair brain development in the teen. [6]Conclusion:There is still very much that can be said underneath these individual points, however my ultimate contention is that in view of the blatant harmfulness of underage alcohol use, it should be punished by the law. In regards to the punishment administered, I believe restorative justice would best be implemented and may include the following in the sentence.1. A state ordered breathalizer or suspension of license if found to be drunk driving.2. Community Service.3. Court ordered therapy or AA meetings if found to be exhibiting binge like behavior or dependance issues.4. Educational information classes so as to inform the teen to the real dangers of underage drinking. 5. If found to be a repeat offender and thus not responding to the court's sentence to bring a restoration in the teen, juvinile detention may be warranted. These are just a few examples of why I believe it should be punishable by law. Kind Regards,TrueScotsmanSources:[1] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (2008). Traffic Safety Facts 2008, Washington, DC: National Center for Statistics and Analysis, U. S. Department of Transportation. Available at www. nrd. nhtsa. dot. gov/pubs/811169. pdf. [2] . http://www.camy.org...[3] Grant, B. F. and Dawson, D. A. (1997). “Age at Onset of Alcohol Use and Its Association with DSM-IV Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: Results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey. ” Journal of Substance Abuse, 9: 103-110. [4] Miller, J. W. , Naimi, T. S. , Brewer, R. D. , and Jones, S. E. (2007). “Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors among High School Students. ” Pediatrics, 119 (1):76-85. [5] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (Mar. 20, 2007). The NSDUH Report: Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Substance Use. Rockville, MD: Office of Applied Studies. [6] Brown, S. A. , Tapert, S. F. , Granholm, E. , Delis, D. C. (Feb. , 2000). “Neurocognitive Functioning of Adolescents: Effects of Protracted Alcohol Use. ” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 24 (2): 164-171.