<p>until silmon, I really liked how no one was attacking the beliefs of others</p>
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Does it taste good? I know beers and hard liquors dont at first, so why drink them until it is an "aquired taste"?
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</p>
<p>You do? Didn't you say you've never had any alcohol? Hmm...fishy.</p>
<p>I've never had alcohol in the United States, but I've had my fair share in other countries; with that said, I happen to like the taste of wine. It tastes very good and it would be my favorite thing to drink second only to water.</p>
<p>drinking in highschool. i don't really have a problem w/ that. i've done it before. i'm still here and i'm alright. in fact, i kind of like it. i think you've got to TRY something before you're allowed to be super judgmental about it...although i'm not telling everyone else out there to pound till you drop, i'm just sayin...its fine as long as you know what you're doing...
and when it comes to the college life with drinking...it's pretty scary if you don't know what you're doing..cuz umm..you're probably going to like the drinking...and it MIGHT be too much..so..be careful you "no alkie for me" people.</p>
<p>I'm not attacking the beliefs of others, sorry if I came out that way. I have just made the personal decision that beer is not right for me, and I'm just curious why others have made the decision to drink. As I said before, if you want to drink, go ahead, you know what's best for you.</p>
<p>And yes, just because I've never tasted beer before does not mean I know nothing about it.</p>
<p>Since we live in a country where the drinking laws are non-existant, families and kids make the decisions based mostly on cultural norms. THe country itself is predominantly Moslem, but alcohol is served widely in restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. One thing about our situation that makes it unique compared with the U.S., the kids here do not drive. Everyone has a driver (the roads are terrible, security is a huge issue) so there is no issue with drunk driving. </p>
<p>The school my kids go to is only 30% American. Many of the Americans have been overseas a long time. In our experience, American parents tend to be more restrictive in terms of permitting their kids to go out or giving them tacit approval to drink than do parents from Europe, South America or Australia. The European kids, in particular, tend to have more experience drinking at home, in terms of wine that is, from a younger age. Their parents tend to be surprised that the American parents are so "conservative" about this issue. I have several European friends, in particular, who like to go "clubbing" with their kids...there are just cultural differences, plain and simple. Neither is right or wrong, but the statistics for reported problem drinking are lower in Europe, I believe. </p>
<p>So, we have compromised a bit. Our kids have been given increasing late curfews, increasingly more liberty as to where they go, etc..over time. Sometimes when they go out with their European friends, in particular, we liberalize a bit more...</p>
<p>The message we have tried to give our kids is: try to learn to be a social person without alcohol. Since we let them go out, we have to assume that they will have a beer or 2 (they can't afford much more!), but they are not coming home inebriated or impaired in any way. My feeling has been that the longer you wait to be someone who drinks regularly or semi-regularly, the less likely it is to become a part of you. If you start being a regular drinker at age 15 it becomes a part of your developing sense of your self. If you hold off until you are 18 or whatever, and you are more sure of who you are, then drinking is just something that you do, but not a part of who you are....</p>
<p>Kids who get plastered every weekend never learn to be happy and comfortable in a social situation unless they are drunk. Kids who start drinking at younger ages, especially kids who are at risk in terms of genetic predisposition, are at very high risk of developing a problem with alcoholism. Growing people's livers do not need the toxic waste of alcohol delivered on a regular basis. The risks of binging and being drunk go beyond the risk for alcoholism, of course...</p>
<p>so far the biggest reason i've received for getting drunk is to feel happier and all that...</p>
<p>i personally don't need it, need all my brain cells, want to be in control of myself, and as a result do not drink. i'm hoping that won't change in college. </p>
<p>also, i really really hate drunk driving accidents. ugh. they're so unnecessary!</p>
<p>i drank a little in high school, but never enough to be drunk. it was usually around my parents too (family gatherings, religious purposes, etc). i started college in september and was a little hesistant to drink at first. i've been to some parties, had some alcohol, and been drunk a total of 2 times. it was actually really fun.</p>
<p>the thoughts of highschoolers drinking scares me. I have never been drunk although i had opportunities to. I dont agree with it. I am ok when it's legal. but i guess im too scared ill get caught and its really not worth it in the end.</p>
<p>I only wish my bf felt the same way. Even though i was around him once when he was drunk.. i couldnt help but feel uneasy when i looked at the campfire pictures... i dont like the idea of him goin to parties and drinking. or do i like the idea of spring break when i cant be there.</p>
<p>I have a question for you who don't want to drink. </p>
<p>Which colleges have you discovered that do not have a drinking culture? My D is a non drinker (but she's open minded about her friends doing so.) She is hoping to attend a college that is low-key on the drinking. It seems like the % of kids involved in frats & sororities correlates with amount of drinking. She doesn't need a "dry" campus just one with a non-binge-drinking mainstream.</p>
<p>I'd love to hear about the schools you may know about. Thanks!</p>
<p>Why do people drink? Naturally this is a question specific to the individual; I drink as a form of entertainment. It's always entertaining to be a little messed up. Personally, alcohol is not my substance of choice, partly because of the repulsive taste and the possibility of extreme embarrassment. However I do drink every now and then. </p>
<p>I don't have a problem with drinking in general in High School, but I do see where there are concerns. If people are drinking irresponsibly, i.e. drinking and driving or having unprotected sex while drunk, concern arises. If you're going to drink, be sure you understand the possible consequences and use common sense. I have an inherent problem with limiting the freedom of anyone - in this case, the freedom to intake chemicals at your own discretion. However, it's understood that if you're not mature enough to understand what you're doing, limiting said freedom is necessary. The problem arises when deciding what exactly is "mature" - 21 seems to be the age at the moment. </p>
<p>When I break the law in this case, I do feel a bit immoral. Still, I feel I'm justified, as I have an innate right to make my own decisions regarding my body.</p>
<p>I realize, however, that not everyone has the same ability to reason and be responsible. Everyone is different, and governments have to take into account the safety of society as a whole. For that reason, there are laws. </p>
<p>If you're going to drink underage or use illegal drugs, just be sure you know what you're getting into. Most importantly, be sure you're being responsible. It's the irresponsibility of many that make laws limiting substance use necessary.</p>
<p>"but the night rolls around and it all starts making
sense. there is no right way or wrong way, you
just have to live. so i do what i do and at least I
exist. what could mean more than this?"</p>
<p>An explanation of why he drinks, by Conor Oberst of the band Bright Eyes (in the song "hit the switch." It's kind of scary when listening to music makes you think of a CC discussion.</p>
<p>I don't know... People who drink all I see are very weird to me... I'm kinda afraid to be one of them, but I'm sure there are a lot of cool people who drink in highschool are out there.</p>
<p>I'm strongly in favor that highschool students with 3.5 uw gpa should be legal to drink by law. Who's with me?</p>
<p>lolol "I'm strongly in favor that highschool students with 3.5 uw gpa should be legal to drink by law. Who's with me?"</p>
<p>That's actually a hella good idea. Maybe not precisely that, but something along those lines. If kids between the ages of 16 and 21 have good grades, are students in good standing, and have no alcohol-related convictions, and have a parent's consent (unless 18 or above), they could be issued some sort of license to buy alcohol.</p>
<p>That is extremely implausible, but it would still be cool. Of course, it's not like high schoolers have trouble buying alcohol, anyway...</p>
<p>yeah, except let me change one thing. "No matter unweighted or weighted, your GPA must be more than 3.5"</p>
<p>If we have this, we don't need anything fancy like No Child Left Behind Act. See, I'm even smarter than the government!</p>
<p>feuler-Your idea sounds nice. I, as a "responsible" high schooler could get a license to buy alcohol, and then make a nice profit selling it to all the "unresponsible" kids :-P.</p>
<p>In Ohio at least, if you're with your parents, they're legally allowed to give you alcohol. And if you're married to someone over 21, they can legally give you alcohol too.</p>
<p>Exactly. It would be a nice extra income.</p>
<p>Although, of course, it would be a very serious offense if you were caught...</p>
<p>About the brain cells... Do you have any idea how many of them you have? You can spare a few. Does drinking even kill brain cells? I'm not entirely sure it does. Now huffing...that's bad news.</p>
<p>The problem I find with non-drinkers is the holier-than-thou attitude they tend to take on. Stuff like "I don't need to drink to have a good time" is condescending and that's how sober kids can get pushed out of some circles. No one likes to be looked down on.</p>
<p>Suggestion: If you don't drink and you really have an open mind (like everyone always says they do), be a designated driver.</p>
<p>It's actually tended to be the opposite at my school in regard to the "holier than thou" attitude. The kids who drink (who have the money and the free time to get alcohol) have drastically reshaped their groups of friends to accomodate their lifestyle; this ended up really hurting some deep friendships. They talk in code about "having a get-together" and consider themselves more mature than those of us who don't want to partake in it. They're still a minority, but it seems like they're growing in number by inviting select people to "entertain" them (i.e. get someone really drunk and laugh about it). It cuts across GPAs and SAT scores to affect basically anyone who has too much time on their hands. Kinda sad, but it's their choice.</p>
<p>I just got back from a Thanksgiving feast with my family and I thought I'd add another reason not to drink. My dear cousins who are 18 and 19 were so horribly drunk that they were acting without any bit of social class... now you have to understand that my grandparents, parents co workers, neighbors, etc were all here and saw the actions of them. ... all I can say is that there is a time to drink and a time to be sober and it is not proper to be completely trashed by 7pm on Thanksgiving night. They are good kids, both attending Ivies but why, oh why, can't they control themselves until the adults leave?!?!</p>