[Vision2020] Illegal underage alcohol, anyone?

[Tbertruss at aol.com]

Phil et. al.

In 1998, "5.1 million youth" (age 12-20) "were binge drinkers." 

Fact from this link:

http://www.health.org/govpubs/rpo990/

It is astonishing to observe the "pass" that alcohol use receives in our 
culture in regard to its use or promotion in cases where it is illegal.

In terms of advertising alcohol use to youth, overlooking or excusing parents 
who have alcohol in their homes that is easily accessed by youth, or the 
legal system offering penalties for those who supply alcohol to minors that make a 
mockery of the so called "War On Drugs," alcohol is tolerated and even 
promoted when the facts are indisputable that it damages the lives of youth more 
than all other drug use combined!

It is well known that underage alcohol abuse kills more youth in vehicular 
crashes than are killed in any circumstance by all other drugs combined, but 
consider the impact of alcohol abuse among underage drinkers for other types of 
violent crime:

http://camy.org/factsheets/index.php?FactsheetID=13

Quote below from link above:

"[I]ndividuals under the age of 21 commit 45 percent of rapes, 44 percent of 
robberies, and 37 percent of other assaults,7 and it is estimated that 50 
percent of violent crime is alcohol-related8 (Reducing Underage Drinking, 61)."  

Consider the NBA's family friendly message that they oppose drug use/abuse. 
Really?  Then why do NBA games watched by millions of underage viewers feature 
advertising worth millions of dollars aimed at youth to promote alcohol use?

http://camy.org/factsheets/index.php?FactsheetID=1

Quote below from link above:

"The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth found that, from 2001 though 2003, 
youth in the United States were 96 times more likely per capita to see an ad 
promoting alcohol than an industry ad discouraging underage drinking.9 In 
fact, compared to underage youth, adults age 21 and over were nearly twice as 
likely per capita to see advertising discouraging underage drinking.10"  

I don't care what group, religious or not, is sponsoring an event that is 
offering alcohol to minors, or whether the event is on private property, or how 
little alcohol is being offered.  Are we to excuse the offering of a drug to 
youth, by adults who supposedly have the best interests of the youth in mind, 
that is the most likely drug by a wide margin to be the drug that youth abuse 
leading to death, injury, sexual assault, assault and battery, and violent crime 
in general?  Isn't it credible to assume that offering alcohol in a religious 
service to minors sends a signal that minors drinking alcohol is excusable on 
religious grounds?  And how might this "endorsement" impact a youth offered 
alcohol in other contexts, at a party by their peers, or sneaking some liquor 
from their parents stock, or driving on the back roads of Latah County with a 
six pack or two?

What if a religious group offered a harmless amount of methamphetamine to 
minors in a religious service?  Very few would excuse this conduct, if anyone, 
correct?  And how many youth are involved in methamphetamine related abuse 
incidents, relative to alcohol abuse related incidents?  Do the facts of the 
consequences of drug abuse of various kinds motivate our approach to mitigating the 
harm from drug abuse across all segments of society, or do the biases of those 
who wish to keep their pet drug of choice (alcohol, in this case) acceptable, 
or economically profitable, prejudicially influence social/legal/economic 
policy?

"Alcohol is by far the most used and abused drug among America’s teenagers. 
 According to a national survey, nearly one third (31.5%) of all high school 
students reported hazardous drinking (5+ drinks in one setting) during the 30 
days preceding the survey.3"

Above quote from this source:

http://www.marininstitute.org/Youth/alcohol_youth.htm#_edn6

Source for info below:

http://www.health.org/govpubs/rpo990/

** Peer pressure begins early. One-third of 4th graders and more than half of 
6th graders say they have been pressured by friends to drink alcohol.1 

** On average, young people begin drinking at about age 13,2 but some start 
even younger. By the time they are high school seniors, more than 80 percent 
have used alcohol and approximately 64 percent have been drunk. 3 When 
adolescents move on to college, they bring their drinking habits with them: more than 
40 percent of college students are binge drinkers.4 

** In 1998, 10.4 million current drinkers were under legal age (age 12-20). 
Of these, 5.1 million were binge drinkers, including 2.3 million heavy 
drinkers.5 
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Vision2020 Post by Ted Moffett
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