Underage Drinking Argument Essay

An estimated 88,0008 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women8) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States” (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). Alcohol has been constantly promoted in advertisements. It is promoted in television, media, radio, and billboards. Thousands of dollars are used to promote the idea of consuming alcohol and the wonders of it. Writer David Jernigan states, “Alcohol companies spend close to $2 billion every year advertising in the United States alone. From 2001 to 2007, they aired more than 2 million television ads and published more than 20,000 magazine advertisements”. Advertisements have been increasing in popularity

People can be happy at one moment and completely change their attitude the next. In the article “Underage Drinking: Examining and Preventing Youth Use of Alcohol” by authors David Edvin and Samuel Harald states, “Approximately 5,000 persons under 21 years of age lose their lives each year because of underage drinking, and early initiation of alcohol use is associated with increased risk of subsequent alcohol use disorders and increased risk of involvement in violent behaviors, suicide attempts, and a variety of other problematic activities” (108). People behavior changes when consuming alcohol. People who consumed too much alcohol tend to turn towards a violent and aggressive behavior. Some people even get physically aggressive towards others when under the influence of alcohol. Younger generation consuming alcohol puts them to have a different mindset and violent behavior. In fact, underage drinking is a bigger problem than other types of drugs. “Minors who drink are more likely to commit suicide, break the law, or be victims of violence. Alcohol is implicated in nearly one-third of youth traffic fatalities. Underage drinking remains a far more prevalent problem than the use of illicit drugs or tobacco products” (Edvin, Harald). In order to reduce people from consuming alcohol is by stating the truth. Advertisement only shows certain benefits of drinking, not the full picture. If people especially younger audience see the risk of

Consuming too much alcohol can lead to alcohol poison and affect a person’s body. Alcohol damages the brain and increases the chances of getting diseases in the future. In the article, “The Effects of Alcoholic Use” by Eric Patterson states the long and short-term alcohol has on people. He states, “Long-term overconsumption of alcohol causes death of brain cells, which can lead to brain disorders as well as a lowered level of mental or physical function. Liver damage from alcohol can result in cirrhosis, a severe medical condition that can require a liver transplant to treat. Long-term overconsumption of alcohol can cause pancreatitis, a very dangerous inflammation of the pancreas, and it can also cause nerve damage”. Alcohol affects the development of people throughout life, especially those in their teen years. Having their development affected at young age can result in an unhealthy lifestyle for the future. It can provide more risk for heart attacks, brain damage, and even cancer. The damage alcohol has on people should be taken serious and advertisement need to portray this. Alcohol can still have other ways to affect people. Alcohol can make people become addicts and be dependent on it. “Alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, occurs when the body cannot function without alcohol. Alcohol affects certain neurotransmitters in the brain. When the brain becomes accustomed to the way that alcohol affects these brain