Teen Drinking Notes Article 3

Hanson, David J., and William DeJong. "Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered to 18?." American Teacher.
             Nov 2008: 3. SIRS Researcher. Web. 28 Sep 2010 

Drinking Age?

18

• Issue licenses to 18-20 year olds 
• Have to take a course on alcohol education
• Cannot have a violation in alcohol laws
• Teach kids like teaching them how to drive
• Teaches responsibility

21

• Lowered alcohol use
• Lowered car crashes 
• Unsafe for the roads and people on it
• Unhealthy
• Teens drink heavily

Teen Drinking Notes Article 2

Clark, Charles S. "Underage Drinking." CQ Researcher. 13 Mar 1992: 219+. SIRS         

           Researcher. Web. 24 Sep 2010.

·       Picture: http://www.ehow.com/facts_6946192_teenage-binge-drinking.html

              “It is a common belief--among adults as well as teenagers-- that alcohol is an aphrodisiac.”

·         “Physiologically, experts note, drinking has the opposite effect, though psychologically it clearly helps loosen inhibitions.”

·         Teens with parents who drink excessively are more likely to drink than teens whose parents don’t.

·         “In a survey conducted for the surgeon general's office last year”

·         “41 percent of the young people polled said they drank when they were upset”

·         “25 percent drank because they were bored and 25 percent drank to feel high.” (1991)

·         Teens drink to deal with problems, relieve stress, and eliminate the pressure from peers.

·             “ Schoolmates and friends drinking: 70% 
     Parents drinking: 48% 
     A desire to be grown up: 29% 
     Brothers, sisters and other relatives drinking: 14% 
     Seeing people drink on TV programs: 12% 
     A desire for prestige: 10% 
     Advertising of alcoholic beverages: 8% 
     Don't know: 2% 

     Source: The Roper Organization, 1990”

·         When they raised the drinking age to 21 many there were a lot less deaths from DUI.

·         Most people commonly think that teens drink because of what they see on TV.

·         But really most teens drink because of peer pressure, and seeing parents drink is the most common.

Article 1 Notes

Info:
O'Connell, Mary Ellen. "Underage drinking." Issues in Science and Technology 21.2      
           (2005): 82+. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 15 Sept. 2010.

Picture: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k6/underage/underage.htm

·         Car crashes are the most noticed death from teen drinking.

·         Drinking at a young age threaten teens long term development and heath.

·         One third of traffic tragedies is with teens is associated with alcohol.

·         “The social cost of underage drinking has been estimated at $53 billion including $19 billion from traffic crashes and $29 billion from violent crime.”

·         Heavy alcohol use leads to brain damage.

·         Drinking is more popular with teens then smoking and illegal drugs.

·         “More girls than boys begin drinking at a very early age, and although the boys soon catch up, the number of girls who drink—and drink heavily—is close to the number of boys.”

·         White teens are more likely to drink then African American or Hispanic people. 

·         “Underage alcohol use is also associated with violence, suicide, educational failure, and other behavior problems.”

·         The problem gets worse when the drinking starts at a younger age.

Research Questions

For my research paper, I am writing about Teen Drinking.  Here are some of the questions I have on the subject.

1.  Why do teens drink?
2.  Around what age does a teen start testing alcohol?
3.  How do teens behavior change while drinking?

Social Issue Paragraph

Teen Drinking

Dramarama by E. Lockhart

Teen drinking is a serious issue that most kids our age think to try, but they shouldn’t because it is bad for our heath and lives.  My search terms were:

·         “Underage drinking is linked to injury and risky behavior”

·         “Brain Developing and Alcohol Abuse”

·         “Drinking and Driving”

·         “Suicide”

·         “Behavior”

·         “Other Risks”

·         “Academic Performance”

In this article about teen drinking I learned that about 5,000 kids under 21 die every year because of underage drinking.  Also that exposure to drinking at a young age can increase the likelihood of alcohol addiction and that alcohol use interacts with conditions like stress contributes to 300 teen suicides a year.  I think that teens should not drink because it will eventually control your life and you won’t be able to do anything with your life.  Information: http://www.dontserveteens.gov/dangers.html

Picture: http://www.brandchampionsblog.com/.a/6a00e54ef2b6e2883300e5542472c58834-800wi

My Letter!

703 Churchville Road

Bel Air, MD 21014

3 September 2010

Dear Sadie Paulson,

My name is Megan B, and I really enjoyed reading Dramarama by E. Lockhart. I am 14 and I am a freshman at John Carroll. I just moved to Fallston. You know what it’s like having to get used to a new environment going to Wildewood for a whole summer. Your summer was filled with so much drama. It’s pretty hard to compete with yours, but I still had a good one. During my summer vacation, I went to Ocean City and Virginia. Most of my summer, I was with my friends. Your friends seem like they would be fun to hang out with. When I was with my friends, we did a lot of things. We did stuff like one time my friend Brooke, our sisters, and I went around my old school and just took silly pictures all over the place (look at the picture of us). It was so much fun. I could tell from your book that you had a lot of fun with your friends just like I had with my friends.

Dramarama was a really good book. I think it’s cool how different life is at your house and school compared to Wildewood. Wildewood is loud and dramatic, while your hometown is boring and nontheatrical. I also like how you handled the situation with Demi and Lyle at the end of the story. Demi was really talented and he deserved to be there. It took a lot of guts to help a friend out that way. It was the right thing to do.

E. Lockhart was a really good writer. She made the book come alive because she put a real life situation into this book. Everyone gets jealous of other people just like you did in the book. I think she could have used more descriptive words. For instance instead of saying ran, she could have said rushed or hustled. Other than that I felt like I could step into your shoes.

I really want to know what happens after the books ends. Do you, Demi, and Lyle stay in touch after you meet in New York? Do you ever find love? Is it with Theo? Do you ever become anything in the world of Broadway? These questions ran through my mind the second I finished reading the final word.

There were many social issues in this book. One was how you got jealous of the other people’s talents at Wildewood. Another was how everyone was kind of racist against Demi because he was black and gay. I think you could raise self-awareness about this by showing people how it feels to be on the other side of the words. Make them know how it feels to be made fun of. I could also start a website or a blog about teen racism. Were all people and just because we look different doesn’t mean we deserve to be treated differently.

I hope one day this letter gets to you and you get the chance to answer me. I think you should still try to pursue your career in singing and acting. Everyone should try to fulfill their dreams. Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Megan B.

My Summer Reading!

Over the summer I read Dramarama  by E. Lockhart

These were some of the questions I had to answer about this book:


1. Who is the main character and what is that character’s personality like? Type a complete sentence or two that include three different adjectives that describe your character.



2. Most good stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Type a complete sentence for each of these three parts that summarizes what happens.


3. Think about the experiences that the main character has and the changes that she or he experiences by the end of the story. In a complete sentence or two, describe what you think the author is trying to say about life.



The Issues:



1. Explain how one of these issues affects the character(s) in the story. Write three complete sentences – either three different ways that one character is affected, or one way each that three different characters are affected.


2. In complete sentences, describe two specific events that make the book’s social issue(s) seem real and important. How does the author make a big issue immediate and personal?


 
http://www.trashionista.com/2007/06/book-review-dra.html

All About Me!

 My friends Brooke, Nikki, and I at our middle school graduation!

Megan’s Unique Profile

Hey, my name is Megan B. I’m 14 and my birthday is on February 11, 1996. I went to Mountain Christian School for 9 years. I have two siblings going to Mountain. My sister, Lauren, is in 8th and my brother, Matthew, is in 4th. My parent’s names are Theresa and David B. My mom is an Ultrasound Technician. My dad is a CPA. I have two cats Logan is 2 and Hobo is around 17. I love playing basketball, drawing, and painting. My favorite band is A Rocket to the Moon and the Script. My favorite song is Secrets by OneRepublic and Like We Used To by A Rocket to the Moon. During the school year, I want to join the photography club and tryout for the basketball team. My goal in high school is try my hardest in everything I do. I love my friends. My best friends are Brooke, Kaitlyn, and Ashley. Brooke goes to Bel Air High School. Kaitlyn goes to Archbishop Spalding. Ashley goes to John Carroll. I love everyone and everything in my life!!!