Underage drinking
is when anyone under the minimum legal drinking age of 21 drinks alcohol. Teens
and Young Adults don’t realize the serious effects of underage drinking. Some
of the side effects from underage drinking is serious injuries, impaired
judgment, increased risk of physical or sexual assault, brain development
problems, and death. 5,000 people under age 21 die each from alcohol related
events. Here at William Mason High School underage drinking at parties on the
weekends has been spiraling out of control.
Miles Halter’s and Chip Martin from
the book Looking for Alaska by John Greene having been traveling around
America to different schools to inform students on the dangers of drugs,
drinking, and what is it like to lose someone close to you. We are lucky enough
to have them come speak at our school on Friday, October 19.
In Looking for
Alaska Miles Halters gets introduced to smoking and drinking at Culver
Creek…both illegal if you are not of age. “I inhaled. Coughed. Wheezed. Gasped
for breath. Coughed again. Considered vomiting…and threw the cigarette to the
ground and stomped on it, convinced my Great Perhaps did not involve
cigarettes.” Cigarettes are very addicting, you can instantly get addicted to
them after smoking just one time, just like Miles did in the book. Smoking is a
big part in this book and gives off the impression that it is okay to smoke
when it really isn’t. Smoking can cause lung cancer and other serious diseases later
in life. Smoking can also cause wrinkles, teeth rotting, and asthma. Alcohol
was idolized in this book making readers think that everyone drinks in high
school. Some teens choose to partake in drinking but many teens feel peer
pressure to do it. Miles had been peer pressured by Chip. “but it’s Friday
night, Pudge, and my girlfriend is a b***h. Want some?...I think I’ll pass.”
Miles stood up in the end and decided not to drink even though Chip offered.
Teens need to understand that it is okay to say no to drinking it won’t make
you any less cooler to say no. Later Miles falls into peer pressure “I worried
for a moment as I held the bottle by the neck, but I wanted to trust her, and
so I did.” Everyone makes mistakes just like Miles did, but you should learn
from it and never do it again. “Alaska started “Truth Or Dare,Pudge…Dare…Hook
up with me” If Alaska was sober the chances of her making out with Miles
would’ve been slim, because she had a boyfriend Jake that she really loved.
Drinking caused her to make that poor decision with Miles. Later that night
Alaska got a phone call, she came back in the room flipping out that she forgot
and that she needed to leave campus right away. Miles and Chip helped distract
the eagle while she drove off campus to somewhere unknown. Unfortunately Alaska
never made it back to campus. “Her BAL was point twenty-four. That’s drunk
certainly.” Alaska was in a terrible drunk driving accident and had passed,
leaving Miles and Chip questions and blaming themselves for her accident.
Having Miles and
Chip travel around America sharing their stories to different high school
students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and losing someone due to drugs
and alcohol will broaden the audience. People who haven’t read the book will
want to read it after they hear Miles and Chip talk about their experience. It
will net the book attention in a positive way, informing kids on the negative
effects of alcohol and how it can wait til they are of legal age. People who
have read the book would stay connected because they would want to see and hear
Miles and Chip in real life. Unlike most books and media Looking for Alaska
shows the negative side of drugs and alcohol, it shows teens the realistic side
of choosing to underage drink.
