What is, in your opinion, the cause of so much teen drinking?

[Anonymous]

I don't think there's more of it. I think we hear more about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's really important to teach young women alcohol safety. I know so many who were raped or assaulted after drinking at a college party. It was devastating and affected them well into the future.

I think it's really important to teach young men alcohol safety. I know of so many who raped or assaulted people after drinking at a college party. It was devastating and affected them well into the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's really important to teach young women alcohol safety. I know so many who were raped or assaulted after drinking at a college party. It was devastating and affected them well into the future.

I think it's really important to teach young men alcohol safety. I know of so many who raped or assaulted people after drinking at a college party. It was devastating and affected them well into the future.

I agree with both statements.

[Anonymous]

OP here. If it makes any difference, this time it was all boys a caught. No doubt if party continued, it would have been girls too. I wonder if there is more peer pressure on boys, but from my observations it is equal among genders.

[Anonymous]

^^ I caught

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's really important to teach young women alcohol safety. I know so many who were raped or assaulted after drinking at a college party. It was devastating and affected them well into the future.

I think it's really important to teach young men alcohol safety. I know of so many who raped or assaulted people after drinking at a college party. It was devastating and affected them well into the future.

I agree with both statements.

Same here. Everyone at a frat party has something to lose. I really think alcohol safety begins at home. Demystify beer and booze and remind our kids that they need to stay in control while partying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Drinking is so much worse now.

I live in the bar area of Clarendonand there are tons of adults 22-30 stumbling around completely incoherent—even in the middle of the day.

Ambulances came 3 times this weekend on our street for adults that wouldn’t stop throwing up, wandering in the middle of the street, etc., passed out on the curb. I saw one topple over in a driveway. My kids saw a 20-something woman fall off the drunk trolley and get dragged before her friends noticed and I’m yelling “man down” at 2pm on a Saturday in front of Whitlows. And this is not isolated event.

I am 50 and did bar crawls (they were a few times per year—not almost every month like now)—and parties in my youth and it was an incredibly rare occurrence for things to ever get that out of control.

I have College age nieces and nephews and the stories they have—kids in rehab are eye-opening.

I have read several articles that surmise it’s the helicopter generation lashing out, coupled with social media.

I tell ya, my tweens have been scared straight watching drunks handcuffed, drunk drivers wrestled to the ground. They don’t see it as glamorous. I remember thinking “oh that never happens as a teen” because I lived in the suburbs and didn’t see the negative aspects—just the fun. It’s easy to reinforce how bad it is when you watch it out your window.

I totally agree! I live near several bars. I've called 911 many times. I've also called moms and roommates if the person is coherent enough to talk. Last night about 7:30 I was sitting in my yard and heard "clickity clack, clickity clack, boom" college age girl maybe 21 sprawled out on the sidewalk. Alone. She sat up and asked me what street she was on and told me where her car was. I told her I could call the cops to give her a ride home or her sober mom/roommate/friend. She gave me her phone and kept slurring her words trying to give me the passcode. I called her dad. I got her up and on a chair. Dad came and was so upset and thankful.

This was no where near the first time I've done this.

I think the drinking culture in America; wine moms, bar crawls has gotten out of control. I saw myself becoming one
Of those "Chardonnay moms" I quit drinking altogether a month ago.

[Anonymous]

I am so disappointed, I feel like my heart is crushed, how sad I am about it.

OP, I too recently found out that my teen has drank on at least two occasions. I had the same reaction. I am very disappointed, and we took it very seriously. He was grounded, and removed from all social media for 30 days. We had a long, long discussion, and it is so prevalent. He tried to tell me it wasn't so bad because he knows some friends that "pound a beer or take a shot in order for them to go to sleep on school nights," so in relation to that, he didn't think his actions weren't so bad. It's ridiculous, and unacceptable.

We now keep our beer and alcohol locked up. I don't trust him or any classmates to make the right decision on their own. He also has not been allowed to go to any parties since that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks to pp for post above. I want to trust kids, I don't want to be Scrooge, but I am so disappointed, I feel like my heart is crushed, how sad I am about it. I try to do everything right, to be right there, to provide safe environment and yet, I had to witness how disappointed my DD was, she loves to party and she is so embarrassed and sad that her party had to end on that note. It didn't even take an hour. I know that at this party it wasn't her, but I think at somebody's party she would drink too, in fact she has. I talked to her about what does she think I could have done differently and she suggested that maybe I should have asked who was drinking and kicked those kids out if they came forward,in addition to those I caught, as opposed to ending the party. I am going to be honest, looking back maybe that was an option, but then wwyhd? I was lucky to catch it right away.

I think it's really important to teach young women alcohol safety. I know so many who were raped or assaulted after drinking at a college party. It was devastating and affected them well into the future.

I had many conversations with my little sister pre-college about not drinking more than a drink unless you're in a safe environment. It's one thing to get tipsy in your from room with your roommate. It's another to black out at a frat house. Watch out for your friends. Don't drink heavily unless there is someone who is a dd who is going to watch out for you and whom you trust with your life. You don't know anyone well enough the first month of college to trust them in this role. So much bad stuff can happen really fast. Don't be afraid to leave a party early if it's going downhill. Don't let a guy walk you home alone unless you're willing to sleep with him. Watch your drink. You don't have to get blasted to have fun at a party. Go, have one drink and socialize. Etc. Etc.

Relationships and marriages are the result of alcohol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think there's more of it. I think we hear more about it.

+1. I agree with this. I'm 40 and there was alcohol at every party in high school in the 90's. The main difference I see is that back then, the parties with alcohol largely happened while parents were out of town. I can recall only 1 or 2 parent-sanctioned parties where alcohol was present (and those were big occasions like graduation parties and the alcohol was only for the adults). The other difference is that back then, it was extremely uncommon for teens to attempt to sneak alcohol or drugs into someone else's house when the parents were home! Maybe it was because we all knew kids whose parents were never around. Those were the party houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am so disappointed, I feel like my heart is crushed, how sad I am about it.

OP, I too recently found out that my teen has drank on at least two occasions. I had the same reaction. I am very disappointed, and we took it very seriously. He was grounded, and removed from all social media for 30 days. We had a long, long discussion, and it is so prevalent. He tried to tell me it wasn't so bad because he knows some friends that "pound a beer or take a shot in order for them to go to sleep on school nights," so in relation to that, he didn't think his actions weren't so bad. It's ridiculous, and unacceptable.

We now keep our beer and alcohol locked up. I don't trust him or any classmates to make the right decision on their own. He also has not been allowed to go to any parties since that time.

Thank you for your honest reply. It is so hard. I had no alcohol in my house and I took all the medications upstairs to my room out of the kitchen. Teen guests brought it into my house, after I checked all the bags, told them repeatedly, DD texted them in her invitation that I will be home and will be checking. My DD is extremely extrovert and loves parties and I was hoping that we could have a fun, safe party, but no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks to pp for post above. I want to trust kids, I don't want to be Scrooge, but I am so disappointed, I feel like my heart is crushed, how sad I am about it. I try to do everything right, to be right there, to provide safe environment and yet, I had to witness how disappointed my DD was, she loves to party and she is so embarrassed and sad that her party had to end on that note. It didn't even take an hour. I know that at this party it wasn't her, but I think at somebody's party she would drink too, in fact she has. I talked to her about what does she think I could have done differently and she suggested that maybe I should have asked who was drinking and kicked those kids out if they came forward,in addition to those I caught, as opposed to ending the party. I am going to be honest, looking back maybe that was an option, but then wwyhd? I was lucky to catch it right away.

I think it's really important to teach young women alcohol safety. I know so many who were raped or assaulted after drinking at a college party. It was devastating and affected them well into the future.

I had many conversations with my little sister pre-college about not drinking more than a drink unless you're in a safe environment. It's one thing to get tipsy in your from room with your roommate. It's another to black out at a frat house. Watch out for your friends. Don't drink heavily unless there is someone who is a dd who is going to watch out for you and whom you trust with your life. You don't know anyone well enough the first month of college to trust them in this role. So much bad stuff can happen really fast. Don't be afraid to leave a party early if it's going downhill. Don't let a guy walk you home alone unless you're willing to sleep with him. Watch your drink. You don't have to get blasted to have fun at a party. Go, have one drink and socialize. Etc. Etc.

Never accept a drink in an open container. My dad told me this back in the 80s. Aka Bill Cosby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Drinking is so much worse now.

I live in the bar area of Clarendonand there are tons of adults 22-30 stumbling around completely incoherent—even in the middle of the day.

Ambulances came 3 times this weekend on our street for adults that wouldn’t stop throwing up, wandering in the middle of the street, etc., passed out on the curb. I saw one topple over in a driveway. My kids saw a 20-something woman fall off the drunk trolley and get dragged before her friends noticed and I’m yelling “man down” at 2pm on a Saturday in front of Whitlows. And this is not isolated event.

I am 50 and did bar crawls (they were a few times per year—not almost every month like now)—and parties in my youth and it was an incredibly rare occurrence for things to ever get that out of control.

I have College age nieces and nephews and the stories they have—kids in rehab are eye-opening.

I have read several articles that surmise it’s the helicopter generation lashing out, coupled with social media.

I tell ya, my tweens have been scared straight watching drunks handcuffed, drunk drivers wrestled to the ground. They don’t see it as glamorous. I remember thinking “oh that never happens as a teen” because I lived in the suburbs and didn’t see the negative aspects—just the fun. It’s easy to reinforce how bad it is when you watch it out your window.

I totally agree! I live near several bars. I've called 911 many times. I've also called moms and roommates if the person is coherent enough to talk. Last night about 7:30 I was sitting in my yard and heard "clickity clack, clickity clack, boom" college age girl maybe 21 sprawled out on the sidewalk. Alone. She sat up and asked me what street she was on and told me where her car was. I told her I could call the cops to give her a ride home or her sober mom/roommate/friend. She gave me her phone and kept slurring her words trying to give me the passcode. I called her dad. I got her up and on a chair. Dad came and was so upset and thankful.

This was no where near the first time I've done this.

I think the drinking culture in America; wine moms, bar crawls has gotten out of control. I saw myself becoming one
Of those "Chardonnay moms" I quit drinking altogether a month ago.

Yep. The people that say it isn't worse nowadays are completely clueless. I should have them come out to my house on the weekend and witness the unbelievable parade of 20-early 30 somethings weaving/wobbling down the street and sidewalks (and gasp! driving at times---and getting caught). It is of a level where they are banging on doors completely incoherent, passing out in front lawns with their iPhones and keys next to them in the middle of the afternoon. Police have confirmed (getting to know them on a first name basis) that alcohol and drugs and incidents have tripled in the last few years.

These aren't even college kids.

I did a lot of partying through college to early 30s. I have lived in DC. I live in Clarendon and what I have been seeing in the last year or so is unprecedented.

[Anonymous]

I think alcohol has become socially acceptable in nearly all aspect of our lives and our kids are seeing it. It's no longer reserved for a certain time of day or special occasion. There is not as much stigma attached to getting "tipsy." I also think Americans today are incredibly stressed out, overworked and exhausted and alcohol is a convenient way to escape all of that.

I see these changes among my friends and peers - most get- togethers involve alcohol (brunch, dinner, book club (which is largely an excuse to drink wine), and even kids' parties), and we grew up in homes where our parents hardly ever drank. I see the changes in my extended family, too. These days there is plenty of alcohol at family parties and holidays - wine, beer, some fun cocktail - yet for the first 20 years of my life, only my uncle would drink a couple of beers.

If adults are having alcohol every time they get together for any reason, it's not a stretch to see where teens would get the idea that socializing = drinking alcohol.

[Anonymous]

Drinking is fun. Has everyone forgotten this? That is why there is so much teen drinking.