From the New
York Times. 9-19-03
Struggling Against Teenage Drinking
lmost everyone deplores the epidemic of teenage drinking in this country,
but it seems devilishly difficult to do much about it. Drinking is so ingrained
in the cultural fabric, and the long-ago failure of Prohibition has left
such a feeling of futility, that few politicians are willing to take on the
alcohol lobbies. Yet a new report from the National Academy of Sciences makes
a persuasive case that the battle against teenage drinking could have substantial
impact if it engaged all elements of society, from the federal government,
with its taxing powers, to parents, who may be unaware that their children
are drinking.
A panel appointed by the academy's Institute of Medicine cited disturbing
evidence that young people tended to drink more heavily than adults. More
than a quarter of all high school seniors reported last year that they had
consumed five or more drinks in a row in the preceding two weeks. These students
have turned themselves into binge drinkers who are a menace to themselves
and to those around them. More young people drink alcohol than smoke tobacco
or use other drugs.
The nation's response has been weak when measured against the magnitude of
the problem, leading the academy to call for a "deep, shared commitment"
from many institutions and individuals to do something about it. The panel
wants greater restraint in advertising from the alcohol industry, a federally
financed media campaign to encourage adults to discourage teenage drinking,
more vigorous crackdowns on stores selling alcohol to minors and a rating
system that would identify the music and films that portray drinking in a
favorable light.
The academy's most controversial proposal calls for higher excise taxes on
alcohol, especially beer, which is popular among teenagers.
The alcoholic beverage industry has already given the study the back of its
hand, charging that the academy's panel was stacked with "neo-Prohibitionists"
pursuing an anti-alcohol agenda. But an anti-alcohol agenda is precisely
what is needed when it comes to teenagers. Congress, which requested this
study in the first place, would be wise to heed its call for broader action.
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