Notes on Changing the Drinking Age: Third Source

Treatment of Alcoholism

Millar, Heather. "The hidden epidemic of very young alcoholics: the stats disguise a startling truth: Kids are starting to drink at the age of 11, 10, even 9. This is how it's happening--and how three young drinkers finally stopped." Good Housekeeping May 2007: 176+. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 27 Sept. 2010.

1.      Teens who try alcohol will continue to use it even if it makes them ill.

2.      Adults who drink alcohol that makes them sick will not drink it as often or to that extent again.

3.      "Nine out of 10 teens who get treatment for alcohol abuse will relapse at least once, according to Judi Hanson"

4.      "'Early drinking can alter normal brain development, leaving the adult more vulnerable to drinking problems.'"

5.      One out of ten adolescents with alcohol dependency problems won’t receive proper or enough treatment to become sober.

6.      Treatment is expensive and usually not covered by insurance.

7.      Social groups of alcoholic teens usually support drinking.

8.      It is hard for adolescents to quit drinking when their friends support it.

9.      Binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning and death.

10.  1/3 of 6-9th graders obtain alcohol from somewhere in their own home.

11.  Recovery for adolescents sometimes must result in relocating homes.

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Notes on Changing the Drinking Age: Second Source

Affects of Alcohol on Young People





Burke, Christina, Lisa Caldwell, and Susan E. Tapert. "Alcohol and the adolescent brain: human studies." Alcohol Research & Health Winter 2004: 205+. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 17 Sept. 2010.

1.       Drinking as a teen can cause develop issues in  brain structures

2.       Frequent and large consumptions of alcohol have effects on nervous system

3.       "young adulthood is a period when most people make critical educational, occupational, and social decisions, and impaired cognitive functioning at this time could substantially affect their futures."

4.       "7 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence"

5.       Areas that alcohol affects are: memory, attention, visuospatial skills, and reasoning.      

6.       Brain structure deformities with alcohol use

7.       Regular heavy drinkers have slower brain reactions than those how are relatively light drinkers

8.       Continual alcohol exposure can increase aggression and likely hood of becoming an alcoholic or drug addict especially in young alcohol consumers

9.       Heavy drinking at a young age may not have any effect on some people.

10.   Alcohol youth disorders can be related to genetics

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Notes on Changing the Drinking Age: First Source

Changing the Drinking Age

"Minimum Drinking Age." Issues & Controversies On File: n. page. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, July 2009.  John Carroll School Library. Web. 22 Sept. 2010.

1.      United States has one of the highest drinking ages opposed to other nations in the world.

2.      It is illegal for anyone under 21 years old to possess alcohol but there are some exceptions in some states.

3.      The high drinking age is enforced to stop drunk driving and for welfare of youths.

4.     "the human body does not fully develop until around the age of 21, proponents say; the intake of alcohol can cause grave mental and physical damage to a still-developing body”

5.      Due to the fact that teenagers don’t want to be caught drinking, they drink more alcohol faster in an unsafe environment causing high intoxication rates.

6.      71% of high school students have tried alcohol.

7.      94% high school students have said it is fairly easy to obtain alcohol.

8.      Keg parties are commonly used opposed to safe locations with drinking limits like bars.

9.     Teen drinking leads to teen pregnancy.

10.            "decrease in alcohol-related car accidents among 16- to 20-year-olds also show a dramatic increase in such accidents among 21- to 24-year olds."

11.            18 year olds are still in high school. They could give alcohol to students as young as 14.

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Alcoholism: Should the Drinking Age Stay at 21?

I'm doing some research on the controversial subject of the drinking age in America and here are some thoughts I had on the subject:
1. Why was the law created?
2. Who does the law affect?
3. Could younger alcohol consumers teach young people how to handle alcohol responsibly?
4. Does the law created more harm or help to youth?

Social Issue: Alcoholism

Book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Topic: Alcoholism

Key terms:

1.      “pregnant and consuming alcohol”

2.      “side effects of alcohol”

3.      “dysfunctional families”

4.      “addictions”

5.      “underage drinking”

6.      “children of alcoholics”

7.      “alcoholism”

Alcoholism

A reoccurring and important issue in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is alcoholism. Alcoholism effects people from any age: before infancy to death. Alcoholism can affect an unborn child if the mother is consuming alcohol. 8,500 babies are born every year with some form of fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS. (http://allpsych.com/journal/alcoholism.html) Families of alcoholics can be torn apart by the denial and anger that arises from the addiction. Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous have been created to help cure addictions, although sometimes the problem doesn’t resolve at the addiction’s end, due to the pain caused on the family. Alcoholism relates to my life because I know people that could be considered an alcoholic and I know that their alcoholic habits have hurt others.

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Novel Pen Pal Letter

September 3, 2010


Dear Junior,

My name is Jessica C., but, like you, I have a nickname: Jessie. This summer I read the entire Harry Potter series which I absolutely loved! I then went to Hershey Park with my friend Megan. I also went to the beach with my other friend Meg. I live very far away from where you live in Iowa.

I enjoyed reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, because I thought it was very realistic. I admired the way you handled the hardships that you had to endure. Everyone struggles to fit in, it but you had the hardest of challenges when most everyone on your reservation hated you because you were going to school off the reservation. To make matters worse, at the beginning of school in Reardan, the students there didn’t like you either! I admired the way that you tried to make friends with people that were not extremely friendly such as Penelope and Gordy. I felt that your ambition and perseverance is what allowed you to become friends with them.

Sherman Alexie made you seem desperate at some points in your story, which I think is a very accurate description of every teenager in some point in their teenage years. You seemed desperate when you kept trying to fix your friendship with Rowdy by giving him drawings of you and him and calling his home. Rowdy responded to you by calling you profane names and punching you. He even had his dad lie and say he wasn't home when you went to visit him. You wanted Rowdy to be your friend again no matter what he did to you, and I think that every person would respond the same way.

It is quite simple to see how alcohol negatively affected your life. Family friend, Eugene, your grandmother, brother-in-law, and sister were all killed within a year due to their own alcohol consumption or of someone else’s. In fact you even think “ … I knew five or ten or fifteen more Spokanes would die during the next year, and that most of them would die because of booze.” You made me think that drinking was more than just something adults do and that it is something that can hurt people. I have always known that drunk driving was wrong, but when Eugene was killed by Bobby for the last sip of wine, I realized that alcohol is deadly even when its consumer isn’t behind the wheel. I think that people would realize how bad alcohol is, if they portrayed the dangers in a different form then drunk driving. If more people could see that alcohol could take away your money, hope, feelings, and health, they would take this issue more seriously.

My grandmother died last year and that was hard enough, so I don’t understand how you could have possibly dealt with all your losses. I hope your burden gets lighter, and that with time, your pain will ease. Lastly, thank you for your inspiring bravery to give yourself what you deserve despite what anyone says.

Fondly,
Jessica C.

Summer Reading Questions

 Over the Summer I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian  by Sherman Alexie.
Here are some questions that I answered that may help you understand the book.

1. Arnold Spirit, also known as Junior is a brave, ambitious, and a sensitive 14 year-old boy. He has the fortitude to take his problems by the horns. He also cares deeply about his friends and family and he falls apart without their love.


2. At the beginning of the story, Junior’s teacher tells him to get out of the reservation in hope of a better life for him. In the middle of the story, Junior starts school off the reservation where he makes friends, plays basketball, becomes hated by his best friend, and loses his grandmother. The story ends with the death of Junior’s sister, and him getting his best friend back.

3. The death of Junior’s friend, grandmother, and sister are all due to alcohol. This shows that the author thinks that alcohol is not a good way to spend a life because life goes by too quickly.

4. A main issue in the story is alcohol and it affects Junior because a drunk driver hit his beloved grandmother, which made him depressed. Rowdy, Junior’s best friend’s father is an alcoholic and abuses him, which causes Rowdy to be mean. Junior's sister is killed by a party where because everyone was under then influence, his sister and brother-in-law are killed by a fire. Lastly, Junior’s dad is an alcoholic and spends most of his money drinking which makes him depressed because he cannot support his family.

5. The author makes alcoholism a very real issue when the father comes home on Christmas with nothing but five dollars because he spent the rest on alcohol. This issue becomes real because it is hard to see a parent trying to escape reality rather than dealing with the problem itself. Poverty also becomes a real issue in the story when Junior has to walk to school because his family can’t afford gas. Most Americans take a ride to school for granted so when Junior couldn’t get a ride it truly brought to life the reality of poverty in society.

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Unique Profile

Me!

I’m Jessica and I have been dancing ever since I was three. From ballet to tap, tap to jazz, jazz to hip hop and modern, and then more ballet classes. I have devoted most of my time to dance. When I’m not dancing, in the non-existent spare time that I have, I play my cello and softball. Because of the lack of time I have, I don’t get to think about my future or what I truly enjoy doing. Therefore, this year, my goal is to discover myself more. I don’t know what clubs I’ll join yet, but I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see.