Allyson Chan
Reporting by Charlotte Gregory and Naomi Kotani.
*Source names have been changed to protect source privacy.
“There’s this teenage need to feel older, so a lot of people romanticize college life and college drinking,” said senior *Ernie. “[Teenagers] see their parents drink all the time and they feel like it makes them feel older and more mature, even if it makes them more immature when they are drunk.”
Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to alcohol abuse and addiction due to the prevalence of drinking and partying culture. According to the California Healthy Kids Survey, binge drinking, defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as having more than four or five drinks containing 14 grams of alcohol in two hours, among Aragon seniors increased from 12% in 2019 to 14% in 2020, before decreasing to 9% in 2022.
“The more [teenagers] drink, the more they forget about their problems,” Ernie said. “They get addicted to it, especially if they have difficult things in their life or [things] that they want to forget about.”
Stress from schoolwork can make drinking particularly appealing to high schoolers, as it offers an escape.
“Students look forward to having weekends free and letting loose and having fun,” said senior *Rebecca. “[They want] to forget about the school day and be able to have those moments of not being completely sober and aware of the responsibilities they have when they return to school.”
But while alcohol can provide an escape from reality, it also wields potential dangers and long-term consequences.
“After [someone] sexually harasses or assaults you, they’ll use being drunk as an excuse,” Rebecca said. “[Once, someone] tried to make passive remarks and wanted me to do things with him even after I continued saying no. He basically said, ‘… we’re at a party, it’s fun.’ But it wasn’t fun for me.”
[Once, someone] tried to make passive remarks and wanted me to do things with him even after I continued saying no. He basically said, ‘… we’re at a party, it’s fun.’ But it wasn’t fun for me.
Alcohol also can impair decision-making.
“People can make mistakes because they’re not really themselves,” Ernie said. “They also take a lot more risks. Someone I knew cheated on their boyfriend when they were drunk. It’s something that they definitely regretted and it ruined a very good relationship.”
Senior *Finnigan recounted conflicts escalated by alcohol.
“At this party, me and another person were fighting over who could get the last drink of whiskey,” Finnigan said. “I poured the glass [for myself], he took it from me, and I ended up pushing him and then he passed out because he was too drunk.”
Teenagers’ developing brains and bodies put them especially at risk.
“Their prefrontal cortexes aren’t fully developed, so [teenagers are] already going to have a hard time [thinking through] the consequences of their decisions in the moment,” said health teacher Barbara Beaumont. “Somebody using [alcohol] might make impulsive decisions while they’re drunk.”
A specific risk of impaired decision-making is drunk driving.
“I was at a party and one of my friends thought he was sober enough to drive home, but [another] friend and I had noticed he was not even aware and couldn’t get home safely,” Rebecca said. “[We drove him] home because we didn’t want him to get in any trouble and we didn’t want anyone else to be in danger [because] of his driving habits.”
Some students recognize that, after a certain point, alcohol usage can cross a line.
“I feel like people who [overuse alcohol] should probably be more educated on alcohol and the effects it has on their bodies,” said senior *Mary. “Just being self-aware and knowing your body is really important. [There are] people who drink too much or get to the point where they’re unconscious. At that point, you’re hurting yourself.”
We didn’t want him to get in any trouble and we didn’t want anyone else to be in danger
With all its potential consequences, why is drinking still so appealing to teenagers?
“Teens’ [brains] are really wired for the thrill [from dopamine, which alcohol increases],” Beaumont said. “[If someone continually uses alcohol], the dopamine has a harder time firing up on its own. [The brain] is now wired to get the alcohol instead of making its own dopamine.”
Students describe the effect of alcohol as euphoria.
“Everything slows down,” Ernie said. “Sometimes you get motion blur; it is a depressant, and it slows down your system.”
Ernie feels that drinking in moderation can be an enjoyable experience.
“It’s called living while you’re young,” Ernie said. “I’m actually thankful that my friends sort of pressured me to do it because it enhances my life.”
Alcohol can be easily accessible, with students stealing from their parents, stores or asking others to get it for them.
“A lot of people either access alcohol through older siblings, [someone who] has a fake ID or is of age,” Bridges said.
On the other hand, some students stay as far away from alcohol as possible.
“[In my family], we’ve always been taught to stay away from alcohol until we’re [of the legal drinking] age – then we can make our own decisions,” said freshman Aveah Pok. “Right now, we’re still young, and we’re still learning things and we’re still developing.”
Others attempt to strike a middle ground. Finnigan balances his frequent drinking with athletic responsibilities.
“Alcohol is something I think about daily,” Finnigan said. “But I make sure that it doesn’t interfere with the sports that I’m playing because I know that it can [have] a really big effect on how I perform. But, I do see a significant difference [in my] heart rate.”
If parents have open, honest conversations about [alcohol] with their kids, [they] are less likely to abuse [alcohol] once they have access to it
Finnigan recognizes the flaws of his lifestyle, but chooses to continue it.
“Yes, I have an alcohol addiction,” Finnigan said. “Do I want to stop it? No, I do not.”
Mary offered her perspective on preventing dangerous alcohol usage in students.
“I’m not saying that parents have to be okay with their kids drinking,” Mary said. “But, I think that a lot of the times kids get so drunk because they have such strict parents, [that] when they’re away from them, they make crazy decisions. They don’t know how to act. If parents have open, honest conversations about [alcohol] with their kids, [they] are less likely to abuse [alcohol] once they have access to it.”
Many students find it important to exercise caution with their alcohol usage.
“[In my opinion], it’s okay if you go to a party and try alcohol just once, as long as it’s not a habit,” Pok said. “Our brains are still developing and it’s unhealthy to always be under the influence of alcohol [since] you don’t know how you’re going to react.”
