It’s a Friday night, school is out for the weekend, and teens are ready to relax. Their parents have also had a busy week at work, so they decide to go on a small weekend trip out of town to relax, leaving their teenagers at home. “My kids are responsible. They would never do anything bad. They’re only inviting a few friends over to study for that midterm next week. Nothing crazy will happen; they’re good kids,” is what the adults think as they pack their bags and slip into the car before speeding away. Their teenage children can’t believe their luck, and within an hour nearly one-hundred other teens are flooding the home, carrying kegs and six-packs. Their weekend fun is only starting, but is it really fun?

Teenagers today face the problems of alcohol everyday. In 2005, it was reported that at least 74% of students in grades nine through twelve had consumed alcohol at least once in their life. 26% of the high school students reported that they consumed their first drink of alcohol when they were not even thirteen years old.

Those statistics are scary. They prove the fact that peer pressure is lurking around in the society of our youth, and even the brightest, the kindest and the most talented teenagers out there may fall into the trap of alcohol. This is an obstacle that needs to be tackled, but the solution isn’t as easy as just telling a teenager to “say no” when asked if they want to drink. If almost 75% of a teenager’s peers are doing something, they’re going to want to do it to; the idea of “wanting to fit in” as a teenager definitely hasn’t disappeared from society.

What teenagers don’t realize is that they aren’t themselves when they consume alcohol. It may seem fun at first, but once those drinks start hitting you, you won’t be in control of yourself; you’ll be nothing more than a puppet, with alcohol as your marionette.