Teenage-Police crackdown on teen drinking

Last Updated: Sunday, 15 April 2007, 12:07 GMT 13:07 UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/derbyshire/6557407.stm

Police crackdown on teen drinking
Adults have been warned not to buy alcohol for underage drinkers by police in a Derbyshire town.
Pc Mark Stokoe said that youths were hanging around shops in Heanor asking passers-by to buy alcohol for them in return for money.
He said it had become an increasing problem in the town and was fuelling anti-social behaviour.
Patrols have been stepped up in the area and officers are also offering advice to shopkeepers.
Pc Stokoe, said: "Buying alcohol to give to any underage person is not only illegal but can lead to young people getting drunk, aggressive and subsequently causing anti-social behaviour in the area.
"It is a very serious case if an adult does purchase alcohol for anyone underage and those individuals face being issued with a minimum of an £80 fixed penalty notice."

RESPOND:
I agree that police crackdown on teen drinking is very important. We do not want our society to have anti-social behaviour of teenagers because they threaten the safety of residents. Drinking to much alcohol will result in alcohol poisoning, which can lead to coma or even death. Alcohol is a drug. Drinking alcohol alter mood, affecting your brain, your body and your self-control. Why then do teenagers want to drink alcohol which they know are harmful to them? These teenagers face many problems in life and want to “take” away and forget the troubles they face by drinking alcohol. Adding to that friends introduce alcohol to them, tempting them that drinking alcohol is cool. Not wanting to let down their friend they drink. Do you know that alcohol is a depressant? It is a drug that slows down or depresses the brain. The person may feel relax and happy at the start but later he would feel loss of coordination, poor judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses and impairs your judgment. This is when many crimes are committed. These drunken teenagers would be violent, going around creating troubles, injuring passer-by, damaging properties and drink driving. People around them have an increased risk of being seriously injured, involved in car crashes, or affected by violence. Because alcohol can cause such problems, the citizens and government leaders in this country have decided that kids should not be allowed to buy or use alcohol. By setting the drinking age at 21, they hope older people will be able to make good decisions about alcohol.
Shop keepers do have a part to play in ensuring that those over legal limit are strictly not allowed. Teenagers may bribe shopkeeper to sell them alcohol. If the shop keepers love the society he should forbid selling to those underage. To prevent adults from buying alcohol for teenagers they should keep a look out and inform the police if there is a need.

Drink driving is one of the major causes of death related to road accidents. Alcohol seriously impairs a driver's judgement, coordination and reactions. Alcohol also tends to make you feel over-confident and more likely to take risks when driving, which increases the danger to all road users, including yourself.
Before we tackle the problem of alcoholism, I shall explain alcoholism in people. Alcoholism is inveterate (continues over time). It often gets worse because the person may start experiencing health problems related to drinking.
An alcoholic is someone whose mind and body crave alcohol. The person has little control over drinking and can not stop without help. A person who starts drinking alcohol at a young age is more likely to become an alcoholic. The body develops a physical craving for alcohol often more powerful than the hunger to eat. The mind obsessively thinks about drinking and ways to get a drink and control drinking. Alcoholism destroys relationships .Thus it is important to stop teenagers form drinking.
It is better to be safe then cure. These are my advice. Just say no. It can be tempting to try alcohol. Do not drink because of pressure from friends.
You feel unpopular because of your decision. True friends will still be your good friends if you do not drink. If you feel this kind of pressure, talk to someone you trust.
If you are concerned about a friend who is drinking, you should inform their parents, a school counsellor, a trusted adult or even call the police. That way, someone can stop your friend before the alcohol causes a big problem.
With help all around, anyone who has a problem with alcohol can be stop.