Modern times have revealed how greatly underage drinking has corrupted the lives of teenagers. It is a prominent facet of prom specifically because it has become stereotypical for every single teenager to consume alcohol on their prom night. The majority of teenagers do not realize the immense danger that drinking alcohol can cause, such as car accidents if they drink and drive. Nowadays, teenagers consume alcohol on a regular basis without even batting an eyelash, yet many will claim that they are completely against underage drinking. When it comes to people being hypocritical in situations, teenagers are perhaps the greatest of them all for drinking illegally.  

Many teenagers would agree that it is all too common for underage drinking to take place, especially during a celebratory time such as prom. It is often accepted among teenagers and has even become accepted by parents, but that is not what prom is intended for. This is a classic event that a lot of high school students enjoy attending, yet underage drinking does not support the intentions of the school event. Of course, everyone knows the stereotypical situation where one bad kid spikes the punch bowl, but millennials seem to have taken this drinking at prom to a whole new level. There have been horror stories of teenagers drinking and driving, drinking beforehand, and even drinking after the dance to continue the party. This is not what prom is supposed to impress into teenager’s minds yet for some reason so many fall victim to accidents caused by it each and every year.

There is a restriction on the legal age to drink alcohol for a reason, yet so many fail to realize why it is there and the weight it carries. The human brain cannot make the most rational decisions it can until the age of 25 when it is fully developed, so it can be concluded from NPR that teenagers under the influence are more likely to make rash decisions. With all of these factors, it is easily understandable why parents are extremely concerned by these reckless actions of many teenagers that often end in horrifying stories.

Teenagers will do this and not think twice about the negative impacts it could have on not only them but also their friends and family. According to Edgar Snyder & Associates, the average number of deaths per year due to teens drinking and driving is an obscene number because nearly 5,000 die from underage drinking. The shock that the parents of the deceased must face when told their child has died in a car accident while under the influence is unimaginable; it gives support to why parents hold their breath until their child gets home at night.

If teenagers are accustomed to drinking on a weekly basis then they are more likely to truly believe there is nothing illegal or abnormal about drinking on prom night. It is sincerely pitiful to watch the social media material that is posted every weekend and ends with those people’s reputations being degraded to a level that is simply barren. Not seeing the danger in drinking and driving prom night is pure ignorance but understanding and still participating anyway is an imbecilic way to spend that iconic high school event.

An important organization at Wakefield is the Just Think First(JTF) club, which serves as a time for students to come together to work against underage drinking. A major part of this organization is the hotline number, 919-856-1191, which is also posted on the JTF website so that teenagers can have an outlet for this grave subject. JTF is often a part of school events, such as prom and homecoming, to enforce the severity of drinking. Wakefield had won the JTF contest the 2014-2015 school year which awarded $100,000 to the school for having making good decisions and expressing the concern for underage drinking.

Prom is not the only exciting event that teenagers take the liberty to drink at, there is also graduation, grad parties, senior skip day, and it tends to even continue into summer break before starting college. There is no need for underage drinking on any of these occasions, they should offer times to celebrate soberly. These teenagers are in such a hurry to be adults and do not realize how much one mistake could hinder their life, which is why they should put off consuming alcohol until they reach the legal age and it will actually be enjoyable then too. Although this is an intolerable topic, there are ways to force teenagers to comprehend the gravity of their decisions such as JTF and the wisdom of parents or other trusted adults.