I won't presume to know better than a bunch of college and university presidents...But, I'm just not sure I believe that lowering the drinking age to 18 will reduce teen binge drinking. However, I imagine, it might take some of the responsibility off of the colleges to reduce underage drinking on their campuses.

The problem is, underage drinking isn't beginning at age 18, and lowering the drinking age isn't going to stop the 12 to 17 year olds from binge drinking. If anything, it will just make it easier for the 12 to 17 year olds to obtain the alcohol, because now they would only have to know someone 18 willing to buy them the stuff.

And...Is there really a "sham" of not talking about drinking because it's illegal?

"Kids are going to drink whether it's legal or illegal," said Johns Hopkins President William R. Brody, who supports lowering the drinking age to 18. "We'd at least be able to have a more open dialogue with students about drinking as opposed to this sham where people don't want to talk about it because it's a violation of the law."

I don't think the problem of binge drinking is that 18 year olds are too afraid to talk about it. The problem is, that alcohol is too easily available to the underage already.

Teen Drinking, Facts, Help & Support...

Stress, depression, boredom, peer pressure, or just the classic stages of teen rebellion play a big part in teenage alcohol abuse.

Due to the ready availability of alcohol, it remains the drug of choice among teenagers. The highest rates of underage drinking occur in rural areas, where teens outside the big cities may turn to alcohol as a main source of recreation and entertainment. Urban teens, on other hand, are more apt to succumb to peer pressure in an attempt to increase their neighborhood "cool" quotient. By the time they reach college drinking age, teens face yet another round of proving themselves in all-night jello shot contests or in bouts of binge drinking.

82.8 percent of adults who drink today admit to having their first drink of alcohol before age 21, a none-too-surprising fact. However, the problem for teenagers, their teachers and parents becomes clearer when the more shocking statistic is brought to light: that the three leading causes of fatalities among teenagers — drunk driving, suicides and homicides — are all strongly connected to alcohol consumption.

If you or someone you know has a drinking problem, there is plenty of help available online, where you can stop by a friendly forum or chat to talk with parents or teens about beating the alcohol blues, find related facts, stats and research, or get expert advice and tips on avoiding the very real dangers of teen alcohol abuse...

The Cool Spot - Cool, interactive Flash presentation geared to teens with facts on alcohol, how to resist peer pressure, polls and quizzes, related links.

MADD Online - Under 21 - Clear, straightforward facts for teenage guys and girls, how alcohol affects the brain and body, common myths about alcohol, plus special sections for parents, teachers and college students, related links.

Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse - Geared to parents, with an overview and basic facts, prevention strategies, when to see a health professional, finding the right treatment, and related links and resources from WebMD.

Teenshealth - Alcohol - Good discussion on alcohol's effects, dangers of alcohol poisoning, how to avoid drinking, where to get help for problem drinking, plus resources for coping with parents who drink, related links.

Alateen - Part of the Al-Anon program for helping teens cope with the pressures and emotions of dealing with alcoholism in parents, relatives, friends or other teens, and offering tips, advice, online newsletter, meeting information.

I was shocked to find out how easy it is for these teens to find people willing to buy them alcohol. Just to give you an example...My son (age 17) goes to parties where teens as young as 15 are drinking. But, that's not the shocking part...The parents are home! The parents are drinking with the kids! The parents are the ones providing the alcohol (after the teens pay them). Of course, my son says he's not drinking at these parties, and until recently, I actually was stupid enough to believe him.

This is the kind of kid I thought my son was...

Teen Skepchick

Personally, I do not find drinking parties to be that much fun. I have also had too many friends get themselves into trouble and they have caused me to fear for their safety. If you decide to attend one of these functions, at least go with trusted friends and make sure you have a safe way of getting home. If you can, try to see that your friends don’t do anything they might regret while drinking. But most of all, keep yourself safe.

Obviously, I don't have the answers. I can't even keep my honor student son (who actually won first prize in an essay contest for DARE back in elementary school), from being stupid enough to risk his life and his future, because he wants to drink with his friends.

I know that underage and binge drinking is a serious problem, and we need to address it. I just don't think lowering the drinking age is the place to start. What do you think?

Here is more information on underage drinking...

Teens Say School Pressure Is Main Reason For Drug Use

A new study reveals a troubling new insight into the reasons why teens use drugs.The study conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-free America shows that of 6,511 teens, 73% report that school stress and pressure is the main reason for drug use.

Second on the list was to “feel cool” (73%), which was previously ranked in the first position. Another popular reason teens said they use drugs was to “feel better about themselves”(65%).Over the past decade, studies have indicated a steady changing trend in what teens perceive as the motivations for using drugs. The “to have fun” rationales are declining, while motivations to use drugs to solve problems are increasing.

From Mir Kamin...

Telling your daughter that underage drinking is illegal is unlikely to stop her. Telling your daughter that she could drink too much and get sick will not impress her. Telling your daughter that underage drinking is dangerous will probably result in eye-rolling.

Getting the message through to your daughter that drinking may result in social embarrassment may, in fact, be the best way to encourage her not to drink while she's not yet of age.

Teen Health - Binge Drinking...

Many people don't think about the negative side of drinking. Although they think about the possibility of getting drunk, they may not give much consideration to being hung-over or throwing up.

You may know from experience that excessive drinking can lead to difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, mood changes, and other problems that affect your day-to-day life. But binge drinking carries more serious and longer-lasting risks as well.

Alcohol poisoning is the most life-threatening consequence of binge drinking. When someone drinks too much and gets alcohol poisoning, it affects the body's involuntary reflexes — including breathing and the gag reflex. If the gag reflex isn't working properly, a person can choke to death on his or her vomit.

Other signs someone may have alcohol poisoning include:

• extreme confusion
• inability to be awakened
• vomiting
• seizures
• slow or irregular breathing
• low body temperature
• bluish or pale skin

If you think someone has alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately

Also See:

iVillagers Debate Drinking Age Change

Pop Daily

StopAlcoholAbuse.gov

New Bill Would Lower Drinking Age For US Troops

Parents Get Jail time For Serving Alcohol at Teenage Son's Birthday Party

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election