NEWS: Congratulations, Graduate... Now Get Drunk

I didn't read the article but that picture is great!!

Maybe my parents were just incredibly enlightened for their time - but when I was in high school, they told me that if I were ever at a party where I was drinking, that I should call them to either let them know that I was spending the night or have them pick me up. And I did. Many times. I never drove drunk as a result, and I never felt like I had to "sneak around" behind my parents' backs to have a drink.

And now I almost never get drunk anyway. The whole fascination with getting trashed seems to be a late teens, early 20s phenomenon. I think any later than that and it's hard for your liver to keep up - now if I have more than 4 or 5 drinks in one night, even if I didn't get drunk I have a nasty hangover the next day, and it's no longer worth it to me.

Yeah, I really don't want a bunch of young kids crowding the bars I frequent. For about a dozen different reasons.

I'm inclined to agree with edith, drinking is looked at completely differently here than it is in Europe. Kids are more inclined to want to drink because they are not allowed, so it's badass. If they were brought up in a culture where having a glass of wine with dinner is no big deal, or where it isn't illegal (and thus, badass) I think the attitudes would be completely different.

My parents were always open about drinking, the risks, etc., and would allow me to drink at home, or call them for a ride if I was drinking elsewhere and had no sober ride home. Because I didn't have to sneak around about it, it wasn't a big deal, and when I did drink, I typically only had a couple. When I turned 19 (drinking age here). I didn't go through the "Yeah, I'm finally old enough, let's party 'til we puke" stage. I was happy to be able to get into a bar with my friends, but I still would only have a couple the majority of the time (except for that time when... ). Now, I might drink 2-3 times a year, usually at events (weddings, parties). I think the casual and open way is the way to a much healthier attitude about alcohol.

Having said this, of course there will always be some who have problems with alcohol, but that is a whole other story.