Only On 3: Alcohol Allowance

A YouTube documentary shows kids saying they were in the 7th grade, 12-years-old, 14-years-old when they started drinking.

How did these teens get the alcohol?

An overwhelming majority say from their parents’ stash at home.

Others asked people outside of liquor stores to buy them booze while some used fake IDs.

While parents may not approve of their teenagers using a fake ID to buy booze, some are pretty vocal about it being ok for their own kids to wet their whistle – so to speak – at home and under the supervision of an adult.

In fact, some parents consider giving their teen a drink, a rite of passage.

“It was kind of a family deal,? said College of the Desert student Jared Ennis. ?My dad was like ‘do you want to try this?’ It’s like, ‘yeah, sure.’ So, I just had a sip, hated it, the first time.”

He says when it came to alcohol, his parents allowed him and his siblings to try it at home, knowing, he said, they would probably to drink anyway. Jared agrees with his dad’s logic.

“Yeah, I think I’ll definitely be regulating it,? he said. ?Definitely watching over my kids; I prefer they drink at my home.”

Stanton Peele, the author of several books on addiction has strong opinions about U.S. laws relating to teenage drinking.

He says lawmakers need to be more realistic, because kids are going to dabble with drinking.

He reminds us the U.S. is the only western country that restricts drinking to 21-year-olds, and he says that does more harm than good.

“In Italy and in Spain, Portugal and Greece, the legal drinking age is 16,? he said in a documentary. ?Adults can give a child of any age alcohol in a public place in those countries.

?All of those countries have lower teen binge drinking rates than other European countries and the U.S.”

Experts say binge drinking continues to be a growing problem across the country.

According to a recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General, there are nearly 11 million underage drinkers in the U.S.

Nearly 7.2 million are binge drinkers, meaning they drank more than five drinks in one sitting.

That type of drinking can lead to more problems down the road, like substance abuse and dependency problems.

Another study by Drug Free America shows people who begin drinking before age 15 are 4 times more likely to develop alcohol dependence later in life.

But those statistics alone do not stop the debate, and are not convincing enough for some parents who say teens are going to drink anyway. So why not allow them to drink in moderation at home?

“I just wanted to be my daughter’s friend,? said one mother.

Her comment came as part of a re-enactment of a mom allowing her teenager and friends to drink at home, which is happening across our nation.

This case ended in alcohol poisoning and death.

That’s not always the case, but is it worth the risk?

“It’s really detrimental for parents to teach their kids how to drink at home or to allow them to drink at home,? said Ray Lozano of Loma Linda Medical Center. ?They’re providing alcohol to minors, so that’s against the law.

?I don’t think parents realize how detrimental it is to kids,? he said. ?Their liver can’t process the alcohol, they become intoxicated faster.”

Lozano sees the affects of teen drinking firsthand. He runs a program at Loma Linda Medical Center for minors who began to dabble in drinking and drugs.

He says it’s better to educate at a young age.

“Kids need to get information when they’re young, when it sticks with them. Right now they’re excited about being alcohol and drug free, but once they get to junior high, peer pressure takes over.”

Lozano says the affects of alcohol on a developing brain and young body can be devastating and life changing. He travels to schools and talks candidly about what he’s seen and heard.

Students ask questions and continue the dialogue in class, and hopefully at home, with their parents.

“Parents need to be involved in kids life,? said student Jared Ennis. ?If they?re not involved, they’re going to do their own things. Parents need to regulate what’s going on.”

“If parents would just talk to their kids,? Lozano said, ?they have the biggest influence on their kids when it comes to using.?

Keep in mind, serving minors is against the law here in California.

If you are caught, you can be fined up to a thousand dollars and could spend 6 months in jail.