Many teens engage in underage drinking because it is seen as “fun”, “something to do at parties”, “something to do with friends”. While all of those things may be true to some degree, the plain fact is: underage drinking is illegal. On top of that, heavy drinking among teens carries an even greater risk for things like brain damage and developmental difficulties. Besides, if all you can think to do with your friends is party and drink on the weekends or after school, you’re not being very creative.
Hmm, I don’t know…there are about a bazillion things you could do to have fun on the weekends WITHOUT resorting to underage drinking. Here are a few:
1. Get together with your friends and have a video game tournament with some co-op console or PC game.
2. Go on a hike.
3. Play an outdoor sport like Ultimate Frisbee or Bocci.
4. Go to the movies.
5. Have a party, but instead of drinking to pass the time, spend it talking with your friends or playing games together.
6. Take up a new hobby that interests you and your group like pottery classes or archery.
7. Spend time volunteering in your community with something like Habitat for Humanity or a local soup kitchen.
8. Read a book.
9. Have a movie marathon and bring fun snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.
10. Go to the pool and have some fun in the sun.
If I can come up with ten fun things, I’m sure you and your friends could come with with dozens and dozens more! Get out there and have some summer fun without the booze (and the brain damage and other health risks…).
Happy Sunday!