Underage gambling, Drinking, and smoking

I being a teen, Have been around many types of teens, crack heads, jocks, punks and even the geeks. But one thing has struken me!

We kids Drink, smoke, gamble and have sexual intercourse, because the adults tell us not too! I mean its not fair, adults drink and all that and tell us not too, theyre hipocrytes to my eye!

True, all this stuff is bad for you, but if you keep telling them that they cant do it till theyre 18 or 21, what does that solve?

A kid is 15, he wants to drink beer, his mom says no, kid turns 21, he trys beer, becomes addicted and then what, what did this solve?

The childrens chain then continues, the fact is all this crap about underage smoking, is just a way of saying do this when you get older...

What are your opinions on this?

I myself dont do this crap, but I would like to gamble...

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I being a teen, Have been around many types of teens, crack heads, jocks, punks and even the geeks. But one thing has struken me!

We kids Drink, smoke, gamble and have sexual intercourse, because the adults tell us not too! I mean its not fair, adults drink and all that and tell us not too, theyre hipocrytes to my eye!

True, all this stuff is bad for you, but if you keep telling them that they cant do it till theyre 18 or 21, what does that solve?

A kid is 15, he wants to drink beer, his mom says no, kid turns 21, he trys beer, becomes addicted and then what, what did this solve?

The childrens chain then continues, the fact is all this crap about underage smoking, is just a way of saying do this when you get older...

What are your opinions on this?

I myself dont do this crap, but I would like to gamble...

After one reaches age 18, he/she no longer has to listen to his/her parents. Parents don't want that happening when the kid is under their roof, and I agree with them. Drinking beer is addictive and immoral. It will often make you drunk, and put other peoples' lives in danger. Sexual intercourse outside of marriage is also immoral, because it creates life that is only going to be destroyed. Parents want us to think about this, because they know better than us, they have seen the results of it. Unfortunately, to many of today's youth don't see this, and grow up to become real jerks (I am not calling you a jerk Clark Kent). Much of the youth don't care how their actions could not only destroy themselves but others too. Gambling is also immoral. It is nearly impossible to come out with the better end of the deal. Many fathers unfortunately fall under that trap, thinking that they could rich, though instead they come out in poverty. Gambling is all about getting out of work, not having to make an honest living. They don't want to work to put the food on the table and provide for their family. I really find it hard to respect that. We should trust our parents, and realize that they are only trying to protect us, and help us to be the best we can be.

It's because there isn't enough discipline nowadays, at all. I blame the parents. My mum and dad raised me and my siblings explaining why we couldn't do the things and taught us how to respect people. But most other parents seem to be so lazy that they just shout at their kids if they try to smoke/drink etc. and then just give up saying "there's nothing I can do".
In my school, out of a class of around 25 people I'm the only one that doesn't want to smoke and drink, the rest of them make it a regular thing.

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I being a teen, Have been around many types of teens, crack heads, jocks, punks and even the geeks. But one thing has struken me!

We kids Drink, smoke, gamble and have sexual intercourse, because the adults tell us not too! I mean its not fair, adults drink and all that and tell us not too, theyre hipocrytes to my eye!

True, all this stuff is bad for you, but if you keep telling them that they cant do it till theyre 18 or 21, what does that solve?

A kid is 15, he wants to drink beer, his mom says no, kid turns 21, he trys beer, becomes addicted and then what, what did this solve?

The childrens chain then continues, the fact is all this crap about underage smoking, is just a way of saying do this when you get older...

What are your opinions on this?

I myself dont do this crap, but I would like to gamble...

First off, I wouldn't consider them hipocrytes if they do it and you can't. Now if they did the same thing (sex, drugs, gambling, and alcohol) when they were your age, then it would be hipocrytical. Even if they were being hipocrytes, they are just doing it so you can live a better life. They want you to have a better opportunity of living a good childhood.

It's quite normal for teenagers to rebel...for some reason this is the prime time in a person's life to express themselves (think of it as a prolonged period of the "terrible twos"). The "childrens' chain" as you call it, is more like a cycle for every generation (but that doesn't mean that your parents did it. Not everybody rebels).

Know you honestly have no proof that if someone whos never tried alcohol would become addicted when they first try it at 21. The government says 21 is the prime age because it's when your liver has been fully developed. Well that may be true an' all but abstenance of alcohol can't create an addiction.

If you put everything together, let's look at the "pros and cons" in a long term:

Pros: More money (gambling), feelin' high (drugs), feelin' wasted (drinking), and feeling great (sex)

Cons: Less money (gambling), get sick/infection/AIDS/possible addiction (drugs), get bad liver/kidneys (drinking), and having HIV/STDs/a newborn child (sex)

I know that there's more to add on both lists, but I wanted to show the main things.

-BGS

I think if we taught young people to drink, and smoke properly, it would not be such a huge problem. Look at European countries for insteance; they start drinking earlier and they learn how to drink properly, and they don't have half the drinking problems we do in America.

Another thing(especially with teens) is that they drink for no other purpose than to get drunk. Whatever happened to controlling yourself and just drinking to enjoy the drink? Instead kids want to go all out and "trash" themselves because apparently it gives them some sort of satisfaction.

Originally Posted by T-Nemesis

It's because there isn't enough discipline nowadays, at all. I blame the parents. My mum and dad raised me and my siblings explaining why we couldn't do the things and taught us how to respect people. But most other parents seem to be so lazy that they just shout at their kids if they try to smoke/drink etc. and then just give up saying "there's nothing I can do".
In my school, out of a class of around 25 people I'm the only one that doesn't want to smoke and drink, the rest of them make it a regular thing.

Yes, punishment is a very important aspect of teaching, however, remember that is is also the children who have a key importance in this matter as well. They need to trust that their father and mother are trying to do what is best for them.

Originally Posted by Abscido

I think if we taught young people to drink, and smoke properly, it would not be such a huge problem. Look at European countries for insteance; they start drinking earlier and they learn how to drink properly, and they don't have half the drinking problems we do in America.

Yes, they can do that, however I do not advise it. Young people are not able to control themselves as easily as we older people are. They really can't easily comprehend the bad side of it. They'll often think, "hey, this tastes good, I think I'll have just a little more when Dad and Mom aren't looking." Drinking beer in general isn't bad, though it is very, very addictive. People need to be at a much older age before they can start the process effectively. I don't know too much about the drinking aspect of Europe, though how many youth have died from beer, liquor, wine, etc. They say it is unhealthy to have this material in your body at a young age.

Originally Posted by Abscido

Another thing(especially with teens) is that they drink for no other purpose than to get drunk. Whatever happened to controlling yourself and just drinking to enjoy the drink? Instead kids want to go all out and "trash" themselves because apparently it gives them some sort of satisfaction.

I agree. People wouldn't have such big problems with alcoholic material if people would just control themselves with it. The reason I said it affects others is because often these people start driving when they are drunk, a major hazard. People really can't control themselves when they are drunk (as far as I know anyway) so it is a really difficult problem to resolve.

Originally Posted by Abscido

I think if we taught young people to drink, and smoke properly, it would not be such a huge problem. Look at European countries for insteance; they start drinking earlier and they learn how to drink properly, and they don't have half the drinking problems we do in America.

Haha, think again. I'm 15 and I live in London. At least 90% of my peers go out binge drinking regularly, some almost every night. You should look up the word 'Chav' on google.