This is the pro argument against drinking. To read the con click here.

I don’t understand why anybody would want to look back on their high school experience and remember going to parties, getting wasted, and having no recollection of what happened after that.

Since it is possible to go to parties and have a great time without drinking an ounce of alcohol, what is the point of exposing oneself to alcohol at parties?

Is it the need to find acceptance from others? Is it to forget about the troubles that you’re going through?

High school only happens once, and if these four years are spent with people who have low standards and who think the only way to have a good time is getting drunk at parties, then the time is lost.

There is a reason why drinking is illegal for those under 21. According to NIAAA, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 5,000 people under the age of 21 die every year as a result of underage drinking. If someone hasn’t reached that age yet, their bodies, especially their brains, haven’t fully developed. Drinking at a young age has been proven to cause long term problems.

Those who start drinking around the age of 15 are four times more likely to become dependent on alcohol later life, according to NIAAA. It isn’t worth the setback or the need for a drug to be happy in life to have a fun time at a couple of parties.

As students of JC, we are given great opportunities that shouldn’t be thrown away. Yet students ignore their priorities by drinking.

Today’s society seems to publicize a false and glamorous view of drinking by promoting popular reality television shows and vulgar rap songs. Drinking is glamorized in commercials, movies, and other aspects of pop culture. Yet when actual reality sets in, it is hard to find a positive side to alcohol.

Alcohol is a detrimental drug that impairs thought processes, the way people act, and in the long run, their reputation. When I hear that someone goes to parties and drinks, my respect for them decreases significantly. People should have respect for themselves and their bodies, and they might find that people will respect them more.

Time after time, I hear stories of high school students, including those who attend JC, going to parties, drinking alcohol, and ending up in terrible situations. Being physically and mentally impaired by alcohol has led students to embarrass themselves, drive under the influence, or be taken advantage of.

It is with one decision that someone risks their own life and the lives of others. With not being able to make the right decisions, someone under the influence could take a life or die.

So the next time you go to a party and someone offers a drink, walk away. It isn’t worth it.

Erica Kelble is a Multimedia Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.