Underage Drinking There are several reasons why teenagers feel the need to drink. The social environment, peer influence, stress, and even factors such as media influence contribute to underage drinking. Peer pressure is a well-known use among teenagers. Americans have a burning desire to be accepted and appreciated by their peers. Everyone wants to feel a sense of belonging. Many teenagers feel that they need to drink alcohol to gain this acceptance from others around them. Stress is also another reason why teens may feel inclined to drink alcohol. Stress pushes teenagers to look for a quick escape from the problems they face in their daily lives. This quick escape can be found in the form of a bottle. In the eyes of an underage drinker, alcohol is the cure for all problems, a way to forget all the stress and pressures they face. They feel that this will dull their pain and that continuing to use alcohol will perhaps result in another problem, substance abuse. Young people grow up seeing their parents and other adults toasting with wine and champagne on special occasions, as well as casually enjoying a few drinks. beers on a picnic. Today, alcoholic beverages are often as common at business lunches as they are at college fraternity parties. Underage drinking is a huge problem that everyone faces. Underage alcohol consumption not only has devastating effects on those who drink but also on our society. “Young people illegally consume nearly 3.6 billion drinks a year, or 10 million drinks a day.” I started drinking very young. I must have been at least nine years old when my father gave my brother and me our first pony. A pony is a small bottle of beer of your choice. My father preferred only Michelob. My father surprised my broth...... middle of paper ......like; sports, clubs, movies, hanging out with friends, etc. You may find many other activities that can make you feel good. Underage drinking causes people to make poor decisions, such as; drink driving, get pregnant and make a complete fool of yourself. While intoxicated, these are just a few of the instances that can and will impact your life forever. Some individuals don't understand what alcohol actually does to the body. Beer has empty calories that will make you gain weight. This is why many alcoholics have larger stomachs, or another term many people use for this large stomach is "beer belly". Some people might say that alcohol helps you escape problems and is a major stressor. Alcohol will not only bring more stress into your life, but it will also bring more problems. As much as people may think alcohol helps, it actually doesn't help.