When singers write songs like Blame it on the Alcohol http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=e0MKt282YVQ and Katy Parry is on the radio almost hourly singing Last Friday Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlyXNRrsk4A. It glamorizes alcohol use. When popular stars like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and the Olsen twins are going to rehab for substance abuse then it makes it look like thats what it takes to really party hard. I think the best pop culture drug movies ever will always be Harold and Kumar. They now have 3 movies out that glorify getting stoned on Marijuana. Cheech and Chong are legends in the pot smoking community. Recently the Hangover movies have become what younger people are all watching. The movie is about a bunch of friends who drink and party so much that in the morning they cannot remember what happened the night before. You would think that viewers would take the ensuing chaos as a warning not to do as the actors do but people think Wow, that was a bachelor party, and they want their parties to be just as memorable and crazy. Alcohol is regularly featured on the show Worlds Dumbest and is the basis for many popular YouTube videos. According to the U.S. Department of Justice https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200117.pdf drug and alcohol use has gone up with the decline of media warnings about the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Of the most popular movies rented in 1996 and 1997, 93 percent included alcohol use, 89 percent included cigarettes, and 22 percent included illegal drug use. Cigarette companies sponsor movies so even though they can no longer buy commercial time they can still pay producers to include smoking in the movies or TV shows. Alcohol commercials, especially during sporting events like the Super Bowl, are eagerly

awaited, and sometimes considered more entertaining than the game itself. The Budweiser horses, Frogs, and Iguanas are well known to people of any age, regardless of whether they drink beer or not. Anheuser Busch sold a non-alcoholic energy drink that was available only in liquor stores, Sea World gave free samples of the drink called 180 http://www.180.com/ . I personally loved the Orange flavored one. In a recent web search I am saddened to say that the product has been discontinued. Anheuser Busch has recently had some legal issues with marketing to underage minors. http://articles.cnn.com/2008-06-26/us/anheuser.busch.settle_1_francine-katzanheuser-busch-companies-alcoholic-energy?_s=PM:US .They have also been under fire for mixing caffeine with their alcohol beverages so people can party all night. Some of their alcoholic energy drinks have also been flavored to appeal to the younger crowd, like chocolate or sweet fruit flavors. While I feel this is a weak argument since I am 40 years old and only drink the sweet frou frou drinks or Girl Beers aka, commercial wine coolers which are really just flavored beers because they actually have no wine in them. Anheuser Busch isnt the only company marketing to the Frou Frou crowd, Carlsberg Group out of Denmark has developed what they call an all-natural alternative to beer called Beo http://www.beodrink.com/ . Some worry it is a Gateway drink to getting younger people prepared to drink alcohol. Many states allow minors to purchase Near Beers or non-alcoholic beverages marketed to replace alcohol beverages, like nonalcohol wines http://www.wesleyan.edu/weswell/docs/alcohol/IPRC%20Factline%20Nonalcohol%20B eer.pdf . The Federal government has given individual states the right to regulate the age of purchasers buying non-alcohol beer or wine replacements.

In America children grow up in anticipation of their 21st birthday because then they will be truly Adults. This landmark event is traditionally celebrated with an over consumption of alcohol, like a rite of passage into a mysterious new club. Many teens jump the gun and cant wait and consume alcohol earlier than is legal. Movies and TV shows glorifying this, people are desensitized to the negative effects of alcohol and even brag about getting so drunk they puked. Realistically, the more we prohibit alcohol the more people will want it. Lowering the legal drinking age to 18 may help take the mystique out of it earlier. If people are old enough to join the military and die for our country they should be old enough to drink alcohol. Making it harder to get isnt stopping minors from getting it. At least 6 states in the United States allow minors to consume alcohol in the presence of a parent http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,98062,00.html . According to state Representative John Ainsworth of Wisconsin, he feels the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18 so parents have the opportunity to teach their children responsible drinking habits. .