High Life / A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : Some Views on the Acceptability of Drinking Among Teens

Eight million teen-agers--or more than a third of the nation’s teen-age student population--drink alcohol weekly, and nearly half a million are “binge” drinkers who consume an average of 15 drinks each week, according to a report released this past summer by the surgeon general’s office.

Experts on drug abuse say the figures are not surprising, citing alcohol as the main drug used by teens, despite the cocaine and crack scares.

Hot Topics wonders, “How ‘cool’ is drinking alcohol at your school?”

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“It used to be ‘milk does the body good.’ Now it’s Miller time. One-third of the people I know have tried alcohol.”

Pat Greenberg, 16, junior, Costa Mesa

“I think parents would be absolutely shocked if they knew exactly what their kids were doing. Cool is in the eye of the beholder. The sad thing is, the bad crowd is beholding.”

Jim Schoales, 17, senior, Buena Park

“It’s not very popular.”

Greg Ganz, 16, junior, St. Margaret’s

“Some people consider it an initiation, whereas others consider it stupid.”

Erick Sowell, 16, junior, Marina

“Some people do it to look cool and fit in, but I don’t.”

Michael Hernandez, 16, junior, Brea-Olinda

“Drinking is not cool anywhere, so I don’t think it is here.”

Monica Betancourt, 14, freshman, Sonora

“A lot of people drink at this school, but if you don’t drink, people will still like you for what you are.”

Randy Wilson, 17, senior, Esperanza

“In our Catholic dormitory we are not allowed to drink, and also the people in charge of this school are very cautious.”

Nam Ki Lee, 14, freshman, St. Michael’s Prep

“At school, drinking is a big thing. If there is not going to be alcohol at a party, people won’t go.”

Heather Lohrbach, 17, senior, Rancho Alamitos

“Alcohol is not cool, and the person who is drinking may do something stupid like drive drunk.”

Jason Ievato, 16, senior, Kennedy

“People think they are cool when they drink, but what is so cool about barfing everywhere and waking up with a headache?”

Rhonda Gilbert, 15, sophomore, Woodbridge

“Drinking alcohol has been looked upon as a social disease among many students.”

Christine Hwang, 17, senior, Valencia

“Drinking isn’t cool. In fact, it’s dumb. I just wish many of my peers could see it that way, too.”

Michael Ramsey, 14, freshman, Bolsa Grande

“People feel pressured by their peers, and they believe it looks real cool, but in reality they look really stupid when they’re drunk.”

Clare Climaco, 16, junior, Brea-Olinda

“It depends on who you hang around with.”

Melody Yam, 14, sophomore, Marina

“It’s not really an issue of being ‘cool’; it’s the reality of what people use as their excuse to try and be cool.”

Lisa Simpson, 16, junior, Buena Park

“I say it’s probably half and half. Half of my friends hate it, and half of my friends like it.”

Adrienne Bevans, 15, sophomore, Esperanza

“There’s a group that likes to drink until they’re flat-out drunk, and then there’s a group that pretends to drink to look cool. Then there’s a third group that doesn’t drink, and they’re very proud of it.”

Dannell Buckingham, 17, senior, Costa Mesa

“It’s considered cool, but it’s not a necessity. You don’t have to do it to be cool.”

Dominic Mather, 17, senior, St. Margaret’s

“Most of my friends don’t drink, but if they do, not around me.”

Geoff Boucher, 16, junior, Valencia

“Drinking at Rancho is very cool. I once attended a school dance, and the attendance was very poor. I asked around, and the No. 1 reply was, ‘Because you can’t have a good time.’ There are advisers around and you can’t drink or smoke. I choose not to drink and don’t wish to be around that influence.”

Detra Dickers, 14, freshman, Rancho Alamitos

“Alcohol? What’s alcohol? Down here we drink milk.”

Conan Adachi, 14, freshman, St. Michael’s Prep

“Drinking is pretty much cool at school, but some people don’t really know what happens after they get wasted.”

Suzan Sahakian, 17, senior, Kennedy

“I hear people talking about how wasted they get almost every weekend. I think it is the old peer pressure. I guess it has a lot to do with the group you hang out with.”

Leslie Begley, 17, senior, Woodbridge

“Drinking at our school is not that cool. Too many people, they get into drinking habits. They’re throwing away their ability to learn.”

Jeannie Gordon, 15, freshman, Bolsa Grande

“It’s only cool among the losers.”

Matt Sypherd, 17, senior, Valencia

Next Week’s Hot Topic:

What’s your typical school lunch consist of?

Responses gathered by Kelly Maakestad (Bolsa Grande), Karen Shelley (Buena Park), Brian Lee (Brea-Olinda), Edison Leung (Costa Mesa), Jennifer Leuer (Esperanza), Eugenia Jovilett (Kennedy), Gail Altman (Marina), Beth Mueller (Rancho Alamitos), Brooke Lyons (St. Margaret’s), Joseph Russell (St. Michael’s Prep), Persephone Gonzalez (Sonora), Laura Kim (Valencia) and Carolyn Bates (Woodbridge).

DR, JUDY TSAI