gregaaron:
No one gets to the 10th drink or cigarette until after they had the first.
If someone possesses the strength of character and judgment to stop after the first, then the first drink might not be an issue. I do not equate the first cigarette because of the conclusive research of the danger and damage. References available on that.
Generally, youth lack the ability of exerting the self control required to stop. Yes, they are young. Boys will be boys. That’s all true. It is not in vain that there are laws about minimum drinking age, and that these laws were originally written for age 18, then raised to 21.
It does take much less to establish the dependency to nicotine. And as long as the powerful motivators of peer pressure and social perceptions fuel either the smoking or imbibing, our young people will be oblivious to the negative consequences and risks, and will continue until there is trouble. It is not a small percentage, and our tendency to dismiss these as non-issues, or even as unimportant ones is dangerous. Our children’s health and lives are at stake.