Alcohol and rights for teenagers

The rights are different in every country and we want to know if you are satisfied with these rights.

For example:

- we can buy alcohol at the age of sixteen and

- we can make our driver’s license at the age of eighteen

- how long can you visit a disco or a pub?

Aileen, Friederike and Kirsten, 11b, Jever

Cigarettes and alcohol

A lot of people smoke and drink in our country. It’s normal that teenagers at the age of 12 years start to smoke, because they think that’s “COOL”. It’s the same with alcohol.

But do they know the disadvantages or the danger??? Maybe??!!!!

Of course a lot of people know you can get cancer when you smoke and get strokes when you drink alcohol. Most people think “it couldn’t be my destiny”. It’s very naïve, because everybody can get cancer and strokes. I know people who have friends who died of cancer or lie in hospital and fight for their survival, but these people smoke or drink on, because they think it isn’t their life. I wouldn’t hold this opinion, if my father hadn’t died of cancer, but he did it and it was a horrible experience to lose my father and to see how cancer can destroy a life. It’s bad for me to see young teenagers smoke and when they say: ”I know some people die of cancer, but this isn’t my future!!”

It’s sad that everybody knows it, but most people don’t want to change anything. Of course, I tried cigarettes too, but now I know smoking isn’t good for my body and my future, because when I’m e.g. 35 years old, I’ll have kids and have a great life and suddenly I get brain cancer or lung cancer and must die.- It’s horrible, because you know you have lost your family and your life!! In my opinion everybody can decide the right thing for their own life, but maybe they think about the disadvantages and change their life??!!
Aileen, 11b, Jever

Hello you 3,

we think your question is very interesting but you know that we can only write something that you already know. So we’ll write about our experiences that happened to us. When we think about the laws we can say that they are strict enough but the teenagers don't care about them. On the other hand the supermarkets sell alcohol and they often don't ask for the age of teenagers. Owners of discos, pubs and bars let young teenagers drink alcohol and let them go into the disco. A lot of teenagers who are younger than 16 look much older than they are. Normally teenagers at the age of 16 are only allowed to stay in a disco till 12 o'clock but we always go longer because the discos only fill up at 11 o'clock or later. Wiebke wants to say something about African teenagers and their rights:

African teenagers don't go to discos. They think very differently about alcohol, they are never really drunk under the age of 18. The rights are like this but it's also their opinion. I think it's because of their education; they spend a lot of time in school, doing sports or something else. They are also very faithful. They can make their driver’s license at the age of 18, too, but a lot of teenagers drive before because there is no one to look after the laws. But with smoking it's the same as in Germany. We think it's a disaster that a lot of parents drink and smoke when their children are with them. In addition to that we think it's unacceptable that mothers drink and smoke during their pregnancy. It's also bad that so many young teenagers drink and smoke in public. Ok now, that should be enough for you, lots of greetings from

Dörthe, Andrea and Wiebke, 11b, Jever

Hi!

First of all we have to say that your topic is very interesting because we think that drinking alcohol and going to discos is the main employment of the German youth at the weekend. But there are so many teenagers who aren’t able to deal with alcohol. Because of that there are many discussions about alcohol and teenagers. For example that one about alco pops. In our opinion the youth doesn’t drink more than 20 years ago. But today they perhaps start earlier.

“Kisses” Tim and Frederik, 11b, Jever

Everybody knows that many people drink alcohol and take harder drugs. But is it really as hard as everybody think?
You know, when you are addicted to drugs, you have many problems with your social life, your job, your family and so on... But when you are addicted to harder drugs like ecstasy, heroin or cocaine your life is in danger. The drugs are very expensive and you need money to calm down. You do illegal things like stealing money or other crimes to get money for buying "stuff". A big problem is group-force. Well, for example the drug marihuana is a starter drug. Many of the addicted people took the "entry" to the drug-scene through marihuana. The people are also too young. In Germany, it's a miracle, when somebody has never smoked a cigarette up to the 16th year of life. With alcohol, it's the same situation...
But is taking drugs really so bad?
In my opinion, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes is not very bad, when there is a limit. When your are old enough it is not bad as when you are too young. But I don't support harder drugs. AlsIn addition, when a lot of people think, that marihuana isn't a hard drug, I' m of the opinion that is wrong to take it. But what about oriental water pipes? I think it isn't really a drug. The smoke is lighter than the smoke of a cigarette. I also have one. You can't compare it with a water pipe for drugs also called "Bong"!!! In an oriental water pipe, you only smoke fruit-tobacco! It's very nice to calm down. After a hard day, it's fine to chill out with an oriental water pipe. Sure, it hurts the health too but not very much. so, I want to come to the end and want to say again my statements to drugs: alcohol and cigarettes are ok, when you are old enough and have a limit. Harder Drugs are awful! Never take them and always say "No!". Here, you got it
Olaf, 11b, Jever

Drinking alcohol is forbidden in my country due to our religious beliefs. I myself think that using such a thing which is poisonous for our body and disturb our brain and soul isn't reasonable.
We also make our driver's license at the age of 18.I am not satisfied with all the laws in my country but there are some good laws among them. I think if I don't try to have my rights no one will be worry bringing it to me. Like any other place in the world.
Mahsa, Farzanegan Zeynab Educational Center Tehran, Iran

Hello Mahsa!

Thank you For writing to us.

We are surprised that nobody in your country drinks alcohol. We think it's very exemplary, because in our country everybody drinks a lot and sometimes it isn't nice. Some people are too far with alcohol and then they lie on the ground and they don't know what they do, and so on.

For us it isn't very important to believe in God, so the people know no bounds. Always there is a party, the people are drunk or they smoke Marijuana. We think that isn't right and so we don't often drink and we have fun without alcohol. A lot of people say that they can't have fun without alcohol. Sometimes the people say that somebody who doesn't drink alcohol isn't cool and they mob him. When we get our driver’s license, the level of alcohol in one's blood decreases, because everyone likes it to drive and nobody likes it to drive drunk.

It is interesting to know the different opinion in our world. Perhaps you can write us some interesting laws and so about your country.

We wish you a nice day, Aileen, Friederike and Kirsten, 11b, Jever

Hi Kirsten, Aileen and Friederike!
We are interested in the rights for teenagers, too. We like parties and driving, too. And we are allowed to have driving licence at the age of eighteen.
But the rules are quite different in Iran and Germany. According to our religion we mustn't drink alcohal and drinking or being drunk is forbidden; because alcohal damages the nerves and it hurts brain.
With best wishes,
Tahereh, Maryam, Samira, Samaneh and Kimia :smile: :grin: :eek: :ooh: :sheepish: Tehran

Not drink alcohol and take drugs?

Drugs are a big problem in the world. Especially alcohol is very widely spread and many countries tolerate or even support this drug. Some economics couldn’t survive without alcohol or nicotine, to bring another popular drug into discussion.

But these two drugs are so omnipresent and are abused by too many people that in a long run it would be cheaper to completely forbid the drugs. But to reap the benefits the government would have to wait at least 2-3 generations and the loss of taxes would be too high in this time.

In the end everybody has to decide for himself if he wants to drink and smoke or not.

For me, drinking alcohol just belongs to a good party, but I never drink alone and it’s not important for me to drink every weekend. Nearly every friend of mine handles the whole drug thing like me. Some drink more, some drink less or nothing. I know that alcohol can be a very dangerous drug and that you can get addicted to it, but right now I just want to have fun.

I don’t tell anybody to take drugs and nobody should do that.

Smoking is completely a different thing. You hurt everybody around you for the same amount if you smoke a cigarette. So smoking is selfish and dangerous. I hope it will be forbidden soon in all public buildings.

I don’t care if anybody wants to hurt or even kill himself, as long as it’s just his own body he is playing with.

Henrik. 11b, Jever