Some of the harmful consequences correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class unquestionably alarmed me. The ruined lives and many problems experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. More to the point, I did not want to face the disaster and destruction that alcohol dependent individuals almost always encounter.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What teenager wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that consuming alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teenager wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What young person wants to deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause serious issues in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around abusive drinking?

These issues were so significant that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was absolutely unbelievable to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the injurious results of abusive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the truth and how these results can wreck their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp a saying that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my youth: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

Some of the negative results linked to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely alarmed me. The ruined lives and countless serious issues experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. More to the point, I did not want to face the damage and destruction that alcohol dependent individuals almost always go through.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old person wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What teenager wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What adolescent wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What youth wants to experience alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on abusive drinking?

These issues were so meaningful that I talked about some of them in class throughout the school year. What was downright incredible to me was the number of students who basically didn’t care about the detrimental outcomes of irresponsible drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with the truth and how these outcomes can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp something that my grandfather used to tell me all through my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.