Underage Drinking Essay Example for Free

Underage Drinking Essay There are several problems caused by underage drinking; furthermore, this is a serious disease. Most teenagers have a greater record of underage drinking compared to young people 20 years ago. There are more accidents and deaths now as a result of underage alcohol consumption. Subsequently, we are for the banning of underage drinking. First of all, alcohol causes many problems for society nowadays. Alcohol has been used throughout history for various reasons. According to the medical Encyclopedia, alcoholism is an illness marked by drinking alcoholic beverages to excess. As long as alcohol consumption is not at a level that interferes with physical health, it is not a problem. There are two types of alcoholism: dependence and abuse; however, both of them could cause many problems in society. Alcoholism has a large effect in youth; there are more than 10. 4 million young people between ages 12 and 20 who suffer from it. Second, the difference between social drinking and alcohol has changed a lot over time. Now alcohol abuse has become teenagers’ focus. In addition, they don’t have control over how much they drink. They might want to attend social events that only involve alcohol, or they can’t enjoy themselves. Going to a bar or making a drink after coming home from work becomes more important than connecting with friends or family. These days, alcohol might be the way to avoid painful feelings or troubled relationships. As a result, teenagers might resort to dangerous behavior, like driving while drunk, or they may even exhibit violent behavior. Third, there are more accidents and deaths as a result of underage alcohol consumption. When people ask teenagers how easy it is to get alcohol, they mostly say it is very easy. As alcohol is easier to obtain, it produces more problems. Around 4,300 deaths are caused by teenagers who drink alcohol because they are more likely to have car accidents or fights. For example, according to the daily mail online, †Joseph Salah, 19, lost control of his car while he was driving drunk, crashing and killing David Powel, 20 years old, instantly and injuring two other passengers. Imagine a teen driving drunk without thinking about consequences, or messing around with someone who cannot control his or her behavior; it often results in a catastrophe. Finally, we disagree with underage alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, this issue causes a lot of arguments around the world. Society is affected by alcohol, but governments still allow it to be sold while banning other drugs. Alcohol companies produce millions of dollars annually in revenues and taxes; that’s why governments won’t do more to prevent underage alcohol consumption.

Shiloh Essay -- essays research papers

Good bye Norma Jean The death of an infant can modify one’s characteristic and psychological behavior to the point of suicide. In Bobbie Ann Mason’s "Shiloh" she leaves the ending of the story for her readers to draw their own conclusion of how Norma Jean leaves her husband Leroy. Most readers see her divorcing Leroy and starting a new life as an independent woman (Cooke 196 par.1). When in fact, this is a story about a bereaved mother who at the end, takes her own life due to the guilt over her child’s death. There are many clues to lead to the fact she took her own life. I found it interesting Bobbie Ann Mason gave the character the name Norma Jean. Norma Jean was also the real name of Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe’s depression and inability to find lasting happiness resulted in psychological disorders with the end result of her taking her own life. The character Norma Jean fits all the psychological characteristics of behavior change in mothers who are coping with life after losing their child to sudden infant death syndrome. The most common symptoms are anxiety and depression (Boyle 933 par.1). She is always trying to stay busy. First she decided to build her own body up. She goes to the gym or does exercises around the house whenever she is home. Second she decided to take night classes at her local community college. She comes home and writes essays of stories she has read. She never seems to be in a relaxed state of being. These are signs of anxiety. The definition of anxiety is uneasiness. She can’t decide what she wants to do with herself. There are many reasons for her depression. She is trying to cope with the death of her child, her empty marriage to Leroy and her less than supportive mother. The death of her child occurred while she and Leroy were watching a movie at a drive in theater. Her child then four months old was in the back seat. Studies have shown the amount of guilt a parent places upon themselves leads to emotional, psychological, and social consequences (Boyle 933 par 5). The relationship between the two parents becomes difficult to manage and needs tremendous care and guidance to maintain (Boyle 933 par 10). Of all the deaths a person might encounter, the death of a child is very traumatic and likely to lead to most severe consequences. It is reasonable to anticipate that families who lose children from SI... ... She told her husband she was going to leave him, not divorce him. "Everything was fine till Mama caught me smoking." "She won’t leave me alone- you won’t leave me alone. I feel eighteen again. I can’t face that all over again." "No, it wasn’t fine" (Charters 973 par 20 and 22). She is trying to tell him she has not been fine since the death of their baby. Norma Jean has reached the bluff, and she is looking out over the Tennessee River. Now she turns toward Leroy and waves her arms. Is she beckoning to him? She seems to be doing an exercise for her chest muscles. This is where she is waving her arms up in disgust. She has had enough and can not take anymore. Here is a woman who has been depressed since the death of her child. Living in a negative environment of a lifeless marriage and a critical mother. Here is where she plunges backwards into the Tennessee River to end all of her misery. In conclusion, I believe Bobbie Ann Mason’s character Norma Jean was not symbolizing the modern woman striving to find her identity and individuality, but a bereaved mother who’s depression and inability to accept life takes her own.

Tweet Less, Kiss More

â€Å"Techno Tyranny† Bob Herbert explains in his article â€Å"Tweet Less, Kiss More† (published July 16th, 2010) how technology has grown so much throughout the years and how we have made more time for our â€Å"gadgets† than for people close to us. Instead of being with our families and friends we send them a quick email or text message when we should be cherishing moments together. We are so warped in our own lives and blinded by technology that we are missing out on the real world and wasting precious time we cannot get back. These days we can’t seem to take ourselves away from a computer for less than a day or drive to and from the grocery store without sending a text or calling a friend while on the road. We’re â€Å"tweeting† our private lives on the internet but won’t take time to be with our families. Cell phones have only been introduced to humans recently and we’ve survived without them for decades, so why can’t we manage to walk out the door without them today? The advances in technology over the past few years are incredible, and all very convenient, but as Herbert described it, â€Å"The blessed wonders of technology are overwhelming us. We don’t control them; they control us. † These different means of communication are beginning to tear relationships and friendships apart. More and more people are revealing their personal feelings behind computer screens and finding themselves unable to do so face-to-face. More and more romances are started and ended through texting. Chat rooms are being created for meeting others and starting long distance relationships. Children and adults are struggling more with public speaking and are experiencing anxiety due to relying on keyboards instead of verbal communication. With humans relying more and more on technology, we are wasting valuable time communicating through electronics and affecting our relationships with others by trying to sustain them through texting or instant messaging. It’s time for humans to put their cell phones away, close their laptop screens and â€Å"Tweet Less, Kiss More†. Submitted by: Olivia Gowan Date: July 28th, 2010

Amino Acids Characteristics and Structures

Amino acids are a type of organic acid that contains both a carboxyl group (COOH) and an amino group (NH2). The general formula for an amino acid is given below. Although the neutrally-charged structure is commonly written, it is inaccurate because the acidic COOH and basic NH2 groups react with one another to form an internal salt called a zwitterion. The zwitterion has no net charge; there is one negative (COO-) and one positive (NH3) charge. There are 20 amino acids derived from proteins. While there are several methods of categorizing them, one of the most common is to group them according to the nature of their side chains. Nonpolar Side Chains There are eight amino acids with nonpolar side chains. Glycine, alanine, and proline have small, nonpolar side chains and are all weakly hydrophobic. Phenylalanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, and methionine have larger side chains and are more strongly hydrophobic. Polar, Uncharged Side Chains There are also eight amino acids with polar, uncharged side chains. Serine and threonine have hydroxyl groups. Asparagine and glutamine have amide groups. Histidine and tryptophan have heterocyclic aromatic amine side chains. Cysteine has a sulfhydryl group. Tyrosine has a phenolic side chain. The sulfhydryl group of cysteine, phenolic hydroxyl group of tyrosine, and imidazole group of histidine all show some degree of pH-dependent ionization. Charged Side Chains There are four amino acids with charged side chains. Aspartic acid and glutamic acid have carboxyl groups on their side chains. Each acid is fully ionized at pH 7.4. Arginine and lysine have side chains with amino groups. Their side chains are fully protonated at pH 7.4.