Surgeon General Steven K. Galson has released a report on underaged drinking that is, in his own words, "devastating." Hang on to your hats as I devestate you.
It turns out more than 10 million Americans under the age of 21 have tasted alcohol. (Smelling salts, please.) The report does not say how many Americans older than 21 have had a drink, but that does not matter because of the other devastating news.
While many Americans older than 21 may go to a friendly bar and responsibly drink a few shots before driving themselves home in their safe SUV's, it turns out 30% of underaged drinking happens in the underaged drinker's own home! Right under the noses of the parents! And Galson is pissed!
Is this the parents' fault? Yes, because (here comes the third devestating fact) many of these youth are getting the alcohol from their parents! And if that weren't bad enough, most of these parents, the study points out, give their children this alcohol free of charge.
"In far too many instances parents directly enable their children's underage drinking," said Galson.
Imagine! Some poor young soldier comes home from Iraq, battle-weary and confused, and before he gets sent back to the killing fields, his own parents buy him a drink! Barely responsible enough to be trusted with a machine gun, and his idiotic parents want to trust him with a beer!
Thank God the bushies are there to explain to parents the right way to raise your children. If only more parents would listen to the current adminstration, we could have more responsible young Americans like the Bush twins ...uh ... Chaney's ... well, like Condi Rice would give birth to if she could find a mate.
Details here