By Alice McCoy and Keenya Hofmaier for Gumbo Magazine   Published Feb 06, 2005 at 5:37 AM

Column presented in partnership with GUMBO Magazine. For more information or to subscribe to GUMBO Magazine, log on to mygumbo.com.

Is teen drinking, while supervised, an acceptable part of coming of age? Or is a slippery slope that parents should avoid? There are several ways to answer those questions, and many opinions on both sides.

Yes: sporadic drinking isn't harmful

{image1}Teenagers receive warnings all the time concerning alcohol. This is partly because the media usually associate alcohol with alcohol abuse, and that's probably why some parents don't allow their children to drink. However, sporadic drinking in front of one's parents is not as harmful as one might think.

Frequent exposure to alcohol is common for some young people. It's scary to think just a glass of wine can "ruin your life," but that's not the case. People often exaggerate the effects of alcohol to steer teenagers away from such substances they could potentially abuse.

Tom Gerety, former president of Amherst College and writer of the article "Let Them Drink; Don't Let Them Drink and Drive," says prohibiting drinking under 21 does not work and is counterproductive.

Writing as a teacher and parent, Gerety has seen responsible and irresponsible drinking. He says people need to start focusing on better judgment, punishments and education when it comes to drinking. He says this is a way to prevent drinking and driving, date rape and other dangerous activities. Gerety adds that if teens are educated about the effects of alcohol, they can make better decisions concerning it.

Claude Lataille, a family nurse practitioner at Columbia St. Mary's Bay View Center agrees. She says two drinks per month is nothing to worry about, as long as the teen drinker is with a parent. Occasional alcohol consumption does not affect a teenager's life like many worried parents tend to believe, says Lataille.

Some Catholic churches continue to serve real red wine at communion. In Italy, teens regularly drink a glass of wine with their dinner. Gerety says we should teach moderation when it comes to teenage drinking like the Europeans, but are often forced to teach prohibition. Why is underage drinking so taboo in American society?

Lataille says she has seen research that red wine increases good cholesterol in the body. According to BUPA, a British personal health services agency, moderate alcohol intake can prevent coronary heart diseases and reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in the body.

Most importantly, parents who allow their teens to occasionally drink with them usually teach responsibility. This way, students can drink responsibly even when their parents are not around. Lataille's says teen alcoholics come from both alcoholic and non-alcoholic families. Being exposed to alcohol early has nothing to do with how teens handle the substance.

Before parents ban alcohol use from their teens, they should look at both sides of the story. Yes, excessive drinking is bad and hazardous, but a glass of wine with the family can prove to be beneficial and a valuable life lesson.

No: Parents must serve as role models

Parents have major influences on their children. They teach them right from wrong, the reality of doing drugs, and the importance of staying in school. But parents can't possibly be teachers or positive role models if they allow their children to drink.

Drinking alcohol destroys brain cells that can't be replaced. During adolescence, exposure to alcohol can interrupt key processes of brain development. This can affect memory skills, academic standing and how a person performs at work.

"I believe that drinking impairs people's judgment," says mother of two, Patricia Evans. "Alcohol is a depressant, and it can slow down people's train of thought, which causes them to make negative decisions."

Research shows that teens who drink are more likely to commit suicide, have high-risk sex and be sexually assaulted.

Besides, it's illegal to drink under the age of 21, and the law never said it's OK if under parental supervision. Even so, what would the limit be?

If something happens to a teen while under the influence of alcohol, who takes the blame if the parent allowed them to drink? Perhaps the companies that makes alcohol? No, the blame should only be on the parents.

"When parents allow children to drink, are they really thinking of the long-term effects?" asks Evans. "Will that child turn into a future alcoholic just because they got what they wanted?"

According to 2young2drink.com, people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence later in life than those who begin drinking between ages 20-25.