Every morning I sit down to eat my breakfast and take a look at the newspaper. Usually the front page describes the most tragic incidents - a murder or maybe a car accident - but not this particular morning. Instead, in bold, big letters, I see two articles about two teenagers who had died from binge drinking. I can only ask myself, "Why ?"

Too many teens are dying every year from their irresponsible behavior. Many times they will drink themselves to death, or even worse, they will get behind the wheel and end up killing themself, or an innocent bystander. I do not believe teenagers should be drinking until they are the legal age, but it is apparent that many disagree.

If the government believed that teenagers were responsible enough to drink, then the legal age would not be 21. Since teens are being destructive and irresponsible, we are just proving that the legal age should not be lowered. For whatever reason, to either rebel against parents or to loosen up at a party, this is not acceptable behavior. To have a good time, alcohol is not needed. You may feel as though you are more outgoing or more comfortable around some friends, but this high your body is experiencing will have its consequences, whether the next morning or awaiting the judge's verdict.

I stand firm in my beliefs about drinking and I think it is time others do the same. Obviously it is impossible to have it stop altogether, but if you can convince one person not to drink and get behind the wheel, you are making an impact on many lives. I would feel awful if I could have been the one to prevent an unfortunate accident. So, next time you are at a party and you're about to take that sip of beer, just remember how a few drinks could change your life forever and ask yourself, "Is it really worth it?" ?