Take Away the Mystique

Can this really be a surprise to anyone? I've blogged about this and sex before. I really think that a big part of the problem is that our society trains kids to rebel and then tells them that alcohol and sex are really bad (while media tells them how cool it is). Is it any wonder that teens get drunk and screw? Is it any wonder that kids go off to college and get drunk and screw?

Our current system isn't working so we obviously need to try something different. By making an issue - be it alcohol, sex, drugs, smoking - less mysterious, less black and white ("It's bad! Don't do it ever!") you make it more difficult to be something that can be rebelled against and less likely for a teen to want to do it "just because." It won't stop all teen drinking/irresponsible college drinking and sex, but nothing will. We're only human after all.