The history of American society shows of minority to include all persons under that people have ignored and continue 21. Some states make distinctions as to to ignore controversial, abnormal, or antisex or marital status, which leads to pur social behavior unless it creates a crisis of chase of alcoholic beverages that may be significant proportion. Then society acts legal in one state but illegal in another, quickly, perhaps drastically—often haphazRegardless of the laws, however, several ardly—in an attempt to repress such bestudies of youthful populations clearly havior. This repressive action is almost demonstrate that there are considerable always carried out without a clear idea of discrepancies between the provisions of what is being repressed or what effects bedrinking laws and the actual drinking prac yond repression such action might have, tices of children in this country. Until The measures are frequently of a rash and society becomes aware of youthful drinking punitive nature. Following the repressive practices and is able to recognize the varie action, when deviant behavior has been reties of it and the reasons for it, it will con pressed, there is a tendency to return to the tinue to act rashly or not act at all. It is original state of complacency and disinthe purpose of this paper to focus attention terest until the cycle is once again reacon actual drinking practices so that society tivated. can take selective action appropriate to the Society, which views teen-age drinking as needs of its youth, problematical behavior, appears to be deal ing with it in the manner described above. STUDIES ON TEEN-AGE DRINKING Examination of the confusing state laws, brought about because Connecticut and It is no longer necessary to speculate as New Jersey teen-agers were buying liquor to the use, nonuse, or misuse of alcoholic in and transporting it from New York, beverages by teen-agers, although less is bears this out. Although each state proknown about their misuse of alcohol. A hibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to series of studies, particularly of high school minors (and some prohibit minors from students, has been conducted that involved drinking such beverages), there is considerapproximately 16,000 students. Demone able disagreement as to who are minors, provides us with a useful summary of In New York, a minor is a person under significant findings from these studies. 18, but the majority of states set the age According to him: The most striking findings from the james r. MacKAY, ma, MSS, is Co-ordinator of high school student drinking studies are Community Mental Health Services, Division of these: (1) the typical American teen-ager Mental Health, New Hampshire Department of is a user of alcohol beverages; (2) there Health and Welfare, Concord. This article was are great regional variations; (3) teen adapted from a paper presented at the Oregon Conagers are moderate users; (4) they are ference on Social Welfare, March 1963, in Portland. usually introduced to alcohol by their