Many American teenagers would be uncomfortable joining their mom and dad over a glass of wine at the dinner table but might drive away in the family car to chug beers at a party with their friends. European adolescents, on the other hand, may sip wine at a family dinner and then tell their parents they are going to a teen beer party later -- by subway. Why the differences?

Parents: Be adamant Alcohol has become much too easy for teens to acquire without the help of adults; therefore, I think adults are obligated to exhibit some degree of responsibility by more adamantly discouraging under aged youth to drink. A way of doing this is making the consequence for under-aged drinking more severe. This may possibly dissuade teenagers from drinking at a young age. I also be

B arney Gumble, a regular character on the TV series "The Simpsons," is a stereotypical portrait of an alcoholic: middle-aged, obese, disheveled -- and drunk most of the time. But as a child, Barney had a bright future. Intelligent and studious, he was on track to attend a prestigious college until he met Homer Simpson, who introduced him to cigarettes and alcohol. Barney's fictional situation is

A lcoholism. In brief, the dictionary says it's a disease where a person drinks to excess. Sarah, a 13-year-old local student and daughter of an alcoholic father, goes a step further. "It's a disease where a person drinks too much. They get addicted to it, and they keep wanting it. It's just a disease based on lies." For many young people in similar situations, finding support can be difficult. Al