Alcoholism and its effect on teens

Rhetorical Analysis on Alcoholism and its effect on teens Erica Carrillo University of Texas at El Paso English 1301, Jennifer Falcon

Alcoholism and its effect on teens

Rhetorical Analysis on Alcoholism and its effect on teens Underage drinking has become a major effect on the lives of teens. I hear more and more how teens are ending up in the hospital as a result of alcoholism. The article Underage Drinking by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is an article based on ethos and logos. The author gives reasoning as to why teens drink and informs us on ways to prevent it. The author opens up with a logos statement to grab the audiences attention, claiming that, Alcohol is the drug of choice among youth the author is presenting the fact that alcohol has become a drug, which is leading to alcoholism in teens. The author then throws in a strong ethos statement to make the readers understand the ethical part of the situation, by stating that Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking the author uses this strong ethos statement as a way to let the reader know that underage drinking is a big problem, a way to try to help the readers to understand what drinking is doing to kids. The introduction of the article are both ethos and logos, the author is using both as a way to get the reader to really understand the authors point. The second paragraph opens up with another logos statement, stating, "People who reported starting to drink before the age of 15 were four times more likely to also report meeting the criteria for alcohol dependence. The statement is logos because it is really giving straight hard facts and the author really emphasizes the causes to why teens have such a big problem with drinking. He then supports his statement by using pathos; he states that drinking at an early age is what causes alcoholism as teens grow into adults.

Alcoholism and its effect on teens

In this article were hit hard with a powerful ethos statement when the author states that
8% of 8th graders have come clean about drinking, the author uses this statement to appeal to the pathos, and it really makes the audience understand why the author is so strong on his argument. The statement is pathos because it pulls on the heartstrings of the readers trying to get them to understand what a big problem this is. The following paragraph plays more on why kids drink. The author uses a logos statement just being an adolescent may be a key risk factor not only for starting to drink but also for drinking dangerously the author is trying to make it clear that being a teen is sometimes the most leading cause to drinking at an early age. As they state thrill-seeking might include experimenting with alcohol. we know that being a teenager is hard enough with school and life in general which makes them look towards stress relievers, and trying to look cool and drinking is the main thing teens turn to. The author uses logos to point out that, it is not only wanting to look cool but that there are hidden factors. He states Children of alcoholics (COAs) are between 4 and 10 times more likely to become alcoholics themselves than are children who have no close relatives with alcoholism. Sometimes it comes from the roots, which makes it harder for teens to overcome alcoholism. The next paragraph the author focuses on the major side effects to alcoholism but also shows how they can overcome it. They open up with a logos statement; studies show that young people who drink heavily may put themselves at risk for a range of potential health problems. The statement is logos because it is giving facts. It is letting the reader know some of the problems that are coming along with drinking. The next logos statement youth are better able to resist the prodrinking influences and opportunities that surround them this statement is logos because it is explaining to the reader that there are ways to try to deter teens from drinking.

Alcoholism and its effect on teens The author ends his article with programs showing promise with the paragraph being mostly ethos. He gives the statement The following community trials show how environmental strategies can be useful in reducing underage drinking and related problems he makes it known that even just the environment that the teen is in can help them to overcome alcoholism. He states that Perhaps the strongest approach for preventing underage drinking involves the coordinated effort of all the elements that influence a childs life is the Multicomponent Comprehensive Interventions. We learn that this program is designed to focus on their whole, such as family, school life, and how they can be involved with their community. Overall the author uses mainly logos, and some ethos. The author didnt appeal to the pathos aspect, which I believe wouldve made his article that much better. I believe it wouldve grabbed the audiences attention that much more, because he was already giving such great information that he gather through research. In the end he proved his point on alcoholism and its effect on teens.

Alcoholism and its effect on teens

Reference
Peterson, Robert, (2006, January) Underage Drinking. 67. Retrieved September 26, 2013 from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism