Alcohol abuse and youth of america

Live, from anywhere, it's Friday night: time for the youth of America to ''rage.'' Time also to get broasted, buzzed, catatonic, messed up, ripped, screwed, trashed, wasted, zoned out. Time, to put it in language older folks can understand, to get totally, hopelessly drunk. Not at bars, of course: everywhere in America you have to be 21 to drink there -- legally, that is -- and anyway it's not the hip thing to do. These …

…in their home no matter whether the adults are aware of the drinking. High schools have added courses on alcoholism, and many colleges feature alcohol-awareness weeks, during which students pledge themselves to abstain from booze. But there is a paradox here that symbolizes the depth of the problem. All too often these instant Lents end with alcohol-fueled ''I survived the week'' blasts in frats and dorms. The party animal is a tough beast to tame.