Joseph A. Califano Jr.

Joseph A. Califano Jr. argues in the following viewpoint that underage drinking is implicated in teen overdose deaths, suicides, and accidents. Moreover, he maintains that teenagers who drink are more likely to engage in unprotected sex, leading to an increased risk of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS. Since 1975 the age at which teens begin drinking has been steadily dropping, thus, underage drinking has become a significant public health issue. Joseph A. Califano Jr. is the chairman and president of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, a research-oriented organization that studies substance abuse and addiction.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the author, what percentage of high school students admit to binge drinking at least once a month"
2. In Califano...