Bianca Brucato- Essay number 2 Revision

Bianca Brucato

Professor Young                                                                                      

September 28, 2014

English 1100

                                    “Problems faced within my community”

            How many people do you know suffering from alcoholism? Alcoholism has become a huge problem throughout the United States. Many people can have one or two drinks and still be in control. Some people however, have trouble controlling themselves, and are at risk of alcoholism. Alcoholism has also become a huge problem throughout my community because there are so many liquor stores available. Throughout my community of Staten Island, the growing rate of liquor stores is causing a series of negative effects such as, underage drinking and drinking and driving. The community of Staten Island needs to take action and put a stop to the number of liquor stores growing throughout the community.

            To speak of this issue more widely, alcoholism is an alcohol dependence disease that is often called the “family disease” because it affects the community of family the most. This disease affects all members of the community such as, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, parents, and children directly and indirectly. Having many liquor stores available to all members of your community can lead to various negative effects. One bad effect would be drunk driving, which can lead to accidents and cause an innocent person to die because a person decided to drink and drive. This can lead to someone else’s child, parent, brother, or sister to become injured or even die. Underage drinking can also emerge because the availability of liquor stores makes it easier for teens to obtain alcohol.

            Although in Valerie Kinloch’s, “Harlem, Art, and Literacy and Documenting “Harlem Is Art”/ “Harlem as Art””, Kinloch’s use of art to show inviting messages to all people who enter Harlem has many positive effects. In my community however, liquor stores displaying in their windows inviting messages and decorations to draw costumers in has many negative effects. Kinloch states, “ In Phillip and Khaleeq’s acceptance of Soja’s belief, they pondered ways to encourage adult members of the community to use art (e.g., billboard campaigns, local museums, historical buildings, and avenues and boulevards) to improve and protect the area”(Kinloch, 151). Kinloch uses art to show all adults, teens, business owners, and longtime residents the identity and heritage of Harlem. In my community however, the use of inviting displays to draw people into liquor stores has many negative effects such as, underage drinking and drinking and driving. This problem can seriously injure and kill many people in my community. Despite the positive effects of promoting inviting art in Harlem, displaying inviting messages in liquor stores has a series of negative effects in Staten Island.

            To expand on this topic, underage drinking is one problem in Staten Island that is a result of many liquor stores being located throughout my community. Alcohol is becoming the number one choice of drug in young teens.  Many young teens are experiencing consequences of drinking too much at a young age. As a result, underage drinking is becoming the number one health problem in the United States, as well as my community. Teens in Staten Island are more likely to drink because alcohol is so easily available to them. For example, in my neighborhood, Oakwood, liquor stores are located on every other block.  Many teens in my neighborhood have a higher rate of underage drinking then in other neighborhoods in my community such as, Greatkills or Newdorp, where there are less liquor stores available. Underage drinking has become a serious problem throughout my community and can be harmful to many teens.

            A solution to underage drinking for my community can be to enforce stricter rules and regulations for liquor stores to follow. Liquor stores should be required to be strict on selling alcohol to all people and make sure they are of the legal drinking age to buy alcohol. They should also make sure all employees are aware of the problem of underage drinking and enforce consequences to anyone who sells alcohol to a minor. This can help prevent young teens from buying and obtaining alcohol. By the community of Staten Island becoming strict on the buying and selling alcohol to teens, can help prevent underage drinking. 

            In addition to underage drinking, another problem that results from many liquor stores being located in my community is drinking and driving.  Drinking and driving is a major problem in my community, Staten Island. For example, one of my close friends got into an accident while she was driving intoxicated. She did not only hurt herself, but seriously injured the passenger in her car.  Drinking and driving causes many dangers on the road. It can result in both the driver and others on the road being seriously injured or killed.  Alcohol affects and impairs your judgment; so driving while you are highly intoxicated can hurt yourself and innocent people.  Drinking and driving can take a child, parent, husband, wife, brother or sister away from someone else in your community. Drinking and driving is a serious issue in my community and can harm many innocent people.

            A solution to this problem is to try and avoid drinking and driving all together. As a community if you see someone drinking and driving you should try to stop and bring him or her somewhere safe. This can help save others and the person who is drinking and driving. My community can also avoid drunk driving by providing shuttle buses to and from popular hangout spots were drinking is known. By the community of Staten Island coming together and finding alternatives to drinking and driving, it can help prevent serious accidents on the road.

            In conclusion, alcoholism is a disease in the United States that affects both the body and mind. Alcoholism is also common in Staten Island because of the frequent number of liquor stores located throughout my community. This rise has lead to many negative effects such as, underage drinking and drinking and driving. As a community we must come together and put a stop to the rising number of liquor stores in Staten Island, which is causing harm to many innocent people.

                                                        Works Cited

Kinloch,Valerie.  Harlem on Our Minds: Place, Race, and the Literacies of Urban

 Youth. New York: Teacher College, 2010. Print.