School is an important aspect in a teenager's life because the brain of a teen is like a sponge. Learning the necessary subjects in school is something they can carry into their future endeavors. While attending high school, there are graduation requirements students must accomplish before they can walk in their cap and gown. Since the 1990's, curriculum has continued to become more stringent in math and science which has brought about some surprising results.
Research shows there has been a decrease in alcohol use amongst students according to a study spanning from 1993-2011. Washington State University economy professors, Benjamin Cowan and Zhuang Hao, gathered data from over 100,000 students across the United States representing 47 states excluding Colorado, Iowa, and Nebraska. The results proved that students who had more math and science requirements for graduation had reduced alcohol consumption. With more demanding academic standards, students declined in the number of days they drank along with the number of drinks they consumed. A student who drinks more than five drinks in one setting is considered to binge drink. This study disclosed binge drinking was down overall because of the rigorous nature in the prerequisites for graduation.
For each additional course in the subjects of math or science required to complete their high school diploma, the study exhibited the likelihood for binge drinking decreased by 1.6 percent especially in male nonwhite students. Male teens typically binge drink more than female students and white males binge more than any other classification of male students offering a larger difference in the results.
With the reduction of alcohol consumption that relates to risky behavior, the authors of the study speculate the reasons for this diminish is due to two different rationales. Either the demands of studying for math and science courses took up more time or students are making greater efforts to earn more money in their future careers with their high school requirements which left less time for binge drinking.
Truancy laws and compulsory education laws keep kids in school until they are 18. Unless they can pass a high school proficiency test and have their parents approval, students must abide by the requirements of their graduation no matter how strenuous they have become. Students have seemed to have taken more interest in their studies to secure a pathway to a more successful future.
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