For one Santa Fe High student, who prefers to be called James, almost being arrested is not a fond memory.

While leaving a party, James and several of his friends were spotted by the police, who lined them up and gave them sobriety tests.

"It was really scary — I mean, I thought I was going to be arrested and charged with (a minor in possession)," he said.

When the sobriety tests were finished, the police made James and his friends call their parents to pick them up. While he may have gotten off easy, it's an experience that he won't forget.

"Since this happened, I've had a beer or two, but it's made me a lot more skeptical about drinking at parties," he said. "It was scary getting approached by the cops, and I wouldn't want it to happen again — and face worse consequences this time."

James is not the only teen drinking. According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 17 percent of people ages 12 to 20 admitted to binge drinking.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks (1.5 ounces of spirits, 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer) in a short period of time. While binge drinking is prevalent among people ages 12 to 20, it is most prominent among college students — 41 percent of whom admit to binge drinking at least once over the course of two weeks, according to the same survey.

Many teens, however, do keep the consequences in mind. According to the survey, 90 percent of the people surveyed felt that drinking was not worth the consequences — which included alcohol poisoning; getting charged for being a minor in possession of alcohol; getting arrested for driving while intoxicated; and injury, including death in a car crash.

Some Santa Fe teens, who preferred not to be identified because of possible repercussions, said they drink for different reasons.

"At the risk of sounding grossly cliché, all of my friends do it. It's pretty easy. I don't have a real reason, I just do it," an anonymous Santa Fe High School senior said.

"I drink during social gatherings; it's fun, it lightens the mood (and) it makes any typically awkward situations enjoyable," a Santa Fe Prep senior, who also preferred not to be identified, said.

Still, some teens drink because they have nothing else to do; and others say it makes life more difficult.

"Drinking usually makes me depressed," said another Santa Fe High student who preferred to remain anonymous. "Boredom is usually the cause, though." For teens, facing consequences head on could act as a deterrent on its own. The 2008 survey also found that 52 percent of those sampled said that facing threat of punishment would definitely prevent them from drinking again.

But punishment isn't the worst thing that could happen. "Last year, we lost a reported 114 lives to drunk driving," said Santa Fe High sophomore Delaney Covelli, who is also the president of Student Wellness Action Team — or SWAT — a city-wide organization. "Not only does alcohol put people in dangerous situations, but alcohol poisons a young person's development."

In her time with SWAT, Delaney has worked with state legislators lobbying for passage of several anti-DWI bills and has, for two years, organized a press conference for DWI Day at the Roundhouse.

Teens must also consider the health risks of excessive drinking. Some teens don't understand what leads to intoxication, and the dangers it poses to their health. The level of intoxication, according to bacchusgamma.org, depends on many factors, including: weight; body type; gender; speed of consumption; whether the drinks are consumed on an empty stomach; and whether any medication or drugs are also present in the bloodstream. But all of it comes down to how our body processes alcohol.

The liver is designed to break alcohol down at a rate of about one drink per hour. The more drinks consumed, the more the liver has to break down in the same amount of time. The ensuing backup of alcohol waiting to be broken down by the liver leads to increasing levels of intoxication and, in some cases, alcohol poisoning.

Alcohol poisoning, according to the Mayo Clinic website, results in the depressing of nerves that control involuntary actions like breathing, gag reflex and heartbeat to the point when functions are slowed or stopped. In extreme cases, it can cause hypothermia, leading to cardiac arrest, and it can drop blood sugar levels low enough to cause seizures.

According to drinkingfacts.ca, a website founded by the Canadian Public Health Association, some safety tips include eating before and while drinking; finishing one drink before starting another one; drinking water to avoid dehydration (the main cause of hangovers); avoiding mixing alcohol and drugs; knowing where one's drink is and the person from whom it is received; sticking to the "buddy system"; never driving if drinking; and knowing symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

If a person falls asleep or passes out, they should be awakened and checked for unusually pale or blue skin. If any of these signs are seen, or if the person begins vomiting while they are still asleep, 911 should be called immediately. Finally, teens should be reminded that consuming and possessing alcohol before age 21 is illegal under federal law and buying alcohol for minors is a felony.

David J. Salazar is a senior at Santa Fe High School. You can reach him at davidjsalazar@gmail.com.