Educating the adolescent to be wiser

    One expert said that public health efforts to limit adolescent smoking, substance abuse, early sexual behavior, and automobile accidents should focus less on educating the adolescent to be wiser, more informed, and less impulsive and more on limiting opportunities to engage in risky behavior (Steinberg, 2007). Examples of opportunity-limiting policies include raising the price of cigarettes, more vigilantly enforcing laws against the sale of alcohol to minors, expanding adolescents’ access to contraceptive services, and raising the driving age. Do you agree or disagree with this proposal? Why?