Why alcohol is harmful but allowed everywhere
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: France
Posts: 18
Why alcohol is harmful but allowed everywhere
I do not undestand all the fuss about illegal drugs like cannabis and many other that I can not even name as I am not familiar with them since I soon realised about my addictive personality and kept away from them all.
But then both in Spain and in France, wine is advertise as healthy and the truth is there are many people who struggle with alcohol in these countries like everywhereelse and I personally did struggle. my first alcoholic drink ever was red wine for the table according to my mother to be healthy, now will one day alcohol be considered to be an ilegal drug? I really hope so.
But then both in Spain and in France, wine is advertise as healthy and the truth is there are many people who struggle with alcohol in these countries like everywhereelse and I personally did struggle. my first alcoholic drink ever was red wine for the table according to my mother to be healthy, now will one day alcohol be considered to be an ilegal drug? I really hope so.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,525
Well, it used to be illegal here in the US, and it was a disaster. Prohibition didn't work back then and it's sure not going to work now. All it did was drive up crime rates.
I suppose I would never say never, but there would have to be a LOT of changes in awareness about the harm alcohol causes before this country would ever try that again.
I suppose I would never say never, but there would have to be a LOT of changes in awareness about the harm alcohol causes before this country would ever try that again.
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: London
Posts: 1,384
The majority of people can drink alcohol with no problems.
Also think that a huge amount of people that drink on a regular basis are in denial, they are all dependant on it just at different stages . Here in Devils island (uk) alcohol is out of control, I really mean it when I say some towns/city centres have become zombiefied with drunks at night.
Also think that a huge amount of people that drink on a regular basis are in denial, they are all dependant on it just at different stages . Here in Devils island (uk) alcohol is out of control, I really mean it when I say some towns/city centres have become zombiefied with drunks at night.
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 267
I know this crosses the morality line for some, but once i caught stock of my alcoholic head, and realized what this drug did, and how addicting it was - I immediately decided to get sober and buy a bunch of stock in liquor companies. If used as intended, it "takes the edge off", eliminates consequence, makes people more confident, and trains both your body and mind to crave it whenever the going gets tough. How could the stock of these companies go anywhere but up? Even those who "can" drink, I simply don't buy the "i like the taste" bs. If you are drinking, you are looking for an effect. That effect is liquid crack.
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: London, UK
Posts: 92
Originally Posted by MentalLoop 
I know this crosses the morality line for some, but once i caught stock of my alcoholic head, and realized what this drug did, and how addicting it was - I immediately decided to get sober and buy a bunch of stock in liquor companies. If used as intended, it "takes the edge off", eliminates consequence, makes people more confident, and trains both your body and mind to crave it whenever the going gets tough. How could the stock of these companies go anywhere but up? Even those who "can" drink, I simply don't buy the "i like the taste" bs. If you are drinking, you are looking for an effect. That effect is liquid crack.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 106
Agreed.
Non-alcoholic beer doesn't exactly fly off the shelves. Non alcoholic wine gets more dust on it at the store than the grapes got in the vineyard.
Some of it is a tastes pretty good if one had a taste for beer. So, staying with that line; if it WAS about taste and not effect, the unleaded stuff would sell equally as well.
Non-alcoholic beer doesn't exactly fly off the shelves. Non alcoholic wine gets more dust on it at the store than the grapes got in the vineyard.
Some of it is a tastes pretty good if one had a taste for beer. So, staying with that line; if it WAS about taste and not effect, the unleaded stuff would sell equally as well.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 23
We have a culture of binge drinking here in the UK, go into the city centres on a Saturday night and you'll see men fighting, women on the floor who cannot stand up, people getting thrown out of nightclubs, arrested etc.. Seriously, if you step back and take an objective look at what's going on you'd think WTF. But people don't....it's just a bit of 'fun'.
I mean... you pay 3 pounds for a drink that doesn't taste very nice, that makes you behave in a way you would not normally, gets you into trouble, and gives you a cracking headache the next day.
I mean... you pay 3 pounds for a drink that doesn't taste very nice, that makes you behave in a way you would not normally, gets you into trouble, and gives you a cracking headache the next day.
So it goes
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 1,620
Originally Posted by brickthrowing
Agreed.
Non-alcoholic beer doesn't exactly fly off the shelves. Non alcoholic wine gets more dust on it at the store than the grapes got in the vineyard.
Non-alcoholic beer doesn't exactly fly off the shelves. Non alcoholic wine gets more dust on it at the store than the grapes got in the vineyard.
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 5,678
I think anyone who has been in a&e on a fri or sat night in the UK would be able to present a good case against the premise that most people can drink without problems. Drinking above the recommended daily limit is going to cause problems health wise and I know very few people who do that. Never mind the amount of accidents caused by people being drunk...
I have this argument frequently regarding smoking and drinking. My mother believes that 'at least when you're drinking you're only harming yourself'...which I'm assuming is some kind of brain washing to do with passive smoking. I've yet to see the figures on that but I reckon you could quite easily tot up the amount of deaths caused by drink driving alone. It's not just alcoholics who drink drive, it's practically every drinker and driver I've met over here.
Anyway, I could rant about this all day, it's one of my pet subjects. But I'm reliably told that it will bother me less the further into sobriety I get...
I have this argument frequently regarding smoking and drinking. My mother believes that 'at least when you're drinking you're only harming yourself'...which I'm assuming is some kind of brain washing to do with passive smoking. I've yet to see the figures on that but I reckon you could quite easily tot up the amount of deaths caused by drink driving alone. It's not just alcoholics who drink drive, it's practically every drinker and driver I've met over here.
Anyway, I could rant about this all day, it's one of my pet subjects. But I'm reliably told that it will bother me less the further into sobriety I get...
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 23
Alcohol is a bizarre thing really........ It really is a mind altering drug that induces violence, promiscuity, careless behaviour, dangerous driving. The fact that it's legal is because of the argument that some people can take this drug in small amounts and experience no problems. What if some people can take cannabis, heroin, coke or other drugs in small doses and not experience problems? Why is alcohol addiction more acceptable than other forms of drug addiction?
Drinking causes so many problems. I've been violently attacked before by a drunken person (I was sober). I've been in fights and attacked people myself. How many couples argue over their partners drinking habits, or had silly arguments while drunk? I know many people who have cheated on their partner whilst drunk. How many children exist as the result of a drunken one night stand? I've seen family members hit each other through drinking. How many people have sex when their drunk, only to regret it after and find out they have a sexually transmitted disease? How many fights happen on our streets at night because of drinking?
There are other side effects to our drink culture too. The nations health, the cost to the NHS, extra policing required at night time (paid for by tax payers). Alcohol related illnesses, the list goes on.
I'm in a ranting mood today :P But the more you think about it, the more alcohol really is a silly idea!
Drinking causes so many problems. I've been violently attacked before by a drunken person (I was sober). I've been in fights and attacked people myself. How many couples argue over their partners drinking habits, or had silly arguments while drunk? I know many people who have cheated on their partner whilst drunk. How many children exist as the result of a drunken one night stand? I've seen family members hit each other through drinking. How many people have sex when their drunk, only to regret it after and find out they have a sexually transmitted disease? How many fights happen on our streets at night because of drinking?
There are other side effects to our drink culture too. The nations health, the cost to the NHS, extra policing required at night time (paid for by tax payers). Alcohol related illnesses, the list goes on.
I'm in a ranting mood today :P But the more you think about it, the more alcohol really is a silly idea!
Grateful AA member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the middle of the woods, NJ
Posts: 567
Many people abuse it even if they arent considered alcoholic. Its so easy to get your hands on and I know it only costs me about six dollars to black out on a small bottle of cheap nasty vodka so I can see why many people get addicted to it.
Our society seems to glorify alcohol on TV. I refuse to watch that show Jersey Shore because these reality stars are making millions to go out get drunk and laid every night. Its insane.
Our society seems to glorify alcohol on TV. I refuse to watch that show Jersey Shore because these reality stars are making millions to go out get drunk and laid every night. Its insane.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 23
I agree, I think media, culture and society in general promote binge drinking. I'm all for personal freedoms and personal choice, so I would not want alcohol to be banned. We need a cultural shift in attitudes towards drinking, much like the change in culture and attitudes towards smoking. It doesn't help that bars are allowed to stay open 24 hours, and that alcohol is so cheap in supermarkets! I think bars should close at midnight and 'deals' on drinks should not be allowed - e.g. 2 drinks for the price of one. It promotes binge drinking! Getting drunk is somehow socially acceptable because it's cool and a 'laugh' (yeah right, nobody's laughing when they have a hangover and are covered head to toe in bruises and they have no idea why!).
I spent a month teaching english in north Africa where drinking is legal, but not really 'done'. I used to hang out with the students (we were the same age) and we had so much fun every single night without a drop of alcohol! I had the best time in my life and I never thought about drinking. I didn't miss it and I didn't want it.
I think culture is definitely one of the larger factors in binge drinking.
I spent a month teaching english in north Africa where drinking is legal, but not really 'done'. I used to hang out with the students (we were the same age) and we had so much fun every single night without a drop of alcohol! I had the best time in my life and I never thought about drinking. I didn't miss it and I didn't want it.
I think culture is definitely one of the larger factors in binge drinking.
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 23
But I think society and culture helps promote dangerous drinking habits. I'm talking about weekend binge drinking here. When you go into bars here, they often have such silly deals and offers on. I remember one bar I went to, I asked for a vodka and coke and the bar man gave me 3! I asked him why and he just said Ohhhh its 3 for 1 tonight. Supermarkets sell beer cheaper than water. 3 bottles of wine for £10!. I think there are many, many 'normal' drinkers who do not classify themselves as alcoholics, who do not know they have a problem, but they still go out, get drunk and do something stupid they regret. They may feel stupid afterwards, and not drink so much for a very, very long time. But still, the damage has been done and it was caused by alcohol.
12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
It's pretty common to think alcohol should be outlawed......ESPECIALLY early in sobriety.
I don't know that it should or shouldn't. The problems I had with it ended up being wonderful problems as they forced me into AA, which encouraged me to see that the drinking was just a symptom of something much bigger and more important - alcoholism. When I went to work on chronic alcoholism, my whole life started to change.
Were it not for MY "drinking problems" I doubt I ever would have sought out the "treatment" AA offers - hence, why you hear ppl like me say "grateful recovered alcoholic" at meetings.
I don't know that it should or shouldn't. The problems I had with it ended up being wonderful problems as they forced me into AA, which encouraged me to see that the drinking was just a symptom of something much bigger and more important - alcoholism. When I went to work on chronic alcoholism, my whole life started to change.
Were it not for MY "drinking problems" I doubt I ever would have sought out the "treatment" AA offers - hence, why you hear ppl like me say "grateful recovered alcoholic" at meetings.
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