AtomicBlue

I agree that alcohol seems so pervasive in society. I would prefer seeing less density of locations selling alcohol. Most importantly I’d like to see PSAs regarding the potential health dangers and other problems that can be caused by alcohol (beyond drinking and driving). Things like we’ve all seen for tobacco.

But, at the end of the day none of that is going to change anything regarding me and my sobriety.

August252015

I'd also like to add something I look for now, and participate in as one person can.

I use Instagram and FB a lot for admin of the social media of the recovery group I lead. There are a lot of accounts now that discuss the uses etc of alcohol in our society. Some of them are by alcoholics, some by fam or friends, some by people choosing to drink less or quit for various reasons other than addiction....they all promote better messages and awareness. I think this is both useful and meaningful as it hopefully spreads through all media....and beyond maintaining that no ads or companies or cafes or...are ever responsible for addiction, it is also useless to blame our past habits or exposure, or truly do anything besides make efforts or even simply our own financial choices not to support things we feel contribute to excess or worse.

Folks like @weareingoodco, a greeting card business in the U.K. that makes awesome cards loving sobriety....@tellbetterstories2018 who challenge media messages...sharing and supporting these are important to me.

MCESaint

I don't get it being "Big Brother-ish." Because it's totally *voluntary* - you put yourself on the list or you don't.

AND each store, restaurant is SUPPOSE to ID anyway - heck, I think our ballpark states they ID anyone who looks under 40 y.o.

I also happen to live in a State where I can't buy an over the counter allergy medicine containing a form of amphetamine without presenting an ID and having my purchase logged (so I can't go down the road and buy more) -- because it *could* be used by "meth cooks" to make methamphetamine illegally.

That's how seriously we take the meth problem in my state - legal purchasers get hassled because of the ease with which OTC allergy meds can be transformed into illegal meth. (n.b. - it's actually chemically complicated, but you can find YouTube videos to walk you through the process without you having to understand the chemistry involved - risk of explosion/fire is your own).

I dare say alcohol abuse is a much, much worse problem than meth abuse -- and, frankly, I think we're way pass the time of just throwing up our hands (as a society) and saying "there's nothing we can do about it."

I mean for gawd's sake, I had to present my driver's license at the voting booth the other day and it took less than a second for the election official to use an iPad or tablet to use a barcode reader and confirm that I was, ya know, me.

Technology has made the "burden" placed on the rest of us to have our IDs checked when purchasing booze absolutely minimal.

I say it's time to "Git 'er done."

MCESaint.

August252015

I think the idea of a registry is ridiculous. It wouldn't keep people from drinking. It shifts personal accountability and imo create (yet another) way for the alcoholic mind to justify drinking...."I'm not on the registry (yet)"....how about spouses putting someone on there? If you can get a credit card in someone else's name (trust me, you can) then I am certain this would be easy....

Just my opinion. I wouldn't register myself.

biminiblue

In NY there is a ban on soft drinks over a certain size I think. It's a really slippery slope.

I live in WA and pot is now legal for recreational use. It's already led to problems but what was the alternative? Spend billions arresting and incarcerating potheads? That wasn't much of an alternative either. I mean, the term "thin the herd" comes to mind. I don't think anyone is giving support to destructive behaviors by offering alcoholic beverages, it's just a matter of cutting losses. Only about 10% of drinkers are abusing it.

There are lots of problems in modern society, alcohol is only one of them. Trying to manage/regulate things like this don't work. Remember Prohibition? There are some great books and documentaries out there about what a gargantuan failure Prohibition was. People are going to continue to self-destruct in many different ways. Like I said, how about the huge percentage of obese people that clog the healthcare systems and cause their own early disability and death? Where to draw the line? Will we need a device that states we exercise daily in order to get insurance?

I used to skydive. People got injured all the time. They didn't outlaw skydiving. How about driving cars? They're dangerous. ::shrug:: People are dumb - all of us.

I'm super surprised I've lived as long as I have. I should have been dead a thousand times over with all the stupid things I've done.

trailmix

I don't think the list is big brotherish, I totally get that. I mean everyone having to swipe their ID.

I'm ok with showing my ID if asked, no problem at all. I have a problem with it being electronically recorded.

MCESaint

Some idiot who failed high school chemistry learns how to manufacture meth from the internet, and I have to be ID and logged for buying allergy medicine.

Some idiot buys a bunch of fertilizer and blows up a federal building in Oklahoma and if you buy more than 25 lbs of it - yep, you're on a list.

I think the consequences of alcoholism are worse than the meth or the events of the Murrah building. And, if it acts as a last stop gap to prevent an alcoholic from relapsing, I can live with alcohol purchases being "recorded."

If we don't *try* something different, what do we expect to change??

Or do we just want to **** and moan about our alkies??

MCESaint

Aeryn

I took my daughter to the zoo the other day and I was surprised at the negative reaction I had to all the men drinking beer on family day with the kids....it just made me sick. 90% of the families there had dad drinking and mom doing all the work taking care of the kids and dealing with the annoying drinker. There was even some drunken arguing in the parking lot between one husband and wife in front of the kids. Ugh...guess I will never start accepting alcohol even after all this years out of an alcoholic relationship. Sorry to single out "men" I know all men aren't like that (well in theory I know) but I've just become so jaded that I can't imagine being with some man wanting to drink beer at the zoo on family day out. If those guys needed to "drink" to have a good time I personally thought their time would be better spent at home in front of the TV...drinking at the zoo is NOT quality time with the kids...gross. JMO. And I realize my reaction may not be normal but it's just how I feel I have zero tolerance for that kind of thing at this point in my life. And people wonder why I don't date...yeah no thanks to dealing with that.

I'm sure there were some women drinking too they just weren't as visible about it I guess.....

But back on topic...alcohol at the zoo? Really?

trailmix

A casino is a controlled environment with multiple opportunities to scan an ID (I still prefer not to have mine scanned).

Alcohol is everywhere (even at the supermarket and zoo apparently!), controlling it that way would be unmanageable.

Plus in theory you probably wouldn't send someone else in to gamble for you (although you could) but you could easily get someone to buy alcohol for you (like your drinking buddy sitting next to you).

While that may not be feasible, new approaches are needed I suppose. I guess I have given up on the whole thing. As long as alcohol brings in tax dollars there is not the will to stop people from drinking really.

dandylion

MCESaint…..do you remember Prohibition? I do....and, it was so much fun....
Sometimes, I would go out with my girlfriends, and we would go to some dancing spots, on Saturday night....
We would have these secret words, that could get us into a basement room in some buildings.....It was all so secret...which made it all the more "adventuresome" for us girls....lol...We didn't have IDs...because none of us had a car or a driving license....We usually just took the trolly….
One thing that I could never understand, in those days...is how some people became "winos" or "drunkards"....(I used to see them, in the alleyways)….because the Devils Brew was not sold and it was illegal....only to be had when one used the secret words....

Oh, well...things seem so different, these days....
It is just that this thread triggered so many memories, for me....

dandylion

CMESaint…….here is a link to some photos that I found in one of my old trunks.....they are of Carrie Nation.....
She was very passionate and opinionated---but, I thought she was a lot of fun, too.....

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...tion&FORM=IGRE

trailmix

This is great dandylion, thanks for linking that. She was certainly feisty!

biminiblue

dandylion, how could you remember Prohibition? Or was your post tongue-in-cheek? Or, I guess I didn't realize you were of drinking age in the 1930s!

Prohibition sounds good on paper. So does government or businesses checking-up-on our consumption.

Until you actually think about it.

The principal is good. The consequences not so much.

dandylion

bimini………….it was tongue in cheek. I wondered who would catch that.....especially , that Carrie Nation and I were girlfriends...…

Bad dandylion!

biminiblue

You're a very tech savvy 110 year old.

trailmix

Imagine if Carrie could tweet! I'm glad there was no twitter back then, not nearly as interesting.

Although, Carrie is a tad scary.

dandylion

trailmix…..OMG....


***Folks---my "thanks" button, on the screen is broken....hope it gets fixed soon....

August252015

Stating the obv here.....Prohibition didn't work.

MCESaint

Stating the obvious: I've not asked for prohibition of any kind.

Re-stating the obvious: We already have laws that REQUIRE sellers of alcohol to CHECK IDs to make sure that the person is old enough to buy alcohol - the legal age limit in every state being 21 y.o.

It may well be that you can buy booze everywhere .... but, that just means the sellers OUGHT to be checking IDs to make sure no one under the age of 21 y.o. can buy alcohol illegally.

All this would do is extend an idea already used in SOME STATES for problem gamblers to *voluntarily" place themselves on a "do not admit list" to problem drinkers who could *voluntarily* put themselves on a "do not sell booze to list," and tie it in with CODED information already on your driver's license (or state ID) and extending the requirement to check the ID to *all* purchasers of alcohol - even to those who *appear* be over the age of 21 y.o. (and aren't looks deceiving anyway). And many places already use machines to ensure that the ID presented is a real, actual ID - not a forged or stolen one.

Combine part A (check ID) with part B (use machine to read bar code).

And voila!!

How *anyone* gets "prohibition" out of that proposal puzzles the living daylights out of me. Unless people don't actually remember what prohibition was.

If a friend or client came to me and said, "I got a drinking problem don't give me the keys to the liquor cabinet or let me into the fridge to grab a beer," I wouldn't 10 days later say here ya go buddy - take the keys and grab yourself a brewski.

MCESaint

biminiblue

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