Alchohol Culture

[Miserabilia]

What do you think of our alchohol culture?

I'm probably going to start off on a rant now,
but I wouldn't even be angry at this if it wern't for everyone giving me shit for NOT drinking.

Nowadays, when people are finally becoming aware of health; what foods are healthy, that smoking is bad.

Why. why. whyyy.
Is alchohol forced upon you.

It's. Literaly. Poison.
People that are drunk are poisoned in their brains. They get in accidents, brain damage, and alot of people actualy become less nice and get in fights.
alchohol makes people do instinctive crazy things.

In this day and age, we should realize that we need to start treating alchohol as a DRUG, not something that everyone can get.
Why are there no strict alchohol laws?
Why is there no strict controll for drinking age?

It's society and group pressure. Constantly I am expected to drink. I'm 15 and it's strange to people that I don't drink and smoke.
What standards are these?
They're not mine.

I can't even go to a simple family party without some people getting weed and everyone automaticaly assumes that I want to smoke weed and drink beer.

Why????? I don't want to. I made this clear many times.
Every time.
And people are like "are you suuuure?"

I have to fucking explain it again, then they go to "oh , when you get older" mode.
Yes, I suppose that I will start drinking and smoking when I'm older and making bad unhealthy decisions in my life, if everyone keeps fucking pushing me to do so.

I've yet to hear a good argument. It's all habituation and societal and group pressure.
I understand the releiving effect of drugs. I udnerstand that people want it to feel better.
I don't understand why everyone is always expecting to drink.
Once you're older than 14, it's almost fucking obligatory to drink and smoke.

Why?
We are finally starting to deal with fast food and smoking. Why isn't alchohol on this list?

You're at a party; what is everyone drinking? Alchoholic drinks.
This drinking culture starts at children's parties.
It's not "normal" to hand out and offer water.
It's always lemonade.
Even kids that prefer water will learn to drink lemonade at parties. I know because this was the case for me.
You learn to not ask for water at a party because you'll fall out of the group.

As you get older that switches to alchohol.

I'm just really sick of it.
/rant

anyway what do you think about alchohol regulations and how accepted alchohol is in culture?

[CosmicNoodle]

I dislike it, admitedly I drink, and I sometimes do weed, and I know it's damaging and self destrcutive, but when your me, that's on the bottom of your list.

I don't drink because I enjoy it, I only ever drink if I intend to hurt myself, when I drink, I drink to damage myself, thats about it, I don't drink at artys, I dont drink for recriation, I dislike the taste and smell, I dislike the price and the stigma that comes with it, I dislike the way so many young people drink it, I dislike the way it destroys lives, I hate alcohol, but I still drink it because, well, you know why /Hypocrite

I do weed because it's relaxing, and because I don't care about any ill effect, of wich there currently seem to be none, sometimes when I'm stressed for weeks on end I just want it to stop for a few hours so I'll go to the dealer and but a single joints worth and just relax and not care for a little while. But I don't reccomend it.

Much like you cheesee, I hate the way society forces it upon people, as if it's a social obligation that you have to partake, overall, yep, I basically agree with what you said in your rant.

[Miserabilia]

I dislike it, admitedly I drink, and I sometimes do weed, and I know it's damaging and self destrcutive, but when your me, that's on the bottom of your list.

I don't drink because I enjoy it, I only ever drink if I intend to hurt myself, when I drink, I drink to damage myself, thats about it, I don't drink at artys, I dont drink for recriation, I dislike the taste and smell, I dislike the price and the stigma that comes with it, I dislike the way so many young people drink it, I dislike the way it destroys lives, I hate alcohol, but I still drink it because, well, you know why /Hypocrite

I do weed because it's relaxing, and because I don't care about any ill effect, of wich there currently seem to be none, sometimes when I'm stressed for weeks on end I just want it to stop for a few hours so I'll go to the dealer and but a single joints worth and just relax and not care for a little while. But I don't reccomend it.

Much like you cheesee, I hate the way society forces it upon people, as if it's a social obligation that you have to partake, overall, yep, I basically agree with what you said in your rant.

Well that's what I mean; I'm totally okay with like you when you drink for yourself and smoke for yourself and your own reasons; you're not making it a social construction

[JamesSuperBoy]

so many just follow the herd - peer pressure or just trying to be cool whatever then again the advertising the media its all in the mix.

[Miserabilia]

so many just follow the herd - peer pressure or just trying to be cool whatever then again the advertising the media its all in the mix.

aggree 100%

[Stronk Serb]

I had a party. I served fizzy drinks and booze, some people said they shouldn't drink and I was like OK and poured them some Sprite/orange juice. I myself drank because it was my first time with hard alcohol and I wanted to try it. Drinking 1 litre of vodka was a very, very bad idea. I could barely walk, but I stopped before I threw up or something. I have my moods, sometimes it's drinking and sometimes I don't want to drink. On a school trip everybody got booze but I was sober. I ended up being the best guy there because I didn't break anything.

[Miserabilia]

I had a party. I served fizzy drinks and booze, some people said they shouldn't drink and I was like OK and poured them some Sprite/orange juice. I myself drank because it was my first time with hard alcohol and I wanted to try it. Drinking 1 litre of vodka was a very, very bad idea. I could barely walk, but I stopped before I threw up or something. I have my moods, sometimes it's drinking and sometimes I don't want to drink. On a school trip everybody got booze but I was sober. I ended up being the best guy there because I didn't break anything.

Pretty much a sum up of the problems i was describing

[DeadEyes]

Intoxicated people usually are very annoying but sometimes funny.

[Stronk Serb]

Pretty much a sum up of the problems i was describing

If someone doesn't want to drink I personally am OK with that. Now there are assholes who always drink and they aren't the brightest. They berate people for not drinking. It's fun to annoy them when they're drunk though.

[James Dean]

As long as they don't drive I don't care. I always hate how there is a family member of mine and he is an alcoholic I'm not gonna lie. But don't ever get into a car with him when you see that he starts to act drunk. He will still drive drunk and one day it's gonna be a problem I can just feel it. So people can drink and have a wine or a beer but don't get super drunk and get behind the wheel. I can speak from experience that it really gets under my skin when something like that happens.

[Miserabilia]

If someone doesn't want to drink I personally am OK with that. Now there are assholes who always drink and they aren't the brightest. They berate people for not drinking. It's fun to annoy them when they're drunk though.

As long as they don't drive I don't care. I always hate how there is a family member of mine and he is an alcoholic I'm not gonna lie. But don't ever get into a car with him when you see that he starts to act drunk. He will still drive drunk and one day it's gonna be a problem I can just feel it. So people can drink and have a wine or a beer but don't get super drunk and get behind the wheel. I can speak from experience that it really gets under my skin when something like that happens.

Intoxicated people usually are very annoying but sometimes funny.

Drink driving sucks.. Also more examples of the bad sides of drinking.
With all this I still don't understand why so many people support it.

[Vlerchan]

I "support" alcohol.

It's a powerful social lubricant. It can act to stimulate social situations. It exists as parties and social events for this purpose. I don't mind the assumption that everyone drinks, as long as it's carried with acceptance for those who do not drink, which is generally the case from experience.

As far as Ireland goes there also have been headways made in creating a safer drinking culture. In the last few years, drink aware (
http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/b?utm_expid=88404947-9.FYDbcasUQfWunlvWp43SHg.1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fm%3Fq%3Ddrink%2520aware%26client%3Dms-opera-mobile%26channel%3Dnew) has been quite active in promoting safe drinking etc., and there's strict laws against drink driving.

[Miserabilia]

It's a powerful social lubricant. It can act to stimulate social situations.

It does this in positive and negative ways. People get in relationships because of alchohol or confess problems by alchohol, people make friends with alchohol and people get in fights with alchohol.
You can't show me objective data to support more positive social effects than negative ones, as far as I know.
If you can, please do.


I don't mind the assumption that everyone drinks, as long as it's carried with acceptance for those who do not drink, which is generally the case from experience.

It hasn't been for me, not at all.
Drinking is a part of social life, and if you don't drink you don't belong. Think of parties fraterneties whatever stupid examples, it's always alchohol.




As far as Ireland goes there also have been headways made in creating a safer drinking culture. In the last few years, drink aware (
http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/b?utm_expid=88404947-9.FYDbcasUQfWunlvWp43SHg.1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fm%3Fq%3Ddrink%2520aware%26client%3Dms-opera-mobile%26channel%3Dnew) has been quite active in promoting safe drinking etc., and there's strict laws against drink driving.

That link dididn't work for me at all, got a different link?

[Vlerchan]

If you can, please do.
I don't believe it's possible. Here's a study done into the negatives of alcohol though:

A subsample (n = 2,550) of the 2005 US National Alcohol Survey of adults was used to estimate prevalence and correlates of six externalities from alcohol abuse––family problems, assaults, accompanying intoxicated driver, vehicular accident, financial problems and vandalized property––all from another’s drinking. On a lifetime basis, 60% reported externalities, with a lower 12-month rate (9%). Women reported more family/marital and financial impacts and men more assaults, accompanying drunk drivers, and accidents. Being unmarried, older, white and ever having monthly heavy drinking or alcohol problems was associated with more alcohol externalities. Publicizing external costs of drinking could elevate political will for effective alcohol controls.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2800345/

In a life-time most people experience at least one issue when it comes to alcohol consumption. I would presume at the same time that everyone has had at least one good experience with alcohol consumption at least once in their lives, whether consuming themselves or with others consuming. That's a completely meaningless statistic though.

I'm not going to argue that alcohol doesn't cause problems. I'm aware of the problems. But it wouldn't feature so prominently in our social lives if it didn't offer more of a social benefit than it did a social harm. Or at least I can't imagine why people would drink if they thought they'd be worse off for it in the short-term for it. I know I wouldn't be.

Drinking is a part of social life, and if you don't drink you don't belong. Think of parties fraterneties whatever stupid examples, it's always alchohol.
Would you mind expanding on "not belonging"? Thanks.

That link dididn't work for me at all, got a different link?
Sure:

http://www.drinkaware.ie/?gclid=CPzRpJjjk8ECFQRs2wodbDkATw

I've followed the above link 5 times now and it worked each time so it should work for you.

[Miserabilia]

Sure:

http://www.drinkaware.ie/?gclid=CPzRpJjjk8ECFQRs2wodbDkATw

I've followed the above link 5 times now and it worked each time so it should work for you.

Yep worked.




Would you mind expanding on "not belonging"? Thanks.



There's enormous group pressure on doing drugs and drinking alchohol for teens my age.
Not drinking results in bullying, being exluded at parties, being concidered a person that is "not fun", many other negative effects.

[Vlerchan]

There's enormous group pressure on doing drugs and drinking alchohol for teens my age.
It's sort of similar here.

At the same time though people were still accepted if they didn't do drugs and/or use alcohol.

And acceptance, from my experience, increases as you get older. Younger teens are just generally idiots.

[Miserabilia]

It's sort of similar here.

At the same time though people were still accepted if they didn't do drugs and/or use alcohol.

And acceptance, from my experience, increases as you get older. Younger teens are just generally idiots.

I guess.
The ranty part about it for me though, is that adults never take me seriously when I genuinly decline offers for drugs and alchohol.
I dislike the assumption that every boy my age is desperate for those things, I find it a bit degrading to me.

[Karkat]

Honestly, I don't understand why alcohol is a center subject here. It's only poison if you use it like a drug, and while I feel people are generally misinformed/under informed on its effects, I feel that people are generally misinformed/under informed on a lot of things. Like oh, everything. We rely on our parents and older family members for a lot of our knowledge, as well, society in general goes- you've got a lot of people out there who drive around with their kids in the back of pickup trucks and think a chicken sandwich from McDonalds is "nutritional" just because it's not a quarter pounder.

So arguably, the fault here isn't so much alcohol culture as... Culture in general. Anything. Name one thing people are actually competent about as a whole.

Also, parties are fairly hedonistic in nature to begin with. Serving water at a party is a bit like saying you want to fast during your last meal. :P I mean, you can have water at a party, sure, but last time I checked the whole point of partying was to "live a little".

Edit: I personally agree that the whole thing is stupid, yes, but people are stupid about EVERYTHING. There isn't really anything in your argument that compels me to feel any differently about alcohol.

[Miserabilia]

the whole point of partying was to "live a little".

I find it somewhat depressing that we need to be on drugs to do this

[Karkat]

I find it somewhat depressing that we need to be on drugs to do this

I meant the lemonade bit.

[Miserabilia]

I meant the lemonade bit.

oh god
:lol: :lol:

[DeadEyes]

Drink driving sucks.. Also more examples of the bad sides of drinking.

Drunk driving not only sucks, it's illegal.