What's the big deal about drinking?

[Pinkros]

Personally, I do not drink, and I am a member in the IOGT-NTO (or at least their swedish youth part UNF), so I'm quite engaged with these questions. But I must say I like there being quite a few people declaring they don't drink. Thunbs up!

I hope I don't insult you here, but I imagine that one of those comments you read where people don't drink would be mine. I'd just like to say that I don't accept your thumbs up. I don't agree with temperance movements, they just seem very elitist to me. If a person chooses not to drink, that's entirely their own decision, and shouldn't be reinforced by any sort of group telling you to.
I mean, I drank for a while, I stopped because I didn't like it. I find that Temperance groups (I was at a meeting of one once, making a film) are just filled with the kind of people who constantly look down on other people for drinking, and take pleasure in inflicting their opinion on others. I feel the same way about people who look down on you for not drinking, but as far as I'm concerned, they're equally as bad.

Again, sorry if I offended you.

Well, I didn't say you had to have the same reason why not to drink, and no, I am not here for the "righteous cause" of making people good templars, I merely want to express my views on the matter. I to like discuss these things, rather than preach about it. And while I might look down on people who drink, I do it when they drink (thus I am a tad hypocritical, but hey, we can't all be perfect, can we?), and I have no problem being with them at other times.

And another thing, for some people it might be difficult not to drink (mostly because of peer pressure) and then you need to hear that there are other people who approve of it, even if it's just some guy at an internet forum.

 

[Nyrad01]

This question came from me talking to my friend about what he was going to do during Spring Break he replied "I'm going to throw a Spring Break party at my house with so much alcohol." And I asked "Do you really need alcohol to have fun at a party?" And he replied with a "Of course; you can't have a party without beer." (He's 21 so he can legally drink)

And it got me thinking what's with all the hype about alcohol? Granted I'm 18 and the only alcohol I've had was a Bud Light that an uncle gave me. But when I drank it, it tasted horrible and said "Why do people like this stuff?"

So the question is What's the deal with drinking? Why do people drink at all?

Man that must suck having a Drinking age of 21, were 18 over here... And I never think it's one of those 'phase' thing's drinking. It's hard to explain, but when your 21, and start drinking a bit, you always get into the mind set of, 'I can drink, I have 20quid in my pocket, fuck it I'll go buy alcohol.' But oddly enough, before you can drink you don't get phased by alcohol as much, so I guess people drink because they can.

 

[SpcyhknBC]

I recall watching a documentary a few years ago that conclusively proved that drinking before the age of 21 is more harmful that drinking after the age of 21. Some of the people involved in the study had started binge drinking at the age of 13 and showed significant brain damage compared to people who didn't start binge drinking until they turned 21. Keep in mind this study focused on binge drinking exclusely, the effects of responsible drinking on people under the age of 21 was not studied.

The drinking age is 21 is very well explained in this article: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/17893

In terms of my personal opinion, there is a certain allure to drinking yourself to the point of numbness every once in awhile, but this is not a practice I participate in regularly. I have a ridiculously high tolerance, it takes me about 10 drinks before I get buzzed, so I tend not to get drunk on a regular basis due to the financial implications. It is a personal choice, and if you don't want to bother with it, then don't. The big deal is, for lack of a better reason, what it is.

 

[ldwater]

I think it all depends on what you want to achieve from drink.

Alot of the time when people say "You can't have a good time without being drunk" are people who NEED the drunken state because it removes any innabitions and they will be more inclined to do stupid stuff. Now that stupid stuff could be really simple stuff like walking around at 3am looking for a toilet or running through the streets naked - but the other side of drink can be all the bad stuff you hear about; getting into fights, falling off things and getting badly hurt etc etc.

Generally I think when people drink to get drunk its because they feel that people won't like them unless they are in 'drunk funny mode' or they feel like they need to be drunk in order to work up the courage to talk to girls & attempt to get laid (which seems to be the main objective of most Friday & Saturday night lurkers).

On the flip side if you know your limits then you can successfully take the 'edge' off the world and allow yourself a little breathing room to relax and go into 'drunk funny mode' but KNOW that your in that state but still retain enough control to not drink till you pass out or do something really stupid.

Getting into drink alot of times is about peer pressure - the whole 'manly' thing of 'drinking each other under the table' and being able to 'hold your drink' - most of it is just BS because everyone is different and even something as simple as eating before you go out can make a huge difference on getting drunk on 2 or 5 pints.

If the OP wants advice on if they should drink or not then I would say try it - beer isn't the only thing to drink, and beer itself has many different flavours and types so just cus the beer you had isn't nice you could find one you do like.
If you drink with friends make sure they are not gonna put any pressure / feel any pressure on you to drink more and more because that will ruin your drinking experiance and make drinking feel like a competition.

Just remember that in order to know your limits you need to have been past it - so you will have some good times and some really bad times with drink; but if you haven't experianced them then you wont know what to expect or be able to handle the situation if it ever occurs.

Sorry for the essay

 

[dmase]

Alcohol is a cure all thats why. By cure-all i mean it cures all personality faults unless your personality is getting dangerous when your drunk, everybody usually gets rid of those guys quick.

Are you a loner that doesn't talk much? Have a couple shots
Do you have a voice no one can stand? Give them a few beers
Are you an overall stupid person? Well if you can sink a beer pong ball your a fucking genius
Drinking games are fun, drinking while playing videogames fun, drinking while playing uno the most challenging game you'll ever play!!!

Beer is an acquired taste so you should probably start with jungle juice, cheap and when you drink it the cool-aid man jumps through the wall all drunk like and then starts hitting on your girlfriend.

 

[Lambchop]

i enjoy drinking. i drink a lot of cocktails, i don't drink to get drunk or that i feel i need to. i enjoy the taste of certain alcoholic drinks. i really enjoy going out to bars and i love a good Sunday sess sitting out the back of my favorite bar in the sun, listening to a live band, good times. i will admit though i find it a lot easier to talk to people after a couple of drinks. i do a lot less drinking now that im a bar tender though, i work during the nights out and the parties

i would be worried if i was one of the people that felt the NEED to get drunk, not just oh lets go out for a few drinks and you end up getting shit faced but you actually NEED to drink til you pass out, might be hanging out with the wrong people...

 

[Icehearted]

I drink socially; I go to bars, find some friendly people have a few (usually a fine whiskey, schnapps if I want to really get hammered). As long as you're a good drinker and know your limit you can avoid nasty hangovers, won't become a dick, and might even meet a few nice girls.

I'm much to uptight to dance with anyone when I'm sober and self-conscious, get me trashed and I've got them lining up (even had a few picking fights over me lol) to dance and get better acquainted.

I noticed binge drinking came up, that's how I used to roll too. I don't go out much anymore (tired of the college douche bags pretending they're grown-ups and bikers looking for a fight) but when I did I'd only usually get my drink on once a week, and I'd fire back close to 10 oz of whiskey in under an hour, and cruise on whatever others started buying for me. Not smart, not healthy, but I've got a really high tolerance.

 

[irishdude]

Although despite this you cannot drink for 3 more years. The age limit is what causes the phenomenon of binge drinking which is unique to the united states. If you've always been brought up in life that *meh* alcohol is a drink like any other and as a kid you are allowed a glass of wine on occasion with your speghetti, there is no rush to finally become 21 and drink your face off.

Oh man, binge drinking is in no way unique to the United States. I know people from where I live, Ireland (which is currently the highest drinking nation in the world) who've basically been on a binge their whole lives.

Dublin on a Friday night is insane, I've seen people drink more than Oliver Reed.

ya any where in ireland on friday is insane and now with national drinking day on the 17th aka st.paddys day its going to be mad craic!!!!!

 

[DividedUnity]

Although despite this you cannot drink for 3 more years. The age limit is what causes the phenomenon of binge drinking which is unique to the united states. If you've always been brought up in life that *meh* alcohol is a drink like any other and as a kid you are allowed a glass of wine on occasion with your speghetti, there is no rush to finally become 21 and drink your face off.

Oh man, binge drinking is in no way unique to the United States. I know people from where I live, Ireland (which is currently the highest drinking nation in the world) who've basically been on a binge their whole lives.

Dublin on a Friday night is insane, I've seen people drink more than Oliver Reed.

I think youre forgetting about saturday and sunday nights in dublin

and also tuesdays i think. students night

 

[PopcornAvenger]

I just wish they'd hurry up and legalize marijuana here in the US. They'll do it eventually. It's less harmful than alcohol and far less addictive.

All I'd like to add concerning alcohol is: be careful. Take a look at your family, your grandparents, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. If there's a large percentage of hardcore drinkers and alcoholics amongst them, you're in danger as well. Alcoholism tends to run in familes, although like any inherited traits, it can skip generations, siblings, etc.

I don't drink any more, but have no problems with any who do (as long as they don't drive, operate heavy machinery, or are on my team in multiplayer ), not trying to preach here. I'm just saying: alcoholism is drinking minus every bit of fun. You don't want to be there.

 

[dclem]

People drink for many reasons. To "loosen up", relax, or escape are the most common reasons. There is nothing wrong with having a few, or even going on a bender from time to time. It is when the drinking becomes the necessity for a good time, or worse- for feeling normal that the problem begins. I used to drink, alot. Spending $100+ on Fridays or Saturdays every weekend was not unusual for me. I used it as an escape from dealing with a bad childhood, a bad marraige, bad choices... Now I have gotten past all that and hardly drink at all anymore. As you get older, most find that the hangovers are not worth it and there are FAR better things you can spend your money on(Like video games!) than alchohol.
I recently got remairried and drank a toast at the reception. It was the first drink I had had in years, and I dont miss it at all. Those who do drink, should drink responsibly and should have the right to. Those who dont should not try to tell them they shouldnt either. It is a personal choice.

 

[Undercover]

I enjoy the occasional beer, but my days of binge drinking are years behind me. People drink for all kinds of reasons, even "the taste" because some types of beer and spirits really are delicious.

Anyone who says they "have" to drink to have a good time is only partly correct. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, giving you false confidence and usually giving people a glimpse into your real personality if you let your guard down. There's nothing wrong with a couple of drinks to loosen up, but if you do nothing but binge drink I have two words for you: GROW UP.

Despite the MTV images of Spring Break at whatever beach resort, there is a serious dark side to binge drinking which involves violence, rape, assault and general stupidity, but you'll never see that on TV unless its a news story.

Drinking alcohol is a privelege, not a RIGHT. Alcohol just like any other drug (And yes, alcohol IS a drug. Its the most dangerous drug known to mankind) can and usually IS abused. Unfortunately we as a species still aren't mature enough to use this legal drug responsibly, despite all the liquor manufacturers telling us to. Yeah, because THAT'LL work.

Booze is the cause of more misery, violence, needless death and suffering than all other drugs combined, and I personally would prefer to live in a world where smoking a joint was perfectly legal, but getting totally shitfaced and making an idiot out of yourself got your ass thrown in jail. And not just overnight, I'm talking full on criminal record.

That will never happen.

Alcohol is so engrained in our society that it will never go away, despite the social, economic, medical and personal issues that come from it. We are a stupid, short sighted, immature, selfish and ignorant species who can't control our behaviour at the best of times, but throw alcohol into the mix and everything increases ten fold.

And yet I still like my beer...

 

[Caliostro]

People are fundamentally flawed. They're weak and scared most of the time, but they don't want you to know. Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that, amongst other things, hampers your capacity to inhibit yourself, "forcing" you to "open up".

In sum, people get wasted for 2 reasons: To forget something, which usually comes from a traumatic experience leading into the self-destructive tendency of drinking yourself into amnesia, or because they don't have the stones to be who they really are, so they choose to live vicariously through false experiences at predetermined intervals.

FYI: I drink sometimes, only when I like the taste of the actual beverage (and to me beer tastes like cat piss smells). I never get drunk as I find it to be retarded.

And you do sort of need to get drunk before you can offer much of an opinion on it. I didn't like it myself, but you can't condemn it until you have experienced it.

That's like saying you can't talk about suicide till you kill yourself...

 

[Fellwarden]

I only drink for the taste, though I know several people that laugh at me because I drink so slowly (in other words, don't chug down the drink to get drunk as quick as possible).

 

[PopcornAvenger]

Tell you what, let's just say "every fucking day". I don't mind drinking, but we Irish can be apocalyptic with our drinking.

Tell me about it, I'm scottish (american version)

 

[Undercover]

I only drink for the taste, though I know several people that laugh at me because I drink so slowly (in other words, don't chug down the drink to get drunk as quick as possible).

It's called being a grown up. Let your friends laugh at you, when they mature past the mental age of 13, maybe they'll understand. Drinking to get drunk as fast as you can is what teenagers do, not adults.

 

[Rock 'n' Soul]

Although despite this you cannot drink for 3 more years. The age limit is what causes the phenomenon of binge drinking which is unique to the united states. If you've always been brought up in life that *meh* alcohol is a drink like any other and as a kid you are allowed a glass of wine on occasion with your speghetti, there is no rush to finally become 21 and drink your face off.

Oh man, binge drinking is in no way unique to the United States. I know people from where I live, Ireland (which is currently the highest drinking nation in the world) who've basically been on a binge their whole lives.

Dublin on a Friday night is insane, I've seen people drink more than Oliver Reed.

You speak the truth, my friend. Ireland was ridiculous.