1. Why does the time between taking a dosage of alcohol and the effects matter at all when it comes to substance use/abuse? I was at a work lunch on Friday where I had two steins over the course of an hour and didn't notice I was intoxicated until I tried to stand up.
A drug that you need to ingest large amounts of is less hazardous then one that works instantly, as it allows the user to notice the effects with much greater ease. For example E works almost instantly if my knowledge of it is anything to go by, which means it can be used on someone with ease such as in a drink. With alcohol you need to "NORMALLY" ingest large amounts, so it is unlikely to effect you without noticing.
"I was at a work...stand up" I and most other people from what I know would notice this, I think you just can't take as much as me or others. Some people can't some people can, it's more of a personal thing rather then the vast majority.
2. Are you trying to say alcohol doesn't get you *by* accident? Because alcohol certainly does get you into accidents - drunk drivers are responsible for a large number of deaths every year. Also, you can get intoxicated accidentally. As I addressed in point 1 - I was drunk but didn't notice any physical impairment until I tried to walk. If you don't carefully monitor your intake you can get into a lot of trouble - letting waiters refill your glass of wine so you lose track of how many standard drinks you've had, doing a few shots which don't kick in for awhile. The delayed effect of alcohol is part of why it's so dangerous.
There are laws in place to keep drinkers out of trouble, if you are caught drink driving you will be given a punishment fitting the crime. It can get you into accidents but ofc this is all on your head if you do so, as being drunk from my knowledge is not an excuse in a court of law.
Alcohol does have it's dangers, but so does everything in life. Compared to other drugs alcohol poses much less danger, and furthermore it's all down to moderation to avoid these effect, as there is a difference between alcohol and being drunk
3. So are cigarettes. Marijuana has become increasingly popular. Cocaine used to be an everyday thing for rich people in the 19th century (and you could argue it still is). People who frequent raves and nightclubs are probably familiar with the effects of ecstacy even if they don't partake themselves. Alcohol is really only different because it's allowed.
Were talking about multiple drugs, which I do not fully understand the full details of.
When talking about drugs we must not ignore the elephant in the room, where they come from. Alcohol has been built into our society creating itself as a respectable trade, while other drugs have fallen into illegal and underground areas, this means if we were to reintroduce them it would create an easy way to fund crime and such. It's not fair the other drugs are not given the same rules, but hey life isn't fair.
Marijuana is one such drug, as many places would be easily able to sell the substance here, or get it from hear. From my understanding Holland the pubs get theirs from areas where it would fund crime. Also Marijuana can effect your driving easily as for many it is a borderline instantiation effect, while for the most part with alcohol it's not
4. I guarantee you someone who drinks heavily every day will suffer health issues much sooner than someone who smokes a pack of smokes a day.
This is due to substance abuse, the person is not taking the substance in moderation.
I don't fully understand this due to the inclusion of cigarettes.
5. However small the group, alcohol is still shown to have a negative impact - much more so than other substances classed as narcotics. People under the influence of alcohol are more likely to cause harm to other people by acts of negliugence or aggression. People under the influence of marijuana are more likely to do some serious damage to your stash of potato chips then fall asleep.
Again marijuana is illegal for many different reasons. Drugs don't become illegal for one reason alone, it tends to be multiple factors and implications if they are illegal or legal.
Alcohol can make some people more violet, as I stated I tend to be a loving drunk, if anything I might crush someone as I am a big chap.
We also have to consider the idea of freedom of speech (I think that's the term as it's thrown around enough to not make sense) these are our bodies and we should be able to put what we want inside them
6. You could apply this statement to just about any controlled substance. Using alcohol as a social lubricant is all well and good, but the fact that many people rely on it is rather sad. That you refer to this use of alcohol as 'medicinal' is rather disturbing, if I'm perfectly honest.
Medicinal in the ways of reducing stress, calming people, helping them get to sleep, allowing them to relax and so on (all situation and environment dependent).
As for social lubricant, so what if you think it's sad, not everyone has confidence (I am not one of these people) some people get loads of help after being slightly tipsy, allowing them to know the experience of being confident so they can put their foot in the big old confidence door, and actually get some real confidence in their normal life. I have a fair few friends who gained their confidence and came out their shell after they got their hands on alcohol, and their now living a vastly more fulfilling life.
I know of them was terrified of going to parties and such, and after drinking with them, he learnt that they were all nice, and now he goes with us lot frequently.
Calling it sad because not everyone is good in social situation make me feel your a little bit ignorant I am reluctant to admit, and I hope this is not the case.
