Thoughts on using alcohol responsibly

MosesY

Recovering Alcoholic
SF Supporter
#1
Thoughts on the responsible use of alcohol.


I write this because I have been a functional alcoholic for about a year now. I hope that my experience can reach other people and can perhaps make them aware of some of the issues of drinking alcohol. My only experience with addictive drugs is alcohol; I have never taken any illegal drugs. I vape some but it is legal. One time a man stood behind me, watching me vape, and told me it was bad for my health. This is why I write this; he was smoking a cigarette and telling me vaping was bad for my health. This is the kind of stupidity we are dealing with today. Anti-alcohol is popular right now. It is the in thing. What I want to do is give you the pros and cons of using alcohol and then let you choose whether you want to use it or not. I will expound some on the cons so you can really see it but I will also list the pros.


The benefits of using alcohol 1) It tastes good. 2) It helps you to relax and forget your problems 3) It is good for socializing; it loosens you up, makes you less shy 4) It shortens your lifespan; you will never be old enough to die of alzheimers or some other terrible disease that old people get.


The cons 1) It makes you drunk, shutting off parts of the brain that offer common sense, eliminates your inhibitions, so under the influence you might do something you regret the next day. 2) If you decide to drink a few and then drive somewhere it can ruin your life. 3) Depending on your personality it can make a “mean drunk”. You might come home from the bar and beat your wife or children. This is not good. 4) It shortens your lifespan, meaning you may not have time to spend with your grandchildren or grow old with your wife. 5) It may interfere with any medications you are on 6) If people know you drink alcohol they will tell you it is bad for you without knowing in any way why you drink or what it does for you. It is popular right now to be opposed to the usage of alcohol.


You have to keep in mind that the same people who are opposed to alcohol will use their phone, light and smoke a cigarette, eat a sandwich, and mess with the stereo while driving. I was told the other day that a blood alcohol level of .04% causes impaired driving. So far as I know no studies have been done between the relative impairment of driving with a blood alcohol level of .04% or using your phone while driving. I would guess the driver who uses their phone while driving is further impaired than the .04% driver. This is part of the reason I bring this to your attention; since MADD became known there is extreme prejudice against using alcohol and driving but those same people turn a blind eye to all the distractions they allow in their car.


I am going to give you two examples of how alcohol can harm your life.


  1. I work across the table from a woman who has a son. Sunday evening he opted to drink two beers with a friend and then go with his girlfriend to a bar to order a pitcher of beer and share it between them. I would guess she drank one glass or maybe two out of the pitcher and he drank the rest. At that point I would have opted not to drive, I would have called an uber or had my parents pick me up or what ever. He chose to drive home. On the way home he got pulled over by the police for having a loud muffler. THe officer smelled alcohol on his breath. He got him out of the truck and performed all the field sobriety checks. The son passed every one of them. Next he had a breathalyzer test. THe first blow showed him under the limit. They had him blow 3 or 4 times more and none of them showed him over the .08% limit. Next they hauled him down to the station in handcuffs. When he blew into the test there it showed him over the limit. He was arrested and thrown in jail and this will cost him thousands of dollars. RIght now it is extremely popular to arrest people that drink alcohol. The county makes hundreds of thousands of dollars off of “drunk” drivers and if the policeman suspects you had a beer before driving he will not rest until you are arrested and in prison. This is something to keep in mind if you decide to drive somewhere after having a beer.


Another example is a close friend of mine. His daughter was killed in a car accident, she was by herself and hit a tree so noone really knows what happened. He turned partially to alcohol to assuage his feelings. He ended up divorcing his wife. After a while he met a woman and they moved in together. This lasted 6 years. He really loved her. She was quite a bit younger than him and ended up leaving him after 6 years for someone her own age. This is when he really turned to alcohol. He became a full blown alcoholic, drinking a half gallon of vodka every two days. He still had a good job and was doing well at his work, was making the payments on a beautiful house, etc. One day he had to take somebody to the hospital and came home about 1 o’clock in the morning. He opted to have his usual drinks. The next morning he went to work and someone smelled alcohol on his breath. They told the supervisor. The supervisor came over and they took him down to get his blood alcohol level checked. It was above the legal limits. At that point the only thing he lost was his job, a $20 per hour job. Next he had no way to pay his house payment. It took the bank about 2 years but they took his house. He had nowhere to store his stuff so they were left with everything he had. It has taken him years to rebuild a comfortable life, from being homeless to being back on his feet again and paying his rent, having a job he likes and friends that support him. All of this was because he took a few drinks before going in to work. This is what alcohol can do to you if you let it.


I have given you the pros and cons. I have given you several examples of what alcohol can do to you. Now it is up to you to decide whether you want to drink or not, how much to drink, and when to drink it.
 

1964dodge

Has a frog in the family
Safety & Support
SF Supporter
#2
before i became disabled i drank heavy when we went to our trailer at the lake. most nights we partied. but i never drank at home or ever when i had to work the next day. i also taught my kids about responsible drinking habits. there is nothing wrong with drinking as long as it doesn't negatively affect your life. and i got stopped for drunk driving when i was around 19 or 20. i had a cop chasing me with lights and siren and never noticed him. i was doing 90 around a corner and almost hit a cop head on. well when i pulled into my friends parking lot the cop that i almost hit wanted me in his cruiser, i would have been beaten. the cop that was chasing me scared the shit out of me and listed all the charges he could do. he only gave me a ticket for uninspected motor vehicle and told me to go into my friends house and gave me a time i had to stay in there. i have never drank before driving again. i was lucky and learned my lesson...mike...*hug*shake
 

Dots

Misknown Member
#4
I feel if you're going to do a pro/con list, the health risks of alcoholism should be listed.

I honestly have not seen anti-alcohol rhetoric whatsoever. In fact, the alcohol industry is growing, so I'm not sure where you're seeing that, but perhaps people are becoming more aware of its risks. Even then, I don't really think the majority care about them, so still, wonder where you're seeing this.

Perhaps in a professional manner it is... not popular, but then that seems consistent and understandable, especially when referring to drinking and driving.
 

MosesY

Recovering Alcoholic
SF Supporter
#6
Your pro aren't really pros. Most people don't consider shortening your life span a pro. In this case you could list anything as a pro - the bottles are pretty! Pro!
Many people here consider shortening lifespan a pro. Many people suffer from constant mental or physical pain. I see it every day. Shortening life span is also listed as a con.
 

sinking_ship

woman overboard
Staff Alumni
SF Supporter
#7
You seem to be taking a weird pro- drinking and driving stance. Drinking and driving is *not* responsible drinking. Just because something like texting might be worse, it doesn't change how dangerous it is to drive impaired.

I'm not sure who all these people are who will freely tell you that alcohol is bad. I would say among my peers and colleagues it's more unusual to be a person who doesn't drink, to the point where they can feel left out and awkward at social and work events.
 

MosesY

Recovering Alcoholic
SF Supporter
#8
I feel if you're going to do a pro/con list, the health risks of alcoholism should be listed.

I honestly have not seen anti-alcohol rhetoric whatsoever. In fact, the alcohol industry is growing, so I'm not sure where you're seeing that, but perhaps people are becoming more aware of its risks. Even then, I don't really think the majority care about them, so still, wonder where you're seeing this.

Perhaps in a professional manner it is... not popular, but then that seems consistent and understandable, especially when referring to drinking and driving.
I wrote this in a half hour. All health risks are covered under the phrase "shortens your life span". This is listed as a pro for people who want to die and a con for people who don't want to die. I am seeing anti-alcohol rhetoric in all the forums I visit. This one in fact. Every social media app. It is very popular right now to speak out against drinking on social media. Maybe I have the wrong friends.
 

MosesY

Recovering Alcoholic
SF Supporter
#9
To me it doesn't seem like alcohol is something that can be used responsibly, because I only drink when I'm tired of behaving responsibly.

I am suggesting that if people drink they should do so responsibly. My opinion is that if you can't drink responsibly then you shouldn't drink. I never get tired of being responsible.
 

MosesY

Recovering Alcoholic
SF Supporter
#10
You seem to be taking a weird pro- drinking and driving stance. Drinking and driving is *not* responsible drinking. Just because something like texting might be worse, it doesn't change how dangerous it is to drive impaired.

I'm not sure who all these people are who will freely tell you that alcohol is bad. I would say among my peers and colleagues it's more unusual to be a person who doesn't drink, to the point where they can feel left out and awkward at social and work events.
I am not pro-drinking and driving. I am just saying that the same people who will tell you not to drive after you had a beer are more impaired than you are; this is hypocrisy. I let people make their own decisions, I don't tell them how to live. I listed two examples of how your life can be ruined by using alcohol irresponsibly. I do not have any examples of a person's life that improved from drinking and driving. There is no such thing. Many of the guys I work with drink and drive; I don't feel it is my job to tell them how to live.
 

Dots

Misknown Member
#11
I wrote this in a half hour. All health risks are covered under the phrase "shortens your life span". This is listed as a pro for people who want to die and a con for people who don't want to die. I am seeing anti-alcohol rhetoric in all the forums I visit. This one in fact. Every social media app. It is very popular right now to speak out against drinking on social media. Maybe I have the wrong friends.
No. It barely touches the surface. Just because someone wants to die doesn't mean they want to suffer the rest of their short lives through liver poisoning and failure. The quality of living would be severely decreased adding to misery. I dont see this as a pro.
 

Sunspots

To Wish Impossible Things
Admin
SF Supporter
#12
If you decide to drink a few and then drive somewhere it can ruin your life.
Many of the guys I work with drink and drive; I don't feel it is my job to tell them how to live
The problem with this is that it's not just their lives it can ruin. If you saw someone walking down the road blindfolded and thrashing a machete around would you still think it's not your job to say anything? Driving a car while impaired (for any reason, not just alcohol) turns you into a lethal weapon. Most people who are impaired enough not to be driving would probably deem themselves fine to drive at the time. They don't purposefully get into a car and think "I don't give a fuck if I kill someone". They'd never do it if they knew what was about to happen. But they don't believe that they're impaired enough or that it will never happen to them.

My friends daughter was killed by a drink driver. She was cycling home and he pulled out to overtake her and misjudged it. He wasn't raging drunk, only a smidge over the limit. But it was enough and her family have been left devastated for the rest of their lives.

I have another friend who's husband was killed by a woman texting while driving. Ironically he had stopped his car and got out to help at the scene of another accident. She was busy texting and didn't look up to see the accident in front. She drive into it, killing Spencer and one other instantly.

Both of these were equally appalling. You can't say "well it's wrong to criticize drink drivers as other people text and drive". You shouldn't be doing either. One does not negate the other. That's like saying it doesn't matter that 234 people died in an earthquake because 367 people died in a tsunami the previous week. They're both tragedies.

The lives of both of these innocent people's families were destroyed. All because two people didn't think it would affect them, that it wouldn't happen to them.
 

MosesY

Recovering Alcoholic
SF Supporter
#13
No. It barely touches the surface. Just because someone wants to die doesn't mean they want to suffer the rest of their short lives through liver poisoning and failure. The quality of living would be severely decreased adding to misery. I dont see this as a pro.
Shortening your lifespan is listed as a con. I can't edit the article or I would take it out of the pros. Liver poisoning and failure would be a mild inconvenience for many people to put up with.
 

MosesY

Recovering Alcoholic
SF Supporter
#14
The problem with this is that it's not just their lives it can ruin. If you saw someone walking down the road blindfolded and thrashing a machete around would you still think it's not your job to say anything? Driving a car while impaired (for any reason, not just alcohol) turns you into a lethal weapon. Most people who are impaired enough not to be driving would probably deem themselves fine to drive at the time. They don't purposefully get into a car and think "I don't give a fuck if I kill someone". They'd never do it if they knew what was about to happen. But they don't believe that they're impaired enough or that it will never happen to them.

My friends daughter was killed by a drink driver. She was cycling home and he pulled out to overtake her and misjudged it. He wasn't raging drunk, only a smidge over the limit. But it was enough and her family have been left devastated for the rest of their lives.

I have another friend who's husband was killed by a woman texting while driving. Ironically he had stopped his car and got out to help at the scene of another accident. She was busy texting and didn't look up to see the accident in front. She drive into it, killing Spencer and one other instantly.

Both of these were equally appalling. You can't say "well it's wrong to criticize drink drivers as other people text and drive". You shouldn't be doing either. One does not negate the other. That's like saying it doesn't matter that 234 people died in an earthquake because 367 people died in a tsunami the previous week. They're both tragedies.

The lives of both of these innocent people's families were destroyed. All because two people didn't think it would affect them, that it wouldn't happen to them.
I am sorry for what happened to your friends. It is a tragedy. Just think; in spite of all the publicity against drinking and driving, people still do it. In spite of all the publicity against texting and driving, people still do it. In spite of my example about how drinking a few and going to work can totally ruin your life thousands of people will do just that this morning. Those people are responsible for their own choices; I cannot make choices for them. If I saw someone blindfolded and walking down the street swing a machete I would do the same thing that I do when I see an impaired driver; I would follow them with my car and call the police.
 
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Sunspots

To Wish Impossible Things
Admin
SF Supporter
#15
If I saw someone blindfolded and walking down the street swing a machete I would follow them with my car and call the police.
But would you say something to a friend who is getting into their car after having a few drinks? Would you try to stop them or would you think it was their choice?
 

MosesY

Recovering Alcoholic
SF Supporter
#16
But would you say something to a friend who is getting into their car after having a few drinks? Would you try to stop them or would you think it was their choice?
Why is it that a person tries to sell you their religion it is a bad thing, but if a person is getting into a car drunk suddenlly it is my responsibility to prevent them from it? It is the same thing.
 

Sunspots

To Wish Impossible Things
Admin
SF Supporter
#17
Why is it that a person tries to sell you their religion it is a bad thing, but if a person is getting into a car drunk suddenlly it is my responsibility to prevent them from it? It is the same thing.
I'm not sure where religion comes into it - it's just another "well if they can do this, I can do that" what if what if... Surely it is everybody's responsibility to try to stop someone from killing an innocent person? Why would anyone not try to stop someone from killing themselves and other people by saying something? If nobody bothers to help, society is well and truly fucked.
 

Sunspots

To Wish Impossible Things
Admin
SF Supporter
#19
I'm not saying drinking alcohol is always bad. I love a drink but I don't do it every day - sometimes I go for a couple of weeks between drinks, sometimes (especially if I'm on holiday) I'll drink every day. If I'm at a party or out with a particular friend the hangover can last for days.

Maybe it's different in the UK but I've not seen anything anti alcohol.

There are two extremes on the scale - those who don't drink at all and those who are non functioning alcoholics. But in between is a huge grey area. It's not a case of right or wrong.

But the medical risks of long term alcohol use are scientifically clear. Cirrhosis of the liver, an increased risk of certain cancers (liver, breast, mouth, throat, colon and oesophagus), high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, dementia, cognitive impairment and depression.

It's a balancing act. Yes, I know the risks and I still drink. But I do so moderately to lessen those risks. That's my choice as it should be.

The problem comes when your drinking affects other people. And often you'll be the last to know if you're affecting others.
 

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