Alcohol Hypocrisy

[George K]

"The syringe is half-foam."

[Klaus]

Since I have a partner who doesn't drink, I have become much more aware of how deeply alcohol drinking is part of the culture and is treated very differently from other drugs.

[George K]

@Klaus said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

is treated very differently from other drugs.

It certainly is. There are those who say that the impact upon society by alcohol has been enormous.

I had a doc (he was doing a physical exam on me) claim that alcohol is more addictive than cocaine and narcotics. Not sure I agree with that assessment.

[Jolly]

@Klaus said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

Since I have a partner who doesn't drink, I have become much more aware of how deeply alcohol drinking is part of the culture and is treated very differently from other drugs.

True, but most alcohol consumption is not done to become drunk. Maybe marijuana use falls into the same category. Besides those, however, aren't most drugs such as street fentanyl, crack, meth or heroin, expressly done for excess?

[Doctor Phibes]

It's interesting how the view of tobacco use has changed over the years. By the time I gave up in 2000, I'd definitely started feeling like a bit of a pariah when I lit up - it's considerably more the case now.

Of course, smoking is a disgusting habit, and it does impact the health of others too. I. BARELY. MISS. IT. AT. ALL. AND. FEEL. SO. MUCH. BETTER. NOW.

[George K]

@Jolly said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

True, but most alcohol consumption is not done to become drunk. Maybe marijuana use falls into the same category.

I consume alcohol pretty regularly, as you know. BUT, if I feel any sign of intoxication, I stop. I've always found it unpleasant.

Besides those, however, aren't most drugs such as street fentanyl, crack, meth or heroin, expressly done for excess?

Also, the short-term mortality from these other drugs is higher than alcohol. That's not to say that alcohol doesn't have long-term problems (liver, heart, etc), but it's rare to hear of a fatal alcohol overdose.

[Doctor Phibes]

@George-K said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

BUT, if I feel any sign of intoxication, I stop.

[Mik]

Alcoholic beverages were developed due to the lack of clean water supplies in many areas. It's also a food to some degree. I think alcohol can, over a long period of time, be habit forming, but not nearly to the same extent.

[Horace]

@George-K said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

I consume alcohol pretty regularly, as you know. BUT, if I feel any sign of intoxication, I stop. I've always found it unpleasant.

That would be one swallow of hard liquor for me. I would feel the mental effects immediately. But as these things go, in order to keep feeling that, you have to keep increasing your BAC. Holding it steady does nothing.

[Klaus]

@Jolly said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

True, but most alcohol consumption is not done to become drunk.

People who are dependent on alcohol rarely show signs of being drunk. They also often don't drink to become drunk but to change the way they feel. To get rid of anxiety. Boredom. Depression. Sadness. The drunkards who sleep under the bridge are only a tiny fraction of those with alcohol problems.

I have only really paid attention to this in the last two years or so, but I think almost everyone knows a couple of people who drink "too much". The same doesn't hold for other drugs, I think.

[Klaus]

@George-K said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

I consume alcohol pretty regularly, as you know. BUT, if I feel any sign of intoxication, I stop. I've always found it unpleasant.

Maybe once a year or so (usually when I visit @jon-nyc ) I drink enough to feel seriously intoxicated. I can enjoy this while drinking with others, but as soon as I'm alone I hate the feeling. I can enjoy a nice glas of wine alone, but drinking enough to be intoxicated alone would be completely pointless for me.

[Mik]

Well, that's the crux of it right there. One can imbibe without any desire to get inebriated. The same is not true of other drugs...inebriation is the whole point.

[Klaus]

That said, these days there are good alternatives, once one gets rid of prejudices.

0% alcohol beer can be awesome, for instance.

[Mik]

My alternative is generally iced tea. Works for me. I tried a de-alcoholized wine. It was pretty bad. Some of the beers are ok, but I'd just as soon have tea.

[Klaus]

Agree about the de-alcoholized wine. It's not very good.

But the non-alcoholic beer is pretty good these days, and a good cocktail maker can make awesome "virgin" cocktails.

[Horace]

@Mik said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

Alcoholic beverages were developed due to the lack of clean water supplies in many areas. It's also a food to some degree.

Same calories per gram as carbohydrates.

[jon-nyc]

Reducing alcohol consumption is probably one of the simplest interventions people can make to improve health. I get that it’s not easy for everyone in practice.

[Mik]

Yep. We've cut way, way back on it. Moderation claims another victim.

[Renauda]

@Klaus said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

0% alcohol beer can be awesome, for instance.

Agreed. Guinness 0 is such. Actually tastes like real beer - closer to an English bitter IMO, although Phibes might not agree.

Two thirds the price of Guinness Draught, they can’t keep it on the store shelves it’s become that popular here since it came out late last year.

[Copper]

@Horace said in Alcohol Hypocrisy:

That would be one swallow of hard liquor for me. I would feel the mental effects immediately.

I think that is a matter of age, and times have changed too.

In college drinking 10-20 beers in a day or long night wasn't unusual. But now a couple will put me to sleep.

And of course drinking and smoking were more acceptable back then. I tell young people that we could smoke in class while in college, and lots of people did. It is hard to believe.