ALCOHOL
Leading By Example: We currently give young people the impression that drinking alcohol is the 'right' and only way to party and enjoy oneself by virtue of the fact that it is the only legal option and most adults tend to do it. At least three of Britain's top soaps are based around pubs and in these soaps, which are also watched by many children and teenagers, people so often appear to be in the pub. Not just in the evening but at lunchtimes and even straight after work. Most adults would probably conclude that this is purely and simply because it is a convenient place for people to congregate for the sake of the script, but what about the children and teenagers watching. What sort of example is this setting and what does it actually say to the young people?
Alcohol Causes Many Problems: Let us not forget, alcohol causes a lot of problems for people. Like tobacco, it is an insidious drug that can quite easily creep up on you in one way or another. Also like tobacco, it kills thousands of people every year. More so, than the sum of all illegal drugs. It is also one of the most provocative drugs known to mankind and, rather than inspiring love, peace, and well-being, it encourages many people to become irrational, confrontational and even violent. Not a particularly good thing. Even if you are not a person liable to become aggressive and hurt somebody else, there is a good chance you could hurt yourself whilst being too drunk.
Crime And Mishap: Seventy percent of accident emergency callouts are alcohol related and fifty percent of all crime is also alcohol related. In contrast, if all those people responsible for the above statistics were smoking hash instead of imbibing alcohol, the above percentages would be zero, or as near as damn it. Isn't there something wrong somewhere? Being drunk is not an especially nice feeling, and when the room starts spinning round, there is only one thing left to do, and that is throw up. Regular and sustained drinking leads many people into alcoholism and many
people are drink dependent without perhaps even realising, or admitting, it.
Where Are The Good Points? After a fairly thorough examination of the drug alcohol and its effects, one can begin to ask, where are the good points in this, THE only permitted and encouraged social and party drug, and in fact, there aren't really any! How strange is that? The only socially acceptable drug has absolutely no real good points, unless you can class loosening a person up and making them feel 'merry' as a good point, and it doesn't have this effect on everybody either. Alcohol is not a drug known for spreading peace and goodwill or for helping with with appreciation and realisation. However, it certainly has plenty of not so good points! People who get drunk are often obnoxious and a pain in the backside, and regular and sustained drinking can make you very fat! And then there's the after effects. The classic hangover, or feeling under par the next day. In this sense, on top of all the other problems it causes, alcohol makes you feel crap, and the older you get the more crap it makes you feel! Not very nice really!
We Make The Bed! Alcohol is a problem and a habit created by society's blinkered and poorly executed approach to social drug enjoyment. At the moment, it's the only drug that is officially 'allowed'. It is also, coincidently, because of all the problems it causes and the good point / bad point ratio, about the worse one of all the available party drugs. Perhaps, therefore, it should not be the only choice given to people, and should not be glamourised and advertised as the right and proper thing. We made this mistake with cigarette smoking in past decades and it's taken a long time to try and put it right. However, until we adjust our nonchalant attitude towards alcohol and perhaps recognise it for what it is, and also perhaps allow people more freedom to choose other options without the threat of getting locked up, the problem will carry on just the same. But then, what more can we expect!
Further article...
Alcohol vs Cannabis - Which is the Demon Drug?