tomcollins Posted July 17, 2005 Posted July 17, 2005 can anyone give me any positive reason why someone should drink alcohol? barring the heart and circulation argument and other stuff basically promoted by the wine interests (which can be accomplished by a baby aspirin), what good can come from drinking even one alcoholic drink? just seems to me that there is only a down side, and any miniscule good comes at a far greater risk of bad. i can list all the bad reasons and results, but i really cant think of a positive. anyone? anyone?? Bueller???
LucreziaBorgia Posted July 17, 2005 Posted July 17, 2005 I like the taste of a good quality beer or wine (especially a good Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon). I like the subtle relaxation I get from having a drink. I'm not a big drinker, and often go many weeks without any alcohol but when I do drink, its going to be good stuff in moderate amounts. I don't drink just to "get drunk". For me, its about sensory pleasure, not 'benefits' of any sort. While my own 'sensory pleasure' might not be a good argument for anyone else, it works for me.
westernxer Posted July 17, 2005 Posted July 17, 2005 Are you saying you're better than the rest of us for being a teetotaler? Talk about loaded questions...
elijahBailey Posted July 17, 2005 Posted July 17, 2005 I just love the taste of good beer. Also, after getting highly strung from work, it's certainly one way of loosening up. Too much can be bad, so you gotta watch your intake. No other reasons.... why do you ask, really... ? Maybe you know someone who's abusing alcohol? Care to share?
Outcast Posted July 17, 2005 Posted July 17, 2005 Some drinks just taste good. Some meals are very tasty with a glass of wine. You don't have to get drunk when you drink.
tomcollins Posted July 17, 2005 Posted July 17, 2005 first of all, go f... yourself westernexer---its probably the only piece you will get anyway unless you can get somebody else drunk----talk about jumping to your usual wise ass conclusions. ( (dont edit this out either moderator--you know thats a wise ass statement he made---he shouldnt spur a horse if he hasnt the balls to ride him) the reason i asked was that i have been noticing the prevalence in alcohol in nearly every social activity, and relating it with other destructive things that people can do to themselves, such as smoking. There have been numerous lawsuits concerning cigarettes as being a dangerous product, but not many dealing with alcohol. personally, i really dont care if someone does something destructive to themselves, its their choice and as long as it doesnt affect anyone else, so be it. That includes smoking, and i tend to side with the tobacco companies, although they used to actually run commercails saying that inhaling menthol cigarettes was good for the lungs (mike Wallace of 60 minutes was the spokesman back then). But look at the laws resticting smoking in public now, and how society itself is turning against this activity. But someone doesnt smoke 6 cigarettes and then beat the hell out of their spouses, or smoke and then kill some innocent bystander on the road. It just seems to me that a substance with all the open abuse of which is prevalent in this society, along with the great potential to have great life altering effects on the lives of others, that one would read about more lawsuits or something. i guess when prohibition was overturned, it really went out as to the thinking that was behind it. so i have one benefit---taste. but is the taste worth the risk of having one too many, or clouding your judgement in some situation? relaxation is another benefit, and i guess it does to some extent. But with the DWI laws getting more rigid, it doesnt take much to get yourself in a bind legally, which will follow you for the rest of your life. You're sitting back, having your 2 glasses of wine, and then you get an emergency call or something, and jump in the car and the first thing you run into is a DWI checkpoint. it might sound far fetched, but stuff in my life has turned just as quickly sometimes, and you wonder how you ever found yourself in some unthinkable situation. personally, i dont like the taste and have never felt the social pressure to drink when i go somewhere where others are drinking. But i have seen people who i respected have "one to many", and you lose a lot of respect for them. A lot of people just dont have the discipline that many of you probably have when you drink. if you were on a jury, and had a case where a drunk driver killed someone, and that family was suing anheiser-bush for promoting a known dangerous product, would that argument carry more weight logically than the cancerous cigarette smoker suing the tobacco company? Just looking for some different viewpoints.
alphamale Posted July 17, 2005 Posted July 17, 2005 Originally posted by tomcollins can anyone give me any positive reason why someone should drink alcohol? Um...it makes women horny and want to f***?
A Fly onThe Wall Posted July 17, 2005 Posted July 17, 2005 Originally posted by tomcollins can anyone give me any positive reason why someone should drink alcohol? It's good for the economy
tomcollins Posted July 18, 2005 Posted July 18, 2005 i agree with you AM. thats good for you with the women, but it may not be good for them. sure it loosens the tensions and greases the rails of social intercourse, so to speak. but i prefer men who dont have to get their balls out of a bottle, and maybe you would like women who dont have to get soused to find you lay worthy. as far as good for the economy, thats correct that the alcohol business is BIG business, and if you are asatellite business of alcohol, its also good. its also good for the car insurance business, the medical profession, and the legal profession. So this is what this thread is about. i am a paralegal for a lawfirm, and we have this case where some guy is "unwinding" with his alcohol ina local watering hole, just started out with a few, etc. etc. never drives drunk, has done this nearly every fri. for years, claims he was in full control even though he's not clear what happened. he now drives, its been raining, his reflexes are diminished (he wasnt going far...), and he "heads on" one of our clients doing 50+, severly injuring her and killing her 2 year old in the rear car seat. he was driving a truck (SUV) and she was in a Honda accord. no skid marks on truck end, and he was way over centerline at impact. now this a..hole blew a .18, and our standards here are .08., and claimed he was having a few after a hell of a work week, you know, just winding down. of course, he received only minor injuries, as usual it seems in these cases. now look at the consequences. Now he is having a hell of a life, whats left of it. so we are kicking around suing him (a dry well---nothing but debt, although he found money for these $5 toddies, and minimal insurance, but we will make him taste his nuts in his throat for as many years as possible), the bar that served him under dram shop laws, and maybe the liquor company that made the drink as an unsafe product. now this guy's life is forever altered, and he has decimated the life of our clients. not only does this prick have criminal charges and will do jail time, he has to deal with the civil liability of it. Upon observation of this child's father, i think this guy had better stay in prison for a long time, because this father is going to pass his own sentence when he gets this scumbag on the outside. i would probably do the same. the point is, whatever upside he was getting from his actions, in no stretch of the imagination does his interest outweigh the risk and destruction he has caused. so when we really comtemplate the social upsides to alcohol, and in light of certain events, they seem minimal. now the alcohol peddlers know that this is one of the effects of their products. just like the cigarette cases. i dont know if this case will ever go to trial, it will probably settle...... but i was just wondering about how many motorist you pass in a car are like this guy, somewhat impaired, and you are just passing an empty chamber in the DWI game of russian roulette. sure, people have wrecks and people die everyday....but this reason is so indefensible and so unnecessary, and for what??? taste, getting laid, and relaxation. and there is a very fine line, it seems to me, from drinking responsibly and having too many. if you only have one, then why not have none??? why cant you drink tea or any other non-drug drink and still have a god time, and get laid?? i was, and am, still hoping for a great upside suggestion for taking such a risk, with such risks being assessed by rational logical people as can be found here. i cant wait to see how their lawyers will defend--i imagine with a lot of 000s on the check.
Craig Posted July 18, 2005 Posted July 18, 2005 Humans have been altering their state of consciousness for eons and they aren't about to stop now. I think alcohol has an overall good effect on society because it numbs the crappy life experiences that so many people have. It's good for the economy because so many people can carry on for years in jobs they hate just by looking forward to the weekend and getting pleasantly plastered or just mildly inebriated. For people with jobs that involve a lot of physical effort alcohol acts as an analgesic and takes away some of the physical pain of going to the same crappy job everyday. Alcohol use also results in camaraderie, drinkers like to hang around other drinkers and even drink the same brand. People relax not so much because of the alcohol after a while but because they have something in their hands that they associate with relaxing. I don't see anything wrong with responsible alcohol consumption and even getting obliterated once every few years. Regarding drinking responsibly or irresponsibly and then driving, I'd be in favor of more reasonable penalties like 5 years in jail for the first offense. Also, why even have a .08 or .10 maximum? Why not just have zero tolerance policy with no driving allowed within 8 or 12 hours of any alcohol consumption? That would eliminate people saying that they only had a couple of drinks (to the cops), increase the use of designated drivers and taxi cabs and reduce the carnage on the roads. My 2 cents as a non-drinker.
A Fly onThe Wall Posted July 18, 2005 Posted July 18, 2005 I don't think you will find an answer that will outweigh the damage created by the guy in your story. I , Like craig am a non-drinker, so for me to say that I believe that there is a good reason would be going against the fact that in my life I have nothing but reasons not to drink.
orta Posted July 18, 2005 Posted July 18, 2005 Originally posted by tomcollins can anyone give me any positive reason why someone should drink alcohol? barring the heart and circulation argument and other stuff basically promoted by the wine interests (which can be accomplished by a baby aspirin), what good can come from drinking even one alcoholic drink? just seems to me that there is only a down side, and any miniscule good comes at a far greater risk of bad. i can list all the bad reasons and results, but i really cant think of a positive. anyone? anyone?? Bueller??? I will assume that you know about the positive effects of beer and red wine on the heart. Consuming alcohol in moderation provides one with a wonderful sensation, and can help to enhance intimacy between partners, or enjoyment of social meetings (when appropriate). Making appropriate wine and food pairings can help to enhance meals, stimulating or cleansing the palatte as necessary. Drinking alcoholic beverages responsibly can be very pleasurable. I think it is a good idea to do things that are pleasurable, so long as one is safe and responsible about doing those things. I can't think of many negative things which can happen from consuming alcohol responsibly, and in moderation. There are a great many bad things which can happen if someone develops an addiction, or binge drinks, or drinks and drives. Then again, you could have lead or poison in your tap water. You could get hit by a sober driver while taking a stroll around your own block, get shot at while minding your own business, get bit by an insect and have a deadly reaction, or kill yourself by falling down the stairs. As for the baby aspirin thing: I like pomegranate juice, which is very good for me. Orange juice has many of the same benefits as pomegranate juice, and it is far cheaper. I'm still going to buy my pomegranate juice. Life is short; enjoy it. Be healthy and be safe.
tomcollins Posted July 18, 2005 Posted July 18, 2005 I agree with you craig. its been going on for eons and is used as an escape from the crappy existence that many experience. and it has the potential of spreading this crappy existence to others who had things fine before it made their existence "crappy" also. people have always turned to anything to seemingly escape from their problems, only to realize that things like alcohol do nothing but temporarily paint over the rot in their life. It never helps, only delays or makes their problems much worse like the loser we are dealing with. There is no upside compared to this situation---i guess its a risk that people decide to take with the blessing of our society. you are correct that they can make the laws much tougher, and i think they have zero tolerance in some european countries with breathylyzers on the cars so that they wont start if a person is intoxicated. (this is easily fooled, from what i have researched.) People in this office have a cocktail at functions and drink responsibly for the most part. i have no problem with it. it just seems ironic to me that you see all this stuff against cigareettes, with our lawmakers even having the "winston" cup banned from nascar because it might promote smoking, and eliminating cigarette ads from magazines, no smoking in public in some area, and not even in bars in NYC i believe. And this doest even come close to the risks to others as well as to oneself as alcohol consumption has. I wonder if one day society will turn against alcohol and all the efforts will be made against it as it has against cigareetes. man has been smoking something probably as long as he has been drinking. and the alcohol industry doesnt come close to having the cash as RJR or the tobacco industry. thats probably why the politicians are going after them, because of their deep pockets. maybe this will be a test case in this area if it proceeds. thanks for the replies on this issue----i have a little better insight on some thoughts by others. I have to go to work now. this issue will be with us forever, and i am not unrealistic enuf to believe that it will ever change, no matter what laws are passed. prohibition didnt work, and was basically repealed so that people could get thru the depression. who knows what would have happened in the hard times if people couldnt have gotten wasted?? Just the next time you are having a few, or see someone else that is having a few and you think they may have one too many, just weigh the risks vs. the benefits. its your decision, and i hope you always make the correct one. Life can change in a instant--- just dont screw it up for yourselves or others by doing something stupid.
MWC_LifeBeginsAt40 Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 There are health benefits of drinking red wine. Do a googley. Also, you know those record breaker 105 yr old people who are asked what kept them alive so long? I've heard many quotes "whiskey and cigarettes every day" or something like that.
tanbark813 Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 Liver disease and head-on collisions aside, few events compare to a good beer festival. Mmmm...
Horse Posted July 20, 2005 Posted July 20, 2005 It's fun to get your swerve on. Most people do it because it makes them feel good. It's a social lubricant. It makes it easier to understand people with thick Scottish accents. I used to go to a small pub in England. There was a Scottish guy who hung out there, who I could only understand after a couple pints. It makes people act like asses and dance funny providing hours of entertainment for everyone else.
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