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Attitudes about all kinds of things change from year to year or decade to decade, and this is quite an interesting question to ponder.
I think alcohol is fine in moderation for most people, but I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that the glorification of alcohol is a little bit out of control in this country right now.
It almost seems like it’s expected that American adults be lushes these days…and it’s kind of annoying, if I’m being totally honest about it.
So, should alcohol be condemned like cigarettes are?
AskReddit users shared their thoughts.
1. Call it out.
“Cigarettes used to be considered normal in the late 1900s until people started to realize cigarettes can cause lung issues.
We need to be doing the same with alcohol.
Alcohol is helps contributes to DUIs, assaults, r*pes, and a whole host of other issues.
Alcohol is the reason why college parties are so dangerous.
Alcohol has destroyed and ripped apart families.
We need a public campaign against alcohol like we have against smoking and vaping.”
2. Looked at as “uncool.”
“I think the worst part is how “uncool” it is to be alcohol- free.
Alcohol led me down a dark path, and I quit 6+ years ago.
I get teased a lot for it.”
3. It won’t work.
“They tried a campaign against alcohol in the early 20th century and it was a disaster.
Turns out banning things you don’t want people to consume is a great way to increase consumption, and infuriate the public.”
4. In agreement.
“I 100% agree.
My dad drinks daily. We try to get him to stop but it just keeps getting worse.
I feel like we won’t have him for much longer because of it.”
5. Romanticized.
“I don’t think the problem is alcohol, I think the problem is the romanticization of alcohol and it being a symbol of status (it makes you look cool).
If someone wants to drink is their choice and it should be fine as long as they do it correctly, like never drinking and driving, but I do agree there should be some change regarding the view on alcohol which is mainly positive.
It’s important to remember that alcohol is never to blame for people’s actions, people just don’t know how to drink moderately because they always see heavy drinking in media and it is normalized to get to that point even from a young age.”
6. A bigger problem.
“I think alcoholism is a symptom of a bigger problem, usually depression. If we took away alcohol then people will find something else to abuse.
I think a good small step is to give people better access to free mental health services like counseling.
The more ambitious goal is to give the general public a better quality of life and sense of fulfillment so they dont need those services as much.”
7. Don’t impose your feelings on the world.
“I hate alcohol. I used to be an alcoholic. You know what I did about it. I quit drinking.
I didn’t try to impose my not drinking on the world. You’re saying because of the 1/100 people that have adverse behavioral reactions to alcohol the other 99 shouldn’t be able to drink? Cmon. I guess we shouldn’t be allowed to have knives anymore because people get stabbed. Did you know that 100% of car related fatalities involve cars?
We should probably get rid of cars as well. Man the best thing you can do is live your best life, alcohol free, and when people meet you and see you having fun and being successful, then find out that you don’t drink, they can put two and two together and make the decision not to bother with alcohol as well.
Unfortunately when you go around preaching that alcohol is bad and should be shunned, you know what effect that has on people who drink? Makes em drink more. And people who haven’t decided wether they want to use alcohol regularly see two people.
A guy who’s got a steady buzz on having a good time minding his own business… and you preaching about how alcohol is horrible sounding like you got a stick up your *ss, who do you think their gonna wanna be like?”
8. Short and sweet.
“Denying people alcohol will just make more people want to drink it.
Not to mention alcohol isn’t the problem, people are.”
9. Up to each person.
“People already have fair enough warning about these things nowadays.
Them abusing cigs or alcohol is their decision and they have to face the consequences when sh*t goes wrong.”
10. No bullying.
“You need to stop condemning anything and just educate people on the dangers. Educated people make informed decisions.
Condemning is bullying . And this is from someone who has not drank alcohol in 12 years and does not smoke cigarettes.”
11. Don’t blame the booze.
“Alcohol is not to blame. People are to blame.
Drinking is not the reason people do horrible things, it’s the excuse they use to justify doing the horrible sh*t they really want to do.
If you want to condemn something, condemn being a selfish *sshole, because that is why there are DUIs, r*pes, assaults, and a whole host of other things.”
12. A hard stance.
“The only uses for alcohol should be as fuel, disinfectant, makeshift anesthesia, and any other use that does not have an altered mental state for the sake of casual recreation as its end goal.
I am not proposing a blanket ban on any substance that alters our mental state (otherwise, we’d need to ban coffee too).
I simply agree that the particular mix of alterations that alcohol brings to our mental state is potentially, undesirable, and that the public should not be trusted to self-administer this particular substance.”
13. Food for thought.
“Alcoholic behaviors are already condemned. The difference between alcohol and cigarettes is that alcohol can be easily managed so that it does not lead to addiction.
Nicotine addiction is different. “Casual smokers” are not really a thing in my experience (regardless of who claims they only smoke socially). The people who claim to be “casual smokers” are either already addicted or will become addicted to nicotine at some point.
All that aside, people’s actions should be judged on an individual basis. Alcohol WAS outlawed in the U.S. at one point and all it did was create a black market for it.
Also, cigarette companies (when they were allowed to advertise in the US) targeted younger audiences without relaying the health risks associated with the habit.
At least alcohol advertisements have to put the “drink responsibly” statement in their ads while all alcoholic containers must acknowledge the health risks of consumption.”
Okay, now it’s your turn to make your voice heard.
In the comments, let us know how you feel about this issue.
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