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Why do people choose to avoid alcohol other than medical reasons?

post #1 of 141
10/29/08 at 3:11pm
Thread Starter 
I used to say that I will never completely trust someone until I've been wasted with them at least a few times, for a variety of reasons. If you think about it, drinking together is a very common and (to me) important male bonding ritual, well depending on the culture, I guess. I have good friends who drink as much as me, and I have good friends who don't drink at all, and to be honest, I connect with and trust the drunkards a bit more. In addition, I find that many of the people who do not drink have other vices - drugs (prescription or not), gambling, some other obsessions, religious zeal, etc. A lot of times it also seems that they also aren't as likely to just sit back and relax with us drunkards and watch the world go by, it's harder for them to slow down or be still.


I am not trying to judge or offend here, but I am trying to understand what motivates people to drink or not, and what you guys think along the lines of my reasoning. I believe that alcohol is one of the simple pleasures of life, whether it's a good pint, a great wine, scotch, whatever. Relaxing at a bar with friends and being slightly buzzed, drinking to your victories, enjoying a bottle of great wine with a gorgeous woman who intoxicates you as much as the wine - those are all things I enjoy. Of course there are also ways that do not involve alcohol, but why not enjoy in moderation?

Obviously I am making an allowance here for medical reasons (serious potential for alcoholism or something, liver problems, allergy, etc). I am much more interested in philosophical or social reasons here. I also understand that there are right times to drink or not to drink, like not drinking at a job that requires you to keep focused, or being obsessed with athletic side of things (although I think moderate alcohol consumption is fine for even the best athletes in the world).

Thoughts, opinions?
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post #2 of 141
10/29/08 at 3:20pm
I drink with meals on occasion, but only in moderation like you said. I haven't been drunk for 7 years now. I see no reason for it.

My rule of thumb is, I only drink as much of ______ (be it alcohol, juice, coffee drinks, soda, etc) as I would of water. I don't have a six pack of water with pizza, so I wouldn't do that with any other beverage.

Also, any hard alcohol I imbibe is usually as an apperatif or digestif (although I usually prefer Greek / Turkish coffee as a digestif). Beer or wine with the meal, but only a single glass. And of course, anything that isn't water has to appeal to my tastebuds, otherwise I have no reason to drink it (i.e. Vodka tastes horrible to me, so I don't ever drink it).
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post #3 of 141
10/29/08 at 3:37pm
I've significantly cut down my drinking as I've spent more time considering my body and fitness, because alcohol and muscle growth just do not work together. I think it's causation that I've seen an increase in the latter as I've decreased the former.

I by no means shun drinking and love going out drinking with friends, am happy to get wasted when the situation calls for it, will never shun nice wine with a wonderful dinner, will use it as a means of bringing people together and love doing it for celebratory reasons.

But waking up hungover is awful, and can damage the next day.

One more thing: I think the consideration of marijuana as an alternative to alcohol is socially relevant and that our country permits dangerous, excessive consumption of alcohol but not marijuana is counterintuitive.
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post #4 of 141
10/29/08 at 4:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by blank View Post
...waking up hungover is awful...
/thread
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post #5 of 141
10/29/08 at 4:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by blank View Post
One more thing: I think the consideration of marijuana as an alternative to alcohol is socially relevant and that our country permits dangerous, excessive consumption of alcohol but not marijuana is counterintuitive.

I would agree with this. Not only is it relevant, but the discussion has become unavoidable since the recent studies of the human endocannabinoid system and how cannabis works through it to cure many ailments. A quick google search will reveal that it is an anti-inflammatory, relieves pain, aids digestion, stimulates appetite (well we knew that), cures nausea, and even shrinks tumors by cutting off their blood supply. It is the most medicinal plant known to man and is far safer than alcohol and cigarettes. No one has ever died from marijuana consumption.

Not that i don't enjoy a drink now and then or a few glasses of wine with dinner, but the price of excessive alcohol consumption is not usually worth what you get the next morning.
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post #6 of 141
10/29/08 at 4:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Opermann View Post
I would agree with this. Not only is it relevant, but the discussion has become unavoidable since the recent studies of the human endocannabinoid system and how cannabis works through it to cure many ailments. A quick google search will reveal that it is an anti-inflammatory, relieves pain, aids digestion, stimulates appetite (well we knew that), cures nausea, and even shrinks tumors by cutting off their blood supply. It is the most medicinal plant known to man and is far safer than alcohol and cigarettes. No one has ever died from marijuana consumption.
Not trying to be a buzz-kill, but this is a naive statement. By far the most common way to consume marijuana is through the use of smoking it, whether be a joint, bong, ect. Smoke from marijuana has as much or more tar and hazardous materials than tobacco smoke. Like it's legal brethren, smoking cannabis has incremental effects over periods of time that lead to not only greater risks of cancer (and potential for death), but emphysema and bronchitis. http://men.webmd.com/news/20021112/p...ngs-as-tobacco So yes, it may not kill you immediately after taking it but you can very easily die from the lung cancer it causes. Also, people can kill themselves from doing stupid things like driving when high and getting into a fatal accident. http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/n...atal-car-crash
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post #7 of 141
10/29/08 at 4:35pm
On topic, I like drinking myself, but usually limit the times I drink excessively where I have no clue what's going on to few and far between. I think it's fine way to socialize.
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post #8 of 141
10/29/08 at 4:52pm
Some people get mean when they're drunk and don't like the change in their personality. I'm glad people like this choose not to drink alcohol.
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post #9 of 141
10/29/08 at 5:06pm
i have wine with dinner, mostly for the reservatol. i have about 3 vodka & tonics a year. i think it's basically a poison to the body so i avoid it.
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post #10 of 141
10/29/08 at 5:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by erdawe View Post
Not trying to be a buzz-kill, but this is a naive statement. By far the most common way to consume marijuana is through the use of smoking it, whether be a joint, bong, ect. Smoke from marijuana has as much or more tar and hazardous materials than tobacco smoke. Like it's legal brethren, smoking cannabis has incremental effects over periods of time that lead to not only greater risks of cancer (and potential for death), but emphysema and bronchitis.
http://men.webmd.com/news/20021112/p...ngs-as-tobacco

Sorry to continue off topic, but this needs clarification. The study you cited, from 2002, states that it can cause lung damage, which is true, but it doesn't account for the fact that marijuana smokers smoke less than cigarette smokers overall. It also doesn't account for those who use vaporizers, edibles or oils. It also states that marijuana is stronger than it was in the 60s. This argument is completely ridiculous. Did hash not exist in the 60s? Hash is the most potent form of marijuana and has been smoked for thousands of years. Any link between cancer and marijuana is not proven in this study.

In fact, there appears to be no link in a surprising study from 2006:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...501729_pf.html

Why? Because marijuana apparently cuts tumor growth. From 2007:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0417193338.htm

Quote:
So yes, it may not kill you immediately after taking it but you can very easily die from the lung cancer it causes. Also, people can kill themselves from doing stupid things like driving when high and getting into a fatal accident.
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/n...atal-car-crash

This can be true, but there is inherent risk of driving while high on any substance, whether it be alcohol, marijuana or painkillers. Here is an interesting video showing real-time driving effects of marijuana:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3zou4F00Ic

It remains true that there is no overdose amount for marijuana, that is you cannot die from marijuana consumption alone. OK, back to alcohol discussion!
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post #11 of 141
10/29/08 at 5:29pm
You will like this website:

http://www.drunkard.com/
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post #12 of 141
10/29/08 at 5:30pm
When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading....

Few reasons: expense; health; fear of losing control/saying something to be regretted; taste; physiological reaction; religion (!); peer pressure...
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post #13 of 141
10/29/08 at 5:49pm
My major objection to booze: It's fattening. Empty calories of the worst sort. It's also expensive and bad for you. None of these objections keep me from drinking though!
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post #14 of 141
10/29/08 at 6:01pm
Some people may not want to put the time, money, and effort it takes to acquire a taste for a fine wine, spirit, or beer...I think those people are lunatics and quite possibly communists....
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post #15 of 141
10/29/08 at 6:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by erdawe View Post
So yes, it may not kill you immediately after taking it but you can very easily die from the lung cancer it causes. Also, people can kill themselves from doing stupid things like driving when high and getting into a fatal accident.
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/n...atal-car-crash

Good thing this never happens when we drink legally.

Quote:
Some people get mean when they're drunk and don't like the change in their personality. I'm glad people like this choose not to drink alcohol.

Same. I'm glad nobody gets drunk and beats their wife.
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