Alcohol?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Also, your sources refer to alcoholism, which someone with experience with alcoholism in their family will tell you is significantly different than social drinking. Other studies suggest a glass of red wine, and even beer, a day is good for health:</p>

<p>[BBC</a> NEWS | Health | Guinness good for you - official](<a href=“http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3266819.stm]BBC”>BBC News - Guinness could really be good for you)</p>

<p>I don’t even know why I’m bothering, because it’s irrelevant. This is a question of ethics, not science. And this is coming from a chemistry major.</p>

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<p>Because nobody takes science into consideration when making laws…</p>

<p>I still get a kick out of the blatent disrespect for the law. No wonder our society is so screwed up. Maybe we should blame mortality rate and use of firearms to THAT rather than to the ownership of firearms.</p>

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<p>Next time you make an arguement like that it might be useful to quote something that ISN’T Industry Printed</p>

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<p>Look buddy, clearly you’re the government’s shining poster child. That’s fine, because I respect your choice to do as you please. I even respect your choice to criticize my point of view. I’m not someone who breaks a lot of laws, and I don’t support breaking laws, but someone else’s opinion isn’t going to change my thoughts. As long as you aren’t harming me it doesn’t bother me. Each to his own.</p>

<p>Also, unlike the US media, the BBC is actually quite good. Check it out next time instead of your usual CNN/Fox/ABC brainwashing.</p>

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<p>Media is media. And read the article-- you’ll find they are quoting the Brewing Research International. They had better say alcohol has a healthy use. Otherwise they’d be fired!</p>

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<p>As the ole saying goes… please don’t drink… it leaves more for me!</p>

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<p>You can believe in stones as long as you do not throw them at me. I don’t care.</p>

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<p>Although I’m not sure I like hss07’s post, I do like the point he brought up. I know plenty of people who have driven under the influence ranging anywhere from one drink to full drunkeness, simply because they were too afraid to call their parents. My parents have let me know that I can call them if this does happen, and although they don’t condone drinking and have let me know this excessively, they say that they would rather have me home safe. Other kids don’t have this luxury though.</p>

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<p>I haven’t read the entire post, but wanted to point out, when kids get to college, alcohol is everywhere.</p>

<p>The kids who got totally trashed, puked on the sidewalks, and passed out in the middle of dorm halls were the kids who didn’t have any experience drinking in the past. The kids who drank but knew their limits and knew when to stop were those who drank in high school. College freshman are outrageously irresponsible with alcohol, unless they’ve had experience.</p>

<p>I was allowed to drink with my parents growing up, and was taught to drink responsibly in high school. I’m not saying to host your child’s keg party, but I think it’s going to benefit them in the long run if they’ve had some experience with alcohol before college. Against the law? Maybe, but it’s not up to you whether or not your kid drinks in college, you can only influence them to drink safely.</p>

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<p>A few more points:</p>

<p>There is a lot of nonsense on here spreading stuff about how alcohol is some evil chemical that’s horrible for you in any amount. This is simply untrue and there are decades of research to back this up. Yes, you can become very ill and even die if you drink to much alcohol… in fact that goes for just about anything including water (several people a year die from overhydration after becoming dehydrated, especially after marathons). It’s a question of quantity, not whether or not one drinks at all.</p>

<p>Yes Europeans drink more and they are, on average, much healthier than your average American. American’s hate to hear it, but we’re one of the least healthy countries in the western world, period. However, trying to suggest that this is because of alcohol consumption is simply wrong. However, yes some people are very ill because they drink TOO MUCH and not because they drink period. </p>

<p>Alcohol has been part of the human diet for thousands of years (even Jesus enjoyed his wine with dinner). Furthermore, there is plenty of evidence to show that moderate consumption has a POSITIVE impact on ones overal health. Studies show that alcohol consumption follows a similar health impact profile as many vitamins and trace nutrients… those with moderate levels are more healthy than those with none or too much. I challenge anyone on here to show an actual peer reviewed study that shows a glass of wine a day has any negative impact at all on an otherwise healthy individual. </p>

<p>I realize this was slightly off the original topic; however, many people are using bogus scare tactics to suggest that alcohol is some evil substance that will kill you and ruin your life regardless of how much you drink. Yes, very bad things can happen if it is abused, but again that goes for just about anything (guns for a start!). However, moderate alcohol consumption (e.g. a glass of wine a day) is and always has been part of a healthy lifestyle. That’s a fact and can’t be ignored (or suggested otherwise) when discussing these issues.</p>

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<p>I’m a student at a big ten university where drinking is a big part of the culture. At home I was raised that drinking was bad and unnecessary. I’ve completed my first semester of college w/o taking a sip of alcohol. I have always had something to do on weekend nights and do not stay in my room all the time. I do not understand why if 21 is the legal age people can just not follow it! Its the law! Wouldn’t you rather remember your good times?</p>

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<p>Have you chatted with anyone from a law enforcement agency lately? They will tell you that in the majority of crimes committed, alcohol (or drugs) play a huge role. Many of those crimes would not be committed if the person was not under the influence of alcohol. People do dumb things when they’re drunk that they wouldn’t do if they were sober, and many of those things directly impact the innocent without the drinker ever getting behind the wheel of a car. </p>

<p>I’m of the moderate viewpoint regarding this issue - I would not shame my kids into humiliation if I found out they were drinking (in fact, I know they do at college), but I also never sponsored any kind of party for high schoolers where alcohol consumption was tolerated. But to say that the only way a drinker can harm another person is through DUI is wrong… I don’t know if these statistics hold up anymore, but it used to be that Super Bowl Sunday’s claim to fame was that more domestic abuse cases were reported in ERs because drunk, upset men, who’d bet way too much on their team, who then lost, would take it out on women. There’s a strong correlation between domestic abuse and alcohol use… the ‘harm’ goes way beyond what a person can do behind the wheel of a car.</p>

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<p>“Have you chatted with anyone from a law enforcement agency lately?..”</p>

<p>Even if this stat is true, the logic of the point dosen’t hold up. The alcohol didn’t do anything wrong, is was the individual that made poor decisions and decided to get themselves drunk beyond reason that is at fault. Such an argument that alcohol causes wife beating is just as flawed as saying that a gun caused a murder (guns don’t kill people, people kill people). Placing the blame on a drink (or a gun) ignores the actual issues that cause the problems… namely people who make poor decisions.</p>

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<p>Have been giving my older daughter wine/champagne since she was 15 at home or at restaurants. More often than not, when it’s offered to her, she will decline. She was allowed to go to parties with alcohol present when she was a senior in HS. I know she drinks at school, but not excessive. She will be going to London by herself in a few days to visit a girlfriend. It is legal to drink in Lon when you are 18, so I would expect her to go to some pubs and clubs. I trust she will be responsible, as she has been so far. We also do not think alcohol is evil, as long as it’s in moderation.</p>

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<p>That’s an excellent point! People making a bad decision to drink causes the alcohol to help them make even more poor decisions! Guns, on the other hand, do not assist a person into making poor decisions. </p>

<p>teriwitt made an excellent point too. Alcohol does not only affect other people after an intoxicated person gets behind the wheel of an automobile. Alcohol affects the brain (I’d say that’s a well-known fact) and can cause a person to make irrational decisions. It also can cause a person to be more of a risk-taker.</p>

<p>Somebody commented about “if they drink before college, they will be more responsible when they are in college.” Got any proof to back that one up? I have one friend who never drank before college (at least that’s what she tell’s me) who went out and yes she got wasted more than once. Guess who she was with? Friends who HAD drank on numerous occasions before college and they were more wasted than she was!!</p>

<p>I’m still waiting to see somebody give me PROOF that alcohol does have benefits. You guys keep saying it, but nobody is giving any proof.</p>

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<p>The trouble with “moderation” is most teens and some adults don’t know what that is. The alcohol makes them think they are fine and they drink more. Guys think it’s “macho” to outdrink each other and have contests, this isn’t “normal drinking” and I never saw the fun in it.
My husband as a police officer hated the holidays or “big game” days because all the drinkers, occasional, social and heavy, came out. Domestics go up BIG time with drinking and fights and damage and obnoxious behaviour. They used to be able to time it down to a science but it was always sad…someone always got hurt and usually someone died.
People, as a poster pointed out do get into accidents without alcohol. There were almost 17,000 fatalities (not counting just the injured) from alcohol last year, about 25% of the accidents. We could do without the extra numbers.</p>

<p>College kids will always drink but lately it is worse and I’m not sure why…but I know having weekly vomit fests and joking about forgetting weekends and sometimes years is not healthy. No one is talking about casual drinking at school, why the excess is what should be addressed. After one week of waking up hung over, the mind should say, “don’t do it again” unless the person has a problem. My husband saw a student recently go to the bathroom on his dorm floor thinking he was in the bathroom and they had to call for special sanitation people which costs more money…you just have to shake your head. (Imagine the parent that was told that)</p>

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<p>I never said alcohol causes anything. I’m saying, when it’s available to certain people, they are more predisposed to engage in these behaviors that they wouldn’t engage in if they were sober.</p>

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<p>It has been getting worse because we have moved drinking age from 18 to 21. Now kids are doing binge drinking before they go out. Drinking has gone underground, kids need to drink faster and more fierce to carry that buzz.</p>

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<p>“It has been getting worse because we have moved drinking age from 18 to 21. Now kids are doing binge drinking before they go out. Drinking has gone underground, kids need to drink faster and more fierce to carry that buzz.”</p>

<p>This is an excellent point… it’s the fact that for the first 2-3 years one is in college it’s illegal to go to pubs and clubs. Therefore, when these folks want to drink they are forced to go to private parties where there is little to no professional supervision. Binge drinking in a pub or club is quite uncommon (not saying it never happens) as there are bouncers and bar staff there to keep an eye on people. 18 is a much more logical age; however, I don’t see how we could now practically go back (imagine the day when all of a sudden all 18-20 year olds could suddently legally drink).</p>

<p>“I’m still waiting to see somebody give me PROOF that alcohol does have benefits. You guys keep saying it, but nobody is giving any proof.”</p>

<p>I think this is an accepted fact in the scientific and medical community, but here are a few peer reviewed studies to get you started regarding the health benefits of MODERATE alcohol consumption…</p>

<p>40% reduction in fatal myocardial infarction, 20% reduction in cardiovascular mortality: </p>

<p>(Klatsky AL, Armstrong MA, Friedman GD. Risk of cardiovascular mortality in alcohol drinkers, ex-drinkers and nondrinkers. Am J Cardiol 1990; 66:1237-42.)</p>

<p>17% lower risk of all-cause mortality:
(Fuchs CS, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, et al. Alcohol consumption and mortality among women. N Engl J Med 1995; 332:1245-50.)</p>

<p>30-35% reduced risk of angina and myocardial infarction, 20-30% reduced risk of cardiovascular death:
(Camargo CA, Jr., Hennekens CH, Gaziano JM, Glynn RJ, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ. Prospective study of moderate alcohol consumption and mortality in US male physicians. Arch Intern Med 1997; 157:79-85.)</p>

<p>30-40% reduced risk of cardiovascular death:
(Thun MJ, Peto R, Lopez AD, et al. Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly U.S. adults. N Engl J Med 1997; 337:1705-14.)</p>

<p>25-30% reduced risk of cardiovascular death:
(Renaud SC, Gueguen R, Schenker J, d’Houtaud A. Alcohol and mortality in middle-aged men from eastern France. Epidemiology 1998; 9:184-8.)</p>

<p>35% reduced risk of myocardial infarction:
(Mukamal KJ, Conigrave KM, Mittleman MA, et al. Roles of drinking pattern and type of alcohol consumed in coronary heart disease in men. N Engl J Med 2003; 348:109-18.)</p>

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<p>I guess the “buzz” part will always allude me. My whole family never drank a lot, I didn’t like feeling woozy and having my resistance down and susceptible to behavior I would regret. My question is why do they have to binge at all?? Why do some teens (definitely not all) feel such a need to gorge themselves on liquor and don’t seem to have any restraint? Whether in high school or college, most aren’t well behaved social drinkers and that carries over to the college bars where legal age adults are way over the limit before leaving to go home. Alcohol will always be around but the need for so many to continually drink to excess, all through high school, college and adulthood is perplexing. “If” it didn’t exist, if no mind altering drugs existed,what would they do for fun? When parents say “they are going to do it anyway” I think that’s sad. They don’t have to do it, it’s a choice. I also think it’s insulting to the many that don’t choose to do it in high school or beyond.</p>

<p>This from Web MD:According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, in middle-aged and older adults, moderate consumption is associated with the lowest all-cause mortality (that is, the rate of death from all causes). But in younger adults, alcohol consumption provides little, if any, health benefits, according to the guidelines. Instead, it’s associated with a higher risk of serious injury or death.</p>

<p>The CDC has reported that excessive drinking causes more than 75,000 deaths from various causes in the U.S. each year. And what exactly is “excessive”? For men, it’s an average of more than two drinks daily, or more than four drinks at one time, according to the CDC. For women, it’s an average of more than one drink per day or more than three drinks at one time.</p>