<p>bovertine,</p>
<p>I’m not trying to be mean, but you seem to take an awfully negative view of drinking in general. You seem to be taking everything I say and turning it into a binary-- YES or NO.</p>
<p>I’m not saying it’s NECESSARY. Just that it’s often quite helpful. Why do you insist upon turning this into a black or white thing? It’s not. </p>
<p>All I’m suggesting is that instead of browbeating kids with messages that alcohol is some rank evil, we should be treating it as something that can be good in moderation. </p>
<p>We are not going to make everyone into a teetotaler, but we can help young people develop healthy, moderate attitudes toward drinking that will carry them through adulthood and possibly even benefit their careers, social lives, and provide them enjoyment.</p>
<p>If you don’t ever need to drink, that’s great. I, and many others, enjoy the occasional drink. It’s much better to be realistic about this and tell young people that it can be to their benefit than to try to make everyone abstain. </p>
<p>Look, as far as I’m concerned, abstention education doesn’t work in most areas, and it certainly doesn’t work with alcohol. The key is to teach people how to be responsible.</p>