Why can't adults drink?

[Zierro]

Anyone who has ever been drunk has done something they regret, unless they lock themselves in their houses alone.

 

 

 

Are you trying to speak for everybody?

[walka92]

Anyone who has ever been drunk has done something they regret, unless they lock themselves in their houses alone.

 

 

 

Are you trying to speak for everybody?

 

the only thing i regretted was vomiting on the grass and then stepping in it the next day when i went outside. unpleasent stuff. it was orange and green, is that normal?

[Barihawk]

Anyone who has ever been drunk has done something they regret, unless they lock themselves in their houses alone.

 

 

 

Are you trying to speak for everybody?

 

 

 

The statement is broad enough that I can make the claim. The odds of me being wrong are far outshadowed by the odds that I am right with any given person. Unless you are in the most minute minority, you have done at least something that you would not normally do while intoxicated.

 

 

 

Unless you want me to add in a "Just about" to the beginning of the offending sentence.

 

 

 

Is drinking wrong? Nope. I'd be a hypocrite if I made that claim. I enjoy indulging in alcohol, but I do so responsibly. I've been drunk, did crap I wouldn't normally do. I've seen many others do the same. I've worked in a job that required me to deal with drunk people on a more than daily basis.

 

 

 

Enjoying alcohol is not something to worry about. Getting inebriated for as petty reasons as "loosening up" are a sign of a greater problem. Getting snookered just for the hell of it defies reason itself.

[Zierro]

Unless you are in the most minute minority, you have done at least something that you would not normally do while intoxicated.

 

 

 

Of course you act differently with alcohol but that's not always necessarily a bad thing. People can get over fights while they're in the drunk state of mind, so the argument can work both ways.

[Barihawk]

Unless you are in the most minute minority, you have done at least something that you would not normally do while intoxicated.

 

 

 

Of course you act differently with alcohol but that's not always necessarily a bad thing. People can get over fights while they're in the drunk state of mind, so the argument can work both ways.

 

 

 

How is it a good thing, exactly?

[Dexek]

Anyone who has ever been drunk has done something they regret, unless they lock themselves in their houses alone.

 

 

 

Are you trying to speak for everybody?

 

 

 

I've done things I may not normally do, but nothing I regret.

[Zierro]

How is it a good thing, exactly?

 

 

 

Because being drunk can also cause you to do good things you would not normally not do, such as getting over fights, being more generous, being more open and confident, or coming up with new ideas - all of which I have witnessed before.

[Rebdragon]

As a fraternity man, and as such a person with the educational equivalent of a doctorate in alcohol studies, I agree with Barihawk. If you've ever indulged in drinking and feel you can honestly say that you've never done something you regret while intoxicated, well, either you've never gotten truly drunk or you're quite the rarity.

[Barihawk]

How is it a good thing, exactly?

 

 

 

Because being drunk can also cause you to do good things you would not normally not do, such as getting over fights, being more generous, being more open and confident, or coming up with new ideas - all of which I have witnessed before.

 

 

 

...really?

 

 

 

So instead of putting aside issues as a mature person, you have to force yourself to involuntarily forgive someone. Granted, that's weak. Being more generous? One could make the claim that a fool and his money are soon parted if this is done wrong. Being open and confident as a result of alcohol simply leads to a lack of social development that should be achieved while sober. I used to be very shy and unable to function in groups. By facing my inadequacies head on, I overcame them and became a very social creature. And the entire time I had full control over my actions. As for creativity, I have to give that one to you. The muse may lead to some weird ideas, many bad, but some might turn out ok.

[Zierro]

Now you're arguing that you shouldn't have to be drunk to do good things? :lol: That's irrelevant though. The point is, alcohol doesn't turn everyone into a stupid immoral baboon. I can use your exact argument against you Bawihawk - "the bad things you do when drunk don't count because you're not being your normal self".

[Barihawk]

That's exactly the problem. You are "not" you in behavior. Unfortunately when you sober up, all the things you did while "not you" still happened...to you.

[Zierro]

And why can't the same thing be said about the good things? They were still positive occurences that took place, regardless of whether you were completely in control of them or not.

[angryjoe]

People that don't get drunk are quite boring.

[RichieMcD]

Anyone who has ever been drunk has done something they regret, unless they lock themselves in their houses alone.

 

 

 

Are you trying to speak for everybody?

 

 

 

I'd take his statement with a bit of leeway in it. Obviously if you've only been drunk once, then yes you probably haven't done anything regretful. Now, if you've been drunk say 20+ times, it's quite likely you've done something or said something you regretted. I know personally I have, same goes for most people I know.

 

 

 

The most common one among people usually is getting to drunk and making a fool of yourself, it's happened to me, it's happened to most people, and it's pretty regretful.

[Iamdan]

As a fraternity man, and as such a person with the educational equivalent of a doctorate in alcohol studies, I agree with Barihawk. If you've ever indulged in drinking and feel you can honestly say that you've never done something you regret while intoxicated, well, either you've never gotten truly drunk or you're quite the rarity.

 

 

 

Done something you wouldn't normally do, of course. Something you regret? That's more of an inner game issue than drinking.

 

 

 

I mean in retrospect I would have done a lot of things differently, but I don't regret anything. A lot of people think like this, it's much healthier imo.

[Barihawk]

And why can't the same thing be said about the good things? They were still positive occurences that took place, regardless of whether you were completely in control of them or not.

 

 

 

So let's be generous and say that 10% of the things you do while drunk being "positive" outweigh all the dumb things people do while inebriated. Sounds right to me.

[Lateralus]

The attitude of the American youth towards alcohol is really surprising. It's just such a huge part of our culture in Britain that many comments here seem really strange.

[RichieMcD]

The attitude of the American youth towards alcohol is really surprising. It's just such a huge part of our culture in Britain that many comments here seem really strange.

 

 

 

I'd agree on that, although I don't want to sound bigoted or close minded as it could just be general opinion, but in many of American / Canadian posts there seems to be a lot more of the "alcohol is bad, period!" type crap thought in school. In British and Irish culture, it's pretty much the social norm to go out and drink at least once a week if not more, that goes anywhere from 15 year olds up to 80 year olds.

 

 

 

There should be a rule of 18. You should get your lisence, join the military, drink alcohol, and smoke cigarettes all at 18. None of this 16-21 crap.

 

What's wrong with driving at 16? Some people don't want their parents to drive them to and from school activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quoted from a couple of pages ago but going to do this as a general point.

 

 

 

If you can't trust someone under the age to go out and drink responsibly when they feel like it, how on earth can you trust someone to drive a car responsibly.

 

 

 

I'm not sure if you have the "boy racer" culture in America, but we have a lot of it in Ireland and Britain. As a result, Insurance prices are through the roof. An 18 year old in Ireland wont get a reasonable insurance quote on anything over 1200cc engine size. If anything I wouldn't mind the driving age being put up to 21, as there is so many idiots on the roads right now. And as 1MA said earlier on, I'd put a significant amount on it that irresponsible drivers seriously hurt a lot more people than irresponsible drinkers do.

[i_love_burritos]

The attitude of the American youth towards alcohol is really surprising. It's just such a huge part of our culture in Britain that many comments here seem really strange.

 

 

 

I think the reason for this difference in attitudes is because of a lack of trust. From what has been said on this topic, parents do not build a rapport with their children or tell them about alcohol. Thus when they grow up or reach the age of 21, alcohol seems to be this "gateway" into cool. And something to be coveted.

 

 

 

Suddenly it becomes this insiders club, if you know what I mean. If there is always some form of social stigma or a taboo surrounding alcohol, especially in the formative years, it will make for bad values and misunderstandings later in life.

 

 

 

It'll become something thats overly special or desired or something to be hidden, when really, it's normal.

[Dizzle229]

To expand upon what Adrenal said, I think it's the same for drugs and smoking.

 

 

 

Once again using Prohibition as an example, the minute you tell someone they can't do something, it becomes more exciting for them when they do it.

[Iamdan]

And why can't the same thing be said about the good things? They were still positive occurences that took place, regardless of whether you were completely in control of them or not.

 

 

 

So let's be generous and say that 10% of the things you do while drunk being "positive" outweigh all the dumb things people do while inebriated. Sounds right to me.

 

 

 

At least in my group of friends, 10% is definitely not generous. Not including the health issues, it's probably closer to 80. The health issues of course depend on how much is consumed.

[Zierro]

At least in my group of friends, 10% is definitely not generous. Not including the health issues, it's probably closer to 80. The health issues of course depend on how much is consumed.

 

 

 

Yeah, in my experiences, I've only had one person who proved too irresponsible to handle alcohol... but he's 15 and irresponsible even when sober anyways.

[Powman3]

I think it's mainly the reason that you're probably still in high school when you're eighteen, but I could be wrong... You never know what sorry excuse the government can use from time to time.

 

 

 

I think alcohol is disgusting, I dunno why I liked vodka. I think whiskey smells terrible.

 

 

 

I will more than likely eat my words in several years....

[RpgGamer]

Alcohol effects your brain development, and your brain doesn't stop developing until you are at the age of 21 at the youngest. Feel free to surf the net for a source, I know it's true, I'm just lazy. Not that smoking doesn't. but two things are wrong with this:

 

1) I don't consider someone an "adult" until the have a full time job and own their own house/living space.

 

2) Smoking also heavily effects your brain and is just dumb.

[warri0r45]

Alcohol effects your brain development, and your brain doesn't stop developing until you are at the age of 21 at the youngest. Feel free to surf the net for a source, I know it's true, I'm just lazy. Not that smoking doesn't. but two things are wrong with this:

 

1) I don't consider someone an "adult" until the have a full time job and own their own house/living space.

 

2) Smoking also heavily effects your brain and is just dumb.

 

 

 

Claims like this don't mean anything. Next time try and add:

 

 

 

1) Precise age group (e.g. 13-18 y.o.)

 

2) Measurement of effect relative to amount of alcohol consumed (e.g. an average of 10 IQ points lower for an average of 20 drinks/week)

 

3) Proportion of population effected if applicable (perhaps some people have greater tolerance than others)

 

 

 

Those examples are completely made up, but information like this is essential to actually know what's going on here. No one in a position of power would be expected to make a policy decision based on anything less (I would hope).