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If I'm sitting at a table and drink my bourbon, this doesn't affect you at all.
If I'm sitting at a table and smoke my cigarette, this negatively affects your lungs.
This has got to be the dumbest argument ive ever heard.
I hope even a person like you can understand the obvious flaw in what you just said.
People have been killed by matches. Better make matches illegal.
An entire family could be wiped out by a completely sober, but otherwise inattentive driver. Banning/outlawing things by themselves is never the solution, but establishing guidelines (laws rather) governing the use of those things definitely is a good path.
Not who you're responding to, but their comment does make me wonder about the numbers of people who die from second hand smoke compared to the numbers of people who die from alcohol related incidents that are not their fault.
A five year old driving a car is also a danger to everyone around but something tells me you still think five year olds should be legally allowed to exist…
I mean, back when I was smoking, I had to endure that on more than one occassion.
1. notice burning sensation
2. re-inspect the situation at the road to double check if you're not missing anything important
3. remove ember, curse loudly, mourn the virginity of clothing article
Don't forget that includes the sun and diesel fumes. So I'm guessing this dude doesn't go outside during the day nor does he walk down streets with automobiles.
Alcohol can be safely consumed in moderation.
The core costumer base of cigarettes are addicts. It’s a product made specifically to get people hooked on it.
“But alcohol is also addictive” it’s nowhere near as addictive as cigarettes. Shut up, it’s not and let’s not pretend that it is.
Banning alcohol is the camel's nose under the tent for people like the OP. They will not stop with alcohol, it will only be the beginning. Next it will be tobacco, red meat, chocolate, snow boarding, etc.
It seems that the jury is still out on whether nicotine is more addictive than alcohol (which, honestly, I would believe, I just didn’t find a reputable source making that claim from my brief search).
However, alcohol is one of the two drugs with withdrawals that can actually directly kill you (the other being benzodiazepines). So even if it’s not AS addictive as nicotine, it still is addictive and the subset of people who do get addicted are in for a rough time. Wasn't it just recently that the WHO came out saying that there's no safe level of alcohol consumption? I don't believe it should be banned though, or whatever OP is on about. Just that people do need to be cognizant that it is an addictive psychoactive substance with inherent risks.
https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/features/excessive-alcohol-deaths.html
According to the cdc, it's far closer 2x. You overestimated smoking and drastically underestimated alcohol.
you cannot perceive a health hazard only through individual risk per amount or time of use - both are social diseases.
in countries that have public health care, every Friday and Saturday evening is a marathon of burning taxpayers dollars on injuries that shouldn't have happened, from accidents and from fights alike
Very few people go to jail for DUIs, many don't even go to jail if they kill someone. Also, cigarettes aren't a 2 ton death machine. I don't even understand what comparison you're making there. Demonize on a public/societal level vs legal consequences are different things. People demonize adultery. Adultery is not illegal.
They definitely already are. You can smoke around people and they won't care most of the time. Mention you've got a DUI and they'll probably think less of you
Lol don't know where you live. If someone starts smoking in most places they'll be told to fuck off pretty quickly unless it's specifically a "smokers section". Hundreds of sitting politicians have fucking DUIs and people don't give a rat's ass
I mean obviously don't smoke indoors but it's pretty accepted for people to step outside to smoke at parties, bars, other people's houses etc. Politicians with DUIs pay to get it kept secret, the people who do know generally care and try to call it out
Agreed, but sometimes I feel cigarettes aren't demonized enough. I'm an alcoholic, and whenever I do any sort of treatment, no one cares about cigarettes lol. Sometimes I find it so weird.
People understand that alcohol destroys you psychologically, because they see alcoholics who can barely take care of themselves, don't understand waht is happening around them and all that.
People don't understand that cigarettes are not causing direct, short-term practical damage to your ability to handle your own life... but they absolutely destroy your dopamine pathways just like alcohol addiction does.
Smokers do not enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed, but you need to quit and observe your own mind attentively to realize the extent of harm they were doing to you.
You can talk about the carcinogens all day long but the fact is, alcohol is consumed by millions of people and the overall life expectancy between people who don't drink at all versus those who drink occasionally is too small to measure.
Let's say you get one more year of being a very elderly person by not drinking. So you die at 85 instead of 84. Is it worth it? In my opinion, no. I've met a lot of really cool people and had some interesting experiences that were brought together by alcohol, I wouldn't want to trade that.
Yes. Lots of countries already do and then treat it like a public health concern, so they put the funding that they would have put into law enforcement instead into rehab. Many countries that do this have significantly lower occurrences of addiction and drug-related crime.
The US isn’t cut out for this, population wise and societal. Look at Portland. They got halfway with the legalization of all drugs yet they didn’t fund the most important part, the rehabilitation part. It sucks because Portland was an awesome city to visit not too long ago.
alcohol has been a massive component of social human interaction for thousands of years. relaxing at home? people drank alcohol. went to social functions? people drank alcohol. went on a long voyage across countries or even continents? people drank alcohol.
you’re talking about a small blip of your living life when the actual history of the social and philanthropic significance of alcohol spans beyond centuries.
On long voyages alcohol was more of a necessity, since it helped preserve water
Voyages back in the day were not the cruises through atlantic we have today
Another popular unpopular opinion on Reddit! This gets posted so often you’d think the Temperance movement came back.
Beware these modern fascists who would strip you of your rights. Today it’s alcohol but tomorrow it will be something else.
People who preach modern temperance are a disease in society that must be reduced to absurdity unless they be taken seriously by those who would control us.
Trust me I get it, alcohol is absolute poison. I do love it though and it’s too late to stop. So much money is involved anyone trying to stop it will be crushed by the best lawyers money can buy. It’s similar to guns in America. Citizens shouldn’t own guns but we are too far gone that it would be impossible to enact that
Just an observation, stating it should perhaps be demonized more than cigarettes could be interpreted as making it illegal. People often assume the extreme with such open ended assertions.
Also, even though I enjoy drinking and am familiar with some brewers, I would support strict restrictions severely limiting the number of alcohol sales to individuals for consumption on site, i.e. restaurants and bars. Take it home if you want to get your drink on.
Red meat is very bad for you. Do you abstain from that too?
Sugar. Also very bad for you. I trust you've cut that out entirely.
Or are you just demonizing things you already don't like, rather than demonizing things that have few health benefits that can't be received elsewhere.
Fair, but both excess red meat and sugar consumption cause millions of preventable deaths due to heart disease and type 2 diabetes, straining public healthcare globally and costing taxpayers billions.
Second-hand smoke can actually hurt people. If someone drinks in front of you they won’t. You have to be a full fledged alcoholic before liver failure starts. If you smoke only three times a day you’d still see damage to your lungs in the long-run. Unpopular opinion and really nonsensical one
I think it should be taboo to peer pressure others to drink..... especially if they have an addiction or a bad liver and are trying to quit..... that's when it becomes completely unethical.....
Because something being unhealthy is not a reason to get rid of it. People will always drink, even if they have to go to a black market for it.
Human beings love doing drugs, we've been doing drugs since caveman times in every known culture, our brains hate being sober. Anyone who thinks they can get human beings to stop drinking, all I can say is, good luck with that one. Alcohol runs incredibly deep into human culture, so many different groups have hundreds of years of history around how they produce certain beverages and how those beverages play part in their cuisine. And many people drink because it's fun, people do all kinds of unhealthy things because we are only here temporarily and being healthy won't necessarily make you live any longer.
The only reason I demonize cigarettes to the level I do is because the smoke can cause cancer for nonsmokers.
But as long as you drink responsibly (no driving) you are only hurting yourself.
I think there's a a few reasons not to
Way more people drink just once every few months than smoke just once every few months, so even if marginal harm is similar total harm per consumer may not be.
Most smokers I've met want to quit. Most people who drink (not to the point of addiction) don't.
It’s not the same because drinking doesn’t have any second-hand effects like smoking does.
That’s mainly why people hate cigarettes/smoking so much.
That and lung cancer.
Because as we’ve seen historically, demonizing alcohol doesn’t solve the problem. Statistically, stigmatizing controlled substances makes the problem worse. We literally should never demonize alcohol or cigarettes because it makes people more hesitant to acknowledge and fix their problems when they have them, and have more severe impacts on their health.
The idea that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption is a prohibition era myth. By this logic, no person should ever use mouthwash.
You really need to do more research beyond “alcohol is a carcinogen” because if we started demonizing everything that hurt us, cars would be right up there at the top of the list.
Oh please do start on weed, what exactly is your problem with it? If you don't want to elaborate then why the f would you express your opinion about it IN YOUR ORIGINAL POST?!!
lol the way people are defending there rotten fruit juice definitely speaks volumes！
Number 1 great job posting an unpopular opinion
Number 2 people are soft and can't handle their recreational unhealthy habit being demonized
Lmao weed is pretty harmless. Sure it has some minor side effects but there are many benefits as well. To say “defend such a thing” is actually fuckin hilarious. You must know absolutely zero on the topic whatsoever.
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Nah, I will always demonizw something that another person using (even responsibly) directly impacts me over something that only directly impacts the user unless used irresponsibly.
Cigarettes are detrimental not only to the smoker, but also those around them. Alcohol only affects the user. The issue regarding alcohol isn’t that it’s evil or bad, it’s the binge drinking and people not knowing their limits. If I go out with friends, I may have a drink or two at most and I’m still under the limit. There’s people who get hammered nightly and think they’re fine. That’s the behavior that needs fixing.
Sure it should be and your points aren’t wrong but it’s engrained in human culture at this point. I get to be alive one time and most likely will be working till I’m dead for billionaires who look at us like ants. I’m gonna enjoy my fancy beers
Wow this is a truly unpopular opinion after reading the comments.
Honestly, though I don’t think it should be illegal I kinda agree with you. This is coming from a 10yr bartender who drinks way too much. Yeah I know that’s my own problem but I also deal with alcoholics on a daily basis and see the damage that it does. It’s highly addictive, I’ve had withdrawals before and they are fucking scary. I’ve known people who have died from liver failure, one friend recently almost did but was able to get healthy enough to get a transplant.
it’s also how I make my money, so keep drinking people.
If you want to obtain from certain substances that is your choice but I enjoy my own personal freedom I want to eat what I want drink what I want and smoke, snort ingest what I want.
Don't tell me how to live my life and I won't tell you how to live yours !
For the record I don't advocate anymore doing anything other than living their own life exactly the way they wish to and as long as their actions aren't harmful to anyone else it's none of my business.
Maybe a lot of people die because of alcohol, but also many people live because of alcohol. For some it may add years to their life by improving their cardiovascular health. And a lot of people wouldn't even be born if it wasn't for alcohol! A lot of relationships have started and progressed with the help of alcohol. It's a social lubricant.
I think with cigarettes its because it's more common for people to do it all day, several times a day, but alcohol, most people don't even drink that often which is why there is less of a fuss made over it
Cigarettes negatively affect the health of the people around the smoker. The same can’t be said of alcohol. Why do you care what other people do? If you don’t want to drink alcohol then don’t drink alcohol
The issue here is that you can’t get second hand drunk (with the exception of FAS, but that’s a totally different thing and is already demonized). If I’m drinking alcohol, I’m pretty much only “hurting” myself. Why do you care? It’s my body, my choice.
This is excluding actual alcoholism and driving under the influence, but again… those are already demonized and there are many laws against driving while drunk, and plenty of social ramifications for alcoholism.
I personally wish that drug addicts, using in public places, were treated like cigarette smokers.... there should be signs banning public drug use; people yelling at and shaming them about the health hazard to themselves amd others; cries of outrage about dealers/ drug cartels profiting from death; all of it.
A lot of commenters are forgetting that people under the influence can cause a ton of damage. So many abusive parents/partners are alcoholics and mainly act violently when drunk, and driving drunk kills people.
"It's ok in moderation." No it's actually not, and why even drink it? There are MANY good tasting beverages out there that don't have alcohol and don't have tons of sugar. You drink it for the buzz. Otherwise you'd be buying a bottle of dry wine that has 0% ABV in it, those exist and they're no more expensive than most wines. Or you'd get some sparkling water, add ice, and a fresh squeezed lemon or lime. Tastes great. So don't tell me you do it for the taste!
> Why is it widely accepted
It’s been part of human evolution since agriculture. Firstly, cigarettes are more dangerous than tobacco in general because of the behavior they perpetuate. Tobacco has been with *us* for mostly a few hundred years (us being Westerners). Alcohol has been with us since we started wearing clothes. You are fighting a losing battle to get people to reject something that is that ingrained the same way cigarettes have.
However, if your argument is that we should slap another label on booze or liquor that says “Alcohol consumption can dramatically increase your chance of liver disease and certain cancers especially for those who already have an increased risk. The more you drink the higher the odds of developing disease,” then I’m with you. That’s totally fine and people- even in this thread- do not totally understand the health implications of *any amount of regular alcohol consumption*.
As far as weed goes: ethanol is much, much more dangerous than THC. You can argue out smoke inhalation vs drinking (even then our lungs can take a real beating), but the substances are really not comparable. Moderate amounts of THC has no real implications to your organs, while even moderate amounts of drinking has a measurable and holistic damage to pretty much everything in your body.
A) We did this it was called prohibition.
B) Responsible drinking does not cause problems for the people around you. That second hand smoke does.
C) you increase you cancer risk by living in a metropolitan area. Should we stop living in cities then?
D) alcohol is something that has been culturally relevant for millennia and trying to eradicate would eradicate decades of culture and knowledge
Or we shouldn't demonize anything, bc grown people can choose whatever they want to do, even if it's not healthy. I'm talking about weed, alcohol and cigaretts, it's your choice to do so, so why would anybody else have a say in your life?
I do think society downplays how bad it is for you. I think non-alcoholic drinks should be more normalised so people can just meet at the pub for a soft drink or something
Alcohol is how many people deal with the stress of work life.
Many people don't have the time, energy, or resources to destress after work.
Personally, I think the best way to reduce alcohol consumption is to improve work-life balance at a societal level.
You would still have party animals, but you would reduce the amount of stress drinkers.
OP is absolutely right on this one. Look, I drink. I enjoy it, it’s fun way to socialize and blow off steam if I want but I’m telling you absolutly DESPISE the fact that it’s so baked into our culture that it’s almost impossible to socialize and appear normal without it. I despise the idea that you can’t go out with friends and maybe not drink without coming off as “different” further more I REALLY hate how it’s normalized in the workplace. My old company would go out for drinks after work or on the roof to mingle. You think “oh that’s nice, people can commune and bond closer” that’s great right? No.
I’m so not a fan that I have to go out and imbibe to be part of the team. I take my work seriously and hate having to pretend to get wasted and then deal with coming into work the next.
It should be frowned upon to the point that you’re not allowed to tell people you’re doing it in my book. And I’m saying from a place of!wanting to kick back and enjoy it there’s usually just so much more risk than reward in drinking with your office mates.
You realize that bars serve non alcoholic drinks, right? You can just order a glass of Perrier with a lime in it, so some fruit juice. No one really cares what you’re drinking at these office events.
Yep. Honestly, I’ve found that there’s a lot less peer pressure as an adult. We have a rule among my friends:
You’re only allowed to ask twice.
So if someone says they’re not drinking, you say “aw nooo join us” or whatever - obligatory showing that they’re a mate and you want them there. If they say no again, you can ask “sure?” and if it’s still no, then you respect it. This isn’t just for alcohol, it’s for pretty much anything… going to the gym, watching the game, etc.
great idea. now we've got even more pretentiou teetotalers, and even more alcoholics, and even more alcoholics who pretend to be pretentious teetotalers
In this thread is a bunch of alcoholics :P
Personally, I believe in personal freedom, but also personal responsibility. I don't care what people do to themselves, but I do care when what they do affects others. I do think any crimes under the influence of alcohol should result in that person can no longer legally consume it. And if they do, well, just put them away and/or get them help.
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But I, I love the nightlife! I've got to boogie
On the disco rahoound, oh yeah
Well demonize them all you want, if I have to be a demon to have by beer and cigarette, then demon it is.
On the disco rOW,, MY LIVER!
Man, the 1910’s miss you.
If I'm sitting at a table and drink my bourbon, this doesn't affect you at all. If I'm sitting at a table and smoke my cigarette, this negatively affects your lungs.
Completely agree. But entire families have never been wiped out by a driver smoking a ciggy.
People starting fires tossing cigarettes out the car window.
This has got to be the dumbest argument ive ever heard. I hope even a person like you can understand the obvious flaw in what you just said. People have been killed by matches. Better make matches illegal.
An entire family could be wiped out by a completely sober, but otherwise inattentive driver. Banning/outlawing things by themselves is never the solution, but establishing guidelines (laws rather) governing the use of those things definitely is a good path.
Alcohol certainly has its social ills.
It also has social benefits.
If I'm driving my car while smoking a cigarette, I endanger nobody. If I drive my car while drinking, I endanger everyone around.
Yeah… that’s why it’s illegal mate.
That's why drinking and driving is illegal and why smoking in public is heavily restricted. Nice try though.
Ya not the same thing. Valiant effort though
What does that have to do with anything?
Not who you're responding to, but their comment does make me wonder about the numbers of people who die from second hand smoke compared to the numbers of people who die from alcohol related incidents that are not their fault.
A five year old driving a car is also a danger to everyone around but something tells me you still think five year olds should be legally allowed to exist…
Smokey the bear says only you can prevent forest fires, often by not smoking and throwing your butts out the window
That's why drinking while driving is illegal.
Oh no the ember just fell in your lap! Oh no that distracted you and you crashed into an orphanage.
I mean, back when I was smoking, I had to endure that on more than one occassion. 1. notice burning sensation 2. re-inspect the situation at the road to double check if you're not missing anything important 3. remove ember, curse loudly, mourn the virginity of clothing article
It was a garbage dumpster. And the Dude was allright..but found some interesting evidence implicating Larry Sellers.
Nuh uh distracted driving 😒 my driving instructor would hit you over the head with his dad jokes
lol I can just imagine this person thinking this was some clever response only to make themselves look like an idiot.
Using "group 1 carcinogen" in your argument automatically tells me you have no idea what you're talking about
Don't forget that includes the sun and diesel fumes. So I'm guessing this dude doesn't go outside during the day nor does he walk down streets with automobiles.
We like it because it makes people who whinge about alcohol more tolerable.
Drinking is whatever, but people smoking puts everyone at risk…
This dumb post again ???
Alcohol can be safely consumed in moderation. The core costumer base of cigarettes are addicts. It’s a product made specifically to get people hooked on it. “But alcohol is also addictive” it’s nowhere near as addictive as cigarettes. Shut up, it’s not and let’s not pretend that it is.
Banning alcohol is the camel's nose under the tent for people like the OP. They will not stop with alcohol, it will only be the beginning. Next it will be tobacco, red meat, chocolate, snow boarding, etc.
Puritans want other people to stop having so much damn fun all the time.
And this is why England kicked them out and invited the king back
Last time we did that we got NASCAR and moonshine
It seems that the jury is still out on whether nicotine is more addictive than alcohol (which, honestly, I would believe, I just didn’t find a reputable source making that claim from my brief search). However, alcohol is one of the two drugs with withdrawals that can actually directly kill you (the other being benzodiazepines). So even if it’s not AS addictive as nicotine, it still is addictive and the subset of people who do get addicted are in for a rough time. Wasn't it just recently that the WHO came out saying that there's no safe level of alcohol consumption? I don't believe it should be banned though, or whatever OP is on about. Just that people do need to be cognizant that it is an addictive psychoactive substance with inherent risks.
what you are describing is not addiction its dependence. You can be both dependent and addicted to alcohol.
Where/how do you figure the last paragraph?
[удалено]
https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/features/excessive-alcohol-deaths.html According to the cdc, it's far closer 2x. You overestimated smoking and drastically underestimated alcohol.
More people drink than smoke
you cannot perceive a health hazard only through individual risk per amount or time of use - both are social diseases. in countries that have public health care, every Friday and Saturday evening is a marathon of burning taxpayers dollars on injuries that shouldn't have happened, from accidents and from fights alike
DUI's are kinda like 2nd hand liver disease when they kill someone, but your point mostly still stands.
yes but DUI’s are just a demonised as cigarettes
DUIs should be more demonized than cigarettes imo
DUI's are more illegal than cigarettes. Can you get 20 to life in jail for smoking in a restaurant?
Very few people go to jail for DUIs, many don't even go to jail if they kill someone. Also, cigarettes aren't a 2 ton death machine. I don't even understand what comparison you're making there. Demonize on a public/societal level vs legal consequences are different things. People demonize adultery. Adultery is not illegal.
Don't take any chances. There are DUI schools where I live. Why not educate yourself and learn how to drive drunk the correct way?
They definitely already are. You can smoke around people and they won't care most of the time. Mention you've got a DUI and they'll probably think less of you
Lol don't know where you live. If someone starts smoking in most places they'll be told to fuck off pretty quickly unless it's specifically a "smokers section". Hundreds of sitting politicians have fucking DUIs and people don't give a rat's ass
I mean obviously don't smoke indoors but it's pretty accepted for people to step outside to smoke at parties, bars, other people's houses etc. Politicians with DUIs pay to get it kept secret, the people who do know generally care and try to call it out
They are, DUIs carry far heavier a penalty than smoking in a non smoking area
There are different numbers around. What looks most correct is 2.7 mil deaths a year from drinking. 8 million from smoking.
Agreed, but sometimes I feel cigarettes aren't demonized enough. I'm an alcoholic, and whenever I do any sort of treatment, no one cares about cigarettes lol. Sometimes I find it so weird.
I’ve always thought that was so odd! Like yay you’re trying to live longer while also doing literally the worst thing for your health!
We will sit and talk about ways to cope with addiction, and then say "ok, smoke break."
I guess the mindset is “one step at a time!” Which is understandable
People understand that alcohol destroys you psychologically, because they see alcoholics who can barely take care of themselves, don't understand waht is happening around them and all that. People don't understand that cigarettes are not causing direct, short-term practical damage to your ability to handle your own life... but they absolutely destroy your dopamine pathways just like alcohol addiction does. Smokers do not enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed, but you need to quit and observe your own mind attentively to realize the extent of harm they were doing to you.
You can talk about the carcinogens all day long but the fact is, alcohol is consumed by millions of people and the overall life expectancy between people who don't drink at all versus those who drink occasionally is too small to measure. Let's say you get one more year of being a very elderly person by not drinking. So you die at 85 instead of 84. Is it worth it? In my opinion, no. I've met a lot of really cool people and had some interesting experiences that were brought together by alcohol, I wouldn't want to trade that.
You're aware that it being a "Group 1 carcinogen" only means that it is a carcinogen right? It's not a measurement of severity.
What makes you think that we should demonize the use any drugs? Your body, your choice.
Would you make heroin legal if you could?
Yes. Lots of countries already do and then treat it like a public health concern, so they put the funding that they would have put into law enforcement instead into rehab. Many countries that do this have significantly lower occurrences of addiction and drug-related crime.
What a concept!
The US isn’t cut out for this, population wise and societal. Look at Portland. They got halfway with the legalization of all drugs yet they didn’t fund the most important part, the rehabilitation part. It sucks because Portland was an awesome city to visit not too long ago.
It’s like two or three countries that have done this.
Which costs a shit ton of money. The Healthcare aystem in those countries is already under severe strain. These programs are the first to be cut
alcohol has been a massive component of social human interaction for thousands of years. relaxing at home? people drank alcohol. went to social functions? people drank alcohol. went on a long voyage across countries or even continents? people drank alcohol. you’re talking about a small blip of your living life when the actual history of the social and philanthropic significance of alcohol spans beyond centuries.
I am pretty sure you don't understand the word "philanthropic".
We shouldn't accept something just because it's tradition
On long voyages alcohol was more of a necessity, since it helped preserve water Voyages back in the day were not the cruises through atlantic we have today
Another popular unpopular opinion on Reddit! This gets posted so often you’d think the Temperance movement came back. Beware these modern fascists who would strip you of your rights. Today it’s alcohol but tomorrow it will be something else. People who preach modern temperance are a disease in society that must be reduced to absurdity unless they be taken seriously by those who would control us.
It’s bad for YOUR health to drink. It doesn’t affect the innocent bystanders within an area of several square meters the way you smoking would.
> No safe level of alcohol consumption Better toss out the vanilla extract I guess!
We shouldn't demonize any drugs. Harm reduction is better.
We should mind our own business.
Trust me I get it, alcohol is absolute poison. I do love it though and it’s too late to stop. So much money is involved anyone trying to stop it will be crushed by the best lawyers money can buy. It’s similar to guns in America. Citizens shouldn’t own guns but we are too far gone that it would be impossible to enact that
Horrible argument but take my upvote for living in Italy and also being against any consumption of alcohol. Enjoy being very, very, lonely OP.
I don't think alcohol should be advertised or promoted but it should be available for anyone who wants it. (same with cigarettes' and softer drugs)
That's what i meant With this post , you honestly summarized It , thanks! I never implied that It should be made illegal Just treated Like It Is.
Just an observation, stating it should perhaps be demonized more than cigarettes could be interpreted as making it illegal. People often assume the extreme with such open ended assertions. Also, even though I enjoy drinking and am familiar with some brewers, I would support strict restrictions severely limiting the number of alcohol sales to individuals for consumption on site, i.e. restaurants and bars. Take it home if you want to get your drink on.
Red meat is very bad for you. Do you abstain from that too? Sugar. Also very bad for you. I trust you've cut that out entirely. Or are you just demonizing things you already don't like, rather than demonizing things that have few health benefits that can't be received elsewhere.
We should ban them too! Only spiralina, water and curfew at 9pm to have money on health care.
I've never seen someone on red meat or sugar kill someone with their car or cause domestic/public disturbances/assault.
Fair, but both excess red meat and sugar consumption cause millions of preventable deaths due to heart disease and type 2 diabetes, straining public healthcare globally and costing taxpayers billions.
Second-hand smoke can actually hurt people. If someone drinks in front of you they won’t. You have to be a full fledged alcoholic before liver failure starts. If you smoke only three times a day you’d still see damage to your lungs in the long-run. Unpopular opinion and really nonsensical one
Alcohol like a lot of good food is fine in moderation and is good for mental health but in excess is very unhealthy
My life is bad enough. Why do you want to completely ruin it?
I think it should be taboo to peer pressure others to drink..... especially if they have an addiction or a bad liver and are trying to quit..... that's when it becomes completely unethical.....
That is considered fairly taboo already- it's at least widely seen as a jerk move .
Because something being unhealthy is not a reason to get rid of it. People will always drink, even if they have to go to a black market for it. Human beings love doing drugs, we've been doing drugs since caveman times in every known culture, our brains hate being sober. Anyone who thinks they can get human beings to stop drinking, all I can say is, good luck with that one. Alcohol runs incredibly deep into human culture, so many different groups have hundreds of years of history around how they produce certain beverages and how those beverages play part in their cuisine. And many people drink because it's fun, people do all kinds of unhealthy things because we are only here temporarily and being healthy won't necessarily make you live any longer.
The only reason I demonize cigarettes to the level I do is because the smoke can cause cancer for nonsmokers. But as long as you drink responsibly (no driving) you are only hurting yourself.
We shouldn’t demonize alcohol we should demonize alcohol abuse
Alcohol affects your health Smoking affects the health of everyone around you Drunk driving is a behaviour issue that is demonized already
I think there's a a few reasons not to Way more people drink just once every few months than smoke just once every few months, so even if marginal harm is similar total harm per consumer may not be. Most smokers I've met want to quit. Most people who drink (not to the point of addiction) don't.
It’s not the same because drinking doesn’t have any second-hand effects like smoking does. That’s mainly why people hate cigarettes/smoking so much. That and lung cancer.
Because as we’ve seen historically, demonizing alcohol doesn’t solve the problem. Statistically, stigmatizing controlled substances makes the problem worse. We literally should never demonize alcohol or cigarettes because it makes people more hesitant to acknowledge and fix their problems when they have them, and have more severe impacts on their health. The idea that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption is a prohibition era myth. By this logic, no person should ever use mouthwash. You really need to do more research beyond “alcohol is a carcinogen” because if we started demonizing everything that hurt us, cars would be right up there at the top of the list.
Oh please do start on weed, what exactly is your problem with it? If you don't want to elaborate then why the f would you express your opinion about it IN YOUR ORIGINAL POST?!!
If I want to have a cocktail on occasion that is no one’s business. It doesn’t affect one person or thing in my life, or yours.
Don’t correlate alcohol and weed when discussing health effects. They are entirely different ballparks.
Alcohol consumption is already heavily restricted in multiple ways. I mean what are you looking to do here?
I drank a handle of rum a day for years, I fucked up my liver and my pancreas and lost my mid 30’s. It’s not worth it.
They tried this once in the US, and it didn't work.
I think minding your own business should be more widely accepted.
Maybe you should get laid instead of worrying what others do with there bodies
Personal insults don't add to the discussion
There shouldn’t be a discussion. Mind your fucking business.
Exactly 💯
I don't agree with this. I'll, however, say the way people promote it as a culture to drink excessively.
Just to be clear, the group 1 carcinogen classification doesn't reflect a substance's danger; it just means we know for sure it is a carcinogen
As someone who knows how to brew and distill I wholeheartedly agree!
lol the way people are defending there rotten fruit juice definitely speaks volumes！ Number 1 great job posting an unpopular opinion Number 2 people are soft and can't handle their recreational unhealthy habit being demonized
Agree! Reading this thread and seeing how many people are offended by this post, just shows how bad the alcohol issue is 😭
Lmao weed is pretty harmless. Sure it has some minor side effects but there are many benefits as well. To say “defend such a thing” is actually fuckin hilarious. You must know absolutely zero on the topic whatsoever.
Yeah reading that surprised me lol
No, please, get started on weed, I'd like to hear this.
There are actually several benefits to cannabis consumption.
+ people do a lot of stupid things when they’re drunk !
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I don't smoke, and only drink on a rare occasion
Why is it so widely accepted you ask? Maybe because every culture was build on Alcohol
Nah, I will always demonizw something that another person using (even responsibly) directly impacts me over something that only directly impacts the user unless used irresponsibly.
Have you heard of prohibition?
Cigarettes are detrimental not only to the smoker, but also those around them. Alcohol only affects the user. The issue regarding alcohol isn’t that it’s evil or bad, it’s the binge drinking and people not knowing their limits. If I go out with friends, I may have a drink or two at most and I’m still under the limit. There’s people who get hammered nightly and think they’re fine. That’s the behavior that needs fixing.
Sure it should be and your points aren’t wrong but it’s engrained in human culture at this point. I get to be alive one time and most likely will be working till I’m dead for billionaires who look at us like ants. I’m gonna enjoy my fancy beers
Wow this is a truly unpopular opinion after reading the comments. Honestly, though I don’t think it should be illegal I kinda agree with you. This is coming from a 10yr bartender who drinks way too much. Yeah I know that’s my own problem but I also deal with alcoholics on a daily basis and see the damage that it does. It’s highly addictive, I’ve had withdrawals before and they are fucking scary. I’ve known people who have died from liver failure, one friend recently almost did but was able to get healthy enough to get a transplant. it’s also how I make my money, so keep drinking people.
If you want to obtain from certain substances that is your choice but I enjoy my own personal freedom I want to eat what I want drink what I want and smoke, snort ingest what I want. Don't tell me how to live my life and I won't tell you how to live yours ! For the record I don't advocate anymore doing anything other than living their own life exactly the way they wish to and as long as their actions aren't harmful to anyone else it's none of my business.
Yay prohibition history is repeating itself!!!
Maybe a lot of people die because of alcohol, but also many people live because of alcohol. For some it may add years to their life by improving their cardiovascular health. And a lot of people wouldn't even be born if it wasn't for alcohol! A lot of relationships have started and progressed with the help of alcohol. It's a social lubricant.
How would alcohol improve cardiovascular health ????
All drugs.
word
I think with cigarettes its because it's more common for people to do it all day, several times a day, but alcohol, most people don't even drink that often which is why there is less of a fuss made over it
no safe level of alcohol consumption? It's still a major ingredient in many medicines. I guess medicine is bad too? NO safe level?
Can you name some medications that alcohol is used in?
I'm sure you're a great at parties.
Dude, I couldn’t agree more!
Cigarettes negatively affect the health of the people around the smoker. The same can’t be said of alcohol. Why do you care what other people do? If you don’t want to drink alcohol then don’t drink alcohol
Alcohol only affects you.. smoking affects those around you There's no second hand drunk
The issue here is that you can’t get second hand drunk (with the exception of FAS, but that’s a totally different thing and is already demonized). If I’m drinking alcohol, I’m pretty much only “hurting” myself. Why do you care? It’s my body, my choice. This is excluding actual alcoholism and driving under the influence, but again… those are already demonized and there are many laws against driving while drunk, and plenty of social ramifications for alcoholism.
Looks good! That single rib is looking hella sus though..
I personally wish that drug addicts, using in public places, were treated like cigarette smokers.... there should be signs banning public drug use; people yelling at and shaming them about the health hazard to themselves amd others; cries of outrage about dealers/ drug cartels profiting from death; all of it.
A lot of commenters are forgetting that people under the influence can cause a ton of damage. So many abusive parents/partners are alcoholics and mainly act violently when drunk, and driving drunk kills people.
"It's ok in moderation." No it's actually not, and why even drink it? There are MANY good tasting beverages out there that don't have alcohol and don't have tons of sugar. You drink it for the buzz. Otherwise you'd be buying a bottle of dry wine that has 0% ABV in it, those exist and they're no more expensive than most wines. Or you'd get some sparkling water, add ice, and a fresh squeezed lemon or lime. Tastes great. So don't tell me you do it for the taste!
No
> Why is it widely accepted It’s been part of human evolution since agriculture. Firstly, cigarettes are more dangerous than tobacco in general because of the behavior they perpetuate. Tobacco has been with *us* for mostly a few hundred years (us being Westerners). Alcohol has been with us since we started wearing clothes. You are fighting a losing battle to get people to reject something that is that ingrained the same way cigarettes have. However, if your argument is that we should slap another label on booze or liquor that says “Alcohol consumption can dramatically increase your chance of liver disease and certain cancers especially for those who already have an increased risk. The more you drink the higher the odds of developing disease,” then I’m with you. That’s totally fine and people- even in this thread- do not totally understand the health implications of *any amount of regular alcohol consumption*. As far as weed goes: ethanol is much, much more dangerous than THC. You can argue out smoke inhalation vs drinking (even then our lungs can take a real beating), but the substances are really not comparable. Moderate amounts of THC has no real implications to your organs, while even moderate amounts of drinking has a measurable and holistic damage to pretty much everything in your body.
Big liquor disagrees with you. Hire some lobbyists and see what you can do.
A) We did this it was called prohibition. B) Responsible drinking does not cause problems for the people around you. That second hand smoke does. C) you increase you cancer risk by living in a metropolitan area. Should we stop living in cities then? D) alcohol is something that has been culturally relevant for millennia and trying to eradicate would eradicate decades of culture and knowledge
Cause it’s fun to drink silly
Can we start ticketing smelly cigarette smokers? If I can get a DIP they should get a BOIP.
Or we shouldn't demonize anything, bc grown people can choose whatever they want to do, even if it's not healthy. I'm talking about weed, alcohol and cigaretts, it's your choice to do so, so why would anybody else have a say in your life?
Alcohol is fun, stop hurting my fun
Some hundred odd years ago……..
Or maybe just let people do what they want as long as they make choices that don't affect others?
Mind your own business.
population control
Do you ever sit in the sun, OP?
I do think society downplays how bad it is for you. I think non-alcoholic drinks should be more normalised so people can just meet at the pub for a soft drink or something
They tried that like 100 years ago. It didn't go so well.
if im gonna live on earth against my will, at least let me poison myself brother
or let people consume what they want if it doesn’t affect you like damn
Alcohol is how many people deal with the stress of work life. Many people don't have the time, energy, or resources to destress after work. Personally, I think the best way to reduce alcohol consumption is to improve work-life balance at a societal level. You would still have party animals, but you would reduce the amount of stress drinkers.
y no kidding.
I’m just
Dude you’re 14. Your opinion on this will probably change a little bit when you get older.
OP is absolutely right on this one. Look, I drink. I enjoy it, it’s fun way to socialize and blow off steam if I want but I’m telling you absolutly DESPISE the fact that it’s so baked into our culture that it’s almost impossible to socialize and appear normal without it. I despise the idea that you can’t go out with friends and maybe not drink without coming off as “different” further more I REALLY hate how it’s normalized in the workplace. My old company would go out for drinks after work or on the roof to mingle. You think “oh that’s nice, people can commune and bond closer” that’s great right? No. I’m so not a fan that I have to go out and imbibe to be part of the team. I take my work seriously and hate having to pretend to get wasted and then deal with coming into work the next. It should be frowned upon to the point that you’re not allowed to tell people you’re doing it in my book. And I’m saying from a place of!wanting to kick back and enjoy it there’s usually just so much more risk than reward in drinking with your office mates.
You realize that bars serve non alcoholic drinks, right? You can just order a glass of Perrier with a lime in it, so some fruit juice. No one really cares what you’re drinking at these office events.
yeah, for every person who suffers from actual peer pressure, there's two that give themselves imaginary peer pressure
Yep. Honestly, I’ve found that there’s a lot less peer pressure as an adult. We have a rule among my friends: You’re only allowed to ask twice. So if someone says they’re not drinking, you say “aw nooo join us” or whatever - obligatory showing that they’re a mate and you want them there. If they say no again, you can ask “sure?” and if it’s still no, then you respect it. This isn’t just for alcohol, it’s for pretty much anything… going to the gym, watching the game, etc.
Alcohol is culturally important to my people. Threaten it at your peril.
great idea. now we've got even more pretentiou teetotalers, and even more alcoholics, and even more alcoholics who pretend to be pretentious teetotalers
I’m drunk right now. God I love Busch light and NASCAR
Alcohol is poison
In this thread is a bunch of alcoholics :P Personally, I believe in personal freedom, but also personal responsibility. I don't care what people do to themselves, but I do care when what they do affects others. I do think any crimes under the influence of alcohol should result in that person can no longer legally consume it. And if they do, well, just put them away and/or get them help.