Alcohol

It was, in America for a very long time after and perhaps during WW1, it didn't do anything, because people just enjoyed it more when they did it with the risk of being caught. It's like smoking marijuana, so many people only do it probably because it's illegal, the situation would probably worsen if it were to be illegal.

 

I do drink, although I wish I didn't.
I think I shall blame both my family, and general Irish society for it. Indeed.
My family have always...enjoyed their drink. So dinner is always accompanied by wine, or some other random alcoholic drink. Guinness is saved for watching tv, the vodka, gin and beer comes out when we have guests. Whiskey is for cold nights. And so on.
Being around drink all my life has been both good and bad. Good, as I see no attraction in the whole "teenage binge drinking to oppose authority" that is ever so popular over here, as I know I can just get drinks from my kitchen, whatever. Bad, because I drink as a medication occasionally, feeling down? Lots of alcohol, makes me forget.
But I do like the taste of say, wine, very much. Makes food much richer, and feeling tipsy, surrounded by people you know and love, is...very nice, indeed.
Let's add in the fact I am under the age of 18, legal drinking age here (me thinks, might be 21) and the fact that everyone in my year in school has been drunk at least once....yesh. We fit the stereotypical image of Irish people, aye?
Little rant, apologies. To sum it up: alcohol is lovely, but I need to stop drinking it because I feel bad.
I have no problems with anyone else drinking if they want, as long as they don't overdo it, and don't bother me.

 

I drink, have been drinking since I was 16, and get drunk or tipsy at least once every weekend. I make it a point to not bother people in a drunk state: I don't pick fights, don't make a mess of things, and don't flirt with girls (admittedly, I'd do the latter if I had the self-esteem for it). I mind my own business and enjoy the evening.

Of course, sometimes it gets the better of me and I do/say things I regret, but I don't think I've caused anyone to hold a grudge against me because of those actions/words. That's the criterium: don't let your drunk behaviour erase the impression they have of the sober you.

Last and kinda least, I'm well aware that alcohol isn't good for my body but I don't care. I don't want to live to grow 100 by avoiding everything that's even slightly unhealthy. I believe in "quality over quantity" when it comes to my own life, and the best stories I can recall usually start with "Well, we were drunk that night and...". As long as I'm having fun poisoning myself and I don't bother anyone, no one should complain.

 

Personally, I cannot stand the taste or smell of alcohol. I get a drink of someone else's to see what it tastes like and thats as far as I go. I do not enjoy drinking it because it tastes super nasty to me.
I'm not against it though, as long as it is used in moderation. It helps relieve stress and helps the person to feel better, but getting to the point where you can't even stand up is too far.

 

I have enjoyed seeing all the different points of views from everyone on here, now let me add another 2 questions to this, I have been in Germany for the past 3 weeks and Drinking and smoking are a MUCH bigger thing here than back in the US, do you think that influence on drinking (Lets try not to wander off into smoking, I can make a seperate thread for that) is weighted differently by location? whether it be a different country, continent, or even just part of town? AND Do you think that there is extra influence (or extra resistance) when your family drinks? (parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, brothers, sisters)