The Impact of Alcohol in Our Lives
Everyone knows having fun and/or celebrating in our culture is almost always associated with alcohol. Hey, someone just graduated or got a new job, let’s open a bottle of wine and celebrate. When single men or women want to meet someone, where do they go? It’s almost always suggested that can happen at a bar. I never perceived meeting the woman of my dreams at a bar, but that’s just me.
The relationship between alcohol and fun is a concept almost everyone accepts as perfectly normal. But I never understood why people think like that. I’m one of those rare Americans who never consumed a single drink, and I don’t believe having fun or celebrating means alcohol is an integral part of the process. I never had a glass of wine, I did taste beer once on very hot day, and I never tried whiskey.
There’s a prevailing myth that a small amount of alcohol, such as one glass of wine a day, is good for you. More on this later in the article. But let me start with a boyhood experience which helped formulate my lifelong attitude towards drinking.
When my brother and I were growing up in Brooklyn, we literally lived in the schoolyard, where we played basketball and football every day. When I was about 13 years old, I remember going to the schoolyard on a Sunday morning to play basketball. There was a guy named Billy, who was about 19 years old, and he wasn’t playing with us as he normally did. Billy was sitting on a park bench looking miserable. I asked the older guys what was wrong with him. They told me Billy went out drinking Saturday night and had a hangover, that’s why he doesn’t feel like playing basketball.
I then asked the older guys, if drinking gives you a hangover and makes you feel miserable, why do people do that. Of course, I never received a good answer. Many decades have passed since that boyhood experience, but I still vividly remember the visual of Billy looking like a zombie. After all these years, I still don’t understand why people do that to themselves.
Thankfully, I never had any desire to smoke or drink. When I was a young guy in his early twenties, I would go to dance clubs or parties and have tons of fun dancing and laughing. I always wondered why so many people felt the need for alcohol in order to relax and have fun. When I was at those dance clubs or parties, I often saw one or more people, who were drunk, slobbering over themselves, acting like an imbecile. As an impressionable young man, I would ask myself why someone would do that to themselves. Of course, I never came up with a good answer. But I knew that I would never become one of those fools.
It’s essentially the same mind-boggling question I ask about cigarettes. If smoking causes cancer and an array of serious health issues, why do people smoke?
I regularly watch real life murder mysteries [Dateline, 20/20, Investigation Discovery, 48 Hours] and I’ve seen so many stories about people who are murdered, and alcohol played a major role. Family members of the murdered victim often describe alcohol as a major factor. Sometimes if she was lucky enough to be a survivor of an attack, the wife or girlfriend would tell us the relationship with their husband or boyfriend was normal, unless he was drinking. Of course, the boyfriend or husband was almost always drinking. That’s when the verbal and physical assaults started, and often led to murder.
Putting aside murders, how many marriages were destroyed because of alcohol?
Many murders are committed by a perpetrator who is under the influence.
We know, or you should know, that DWI motor vehicle accidents cause over 10,000 deaths annually in America. In addition to fatalities, how many serious injuries and/or property damage accidents are caused by drunk drivers every year? I’m sure the number is huge.
We become very righteous when it comes to illegals drugs, but we accept the negative impact of alcohol as a routine part of our lives. Yes, I realize I’m talking about people who take it to an extreme, but it’s still something worth thinking or talking about.
Just as with the health issues caused by smoking, I read many articles which discussed the impact of alcohol on your body. I remember reading several research articles which talked about liver and brain damage as a result of routine drinking. Man, even if I had a desire to drink, those articles scared me so much, I would never consider it.
My father, who was not a heavy drinker, enjoyed having a few beers after he came home from work every night. He died at a relatively young age, primarily from cirrhosis of the liver. Mom, who was not a drinker, was 22 years older than dad when she died. Was there a correlation? If there is, would you want to live an additional 22 years?
There’s been a medical myth being spread for over 2 decades that a small amount of alcohol was actually good for you. One of the myths was moderate drinking helped protect you against heart attacks. I never believed it and now we know that isn’t true! For more than two decades, I’ve been reading health and fitness research articles from a guy named Dr. Mirkin. His summary of the latest scientific research on the relationship between smoking and liver damage, destroyed that myth. If you want more info, visit his website at https://www.drmirkin.com/ where you will find a wealth of articles on medical research reference health and fitness.
Finally, nothing I said in this article was directed at anyone who enjoys an occasional drink. Come on, virtually everyone I know has a glass of wine or a beer when they go out. I’m not criticizing somebody who derives pleasure from an occasional drink. If you enjoy a glass of wine or an occasional beer, go for it. I just want people to think about alcohol and how it negatively impacts our lives in so many ways.
I think that there is a difference between an occasional drink and someone who abuses alcoholic beverages. Consuming alcoholic beverages have caused problems in my life but only when I have over consumed. In a lot of cases an alcoholic beverage helps people to deal with or relaxation issues or anxiety. I do agree that depending on a persons level of consumption, and their personality, not consuming would help to avoid a myriad of problems in many lives.
Keith: You and I are in agreement. Thanks for your comment.
Bobby, Here’s one issue that we can agree on 100%. I know how year’s ago, when I used to drink, how foolish it was to wake up the next day to a hangover, plus the stupid things I did while under the influence, I Praise God for delivering me from that!! But that’s another subject completely?!
Thanks Stevie, I’m glad we can finally agree on something.
Robert, as you know I rarely if ever have an alcholic beverage. Ingestable alchohol is only generally in use with me for cooking purposes. Otherwise, the only alchohol in my home is isopropyl. I agree with everything that you said. I never understood the correlation that people have between alchohol consumption and having a good time, as many of them don’t end up feeling that great when the evening is over, when they’ve had too much drink. I have a much better time when the actual activities are enjoyable, and of course there are high quality baked goods involved.
Thanks Scott, glad we’re in total agreement. It’s always been a mystery to me why so many people associate having fun with alcohol.
Excellent article and often alcohol can be a gateway to other things as well, especially for a young impressionable teenager.
Again your blog was well written.
Growing up with an alcoholic father who passed away at 39 —and reeked havoc on the rest of my family I am in total agreement with you.
I myself was never a big drinker.
An occasional glass of wine is my limit
I vaguely remember the issue with your father. Do you think he died at the age of 39 primarily because of his alcohol consumption?
Knowing several alcoholics, I have gone to AA meetings with them to gain a better understanding. For them it’s not an occasional drink, but when drinking, thinking about the next drink. One speaker’s words remain in my mind as he said “we are wired differently.” It’s easy for most to have a drink or 2 in occasion and stop, for an alcoholic they can’t. It takes being uncomfortable to be comfortable. Another speaker said it’s like when u wore a watch on left wrist for years and now u wear it on right hand. Being sober is one day at a time and continuous work, many alcoholics continue to go to AA meetings for a lifetime. On the other hand, I can’t even finish 1 drink and I don’t like feeling tipsy.
If I didn’t know you better, I’d accuse you of plagerism!! Getting high on fresh air and life is plenty for me. Good stuff. Please send on whatever you write. Whenever my son visits, we spend the time watching the same programs and more
Sky, it’s good to know there are others who know how to appreciate life and have fun without the artificial impact of alcohol in your system. It’s also a lot healthier.
I found that drinking was something I used as a crutch and to have me “fit in” more.
Now that I don’t drink, I utilize herbs in tea or other drinks to help with social anxiety.
I have a Health Science and Nutrition background. I did quite a lot of research on many subjects, but this subject was more observational on my past. The subject of alcoholism is one I am very familiar with. I agree with you 100% and found your article not only excellently well written but no doubt, one of your best! There is a difference between an occasional drink and someone who abuses alcoholic beverages. Most people enjoy a glass of wine with their meal or at a special occasion. Alcoholic beverages help some people to deal with relaxation issues or anxiety. But you hit the nail on the head when you stated, “I don’t believe having fun or celebrating means alcohol is an integral part of the process.”
There is nothing better than experience. One should learn something after getting drunk, slobbering over themselves, acting like an imbecile, or feeling miserable with a hangover the following day. Some learn. Some do not. But I learned something from your article. I would rather live 22 years longer like your mom!