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This gave me an interesting idea for a thought experiment (do NOT read this as a recommendation): imagine the (US) government, instead of discouraging drinking,
by Nav_Panel 8y ago
This gave me an interesting idea for a thought experiment (do NOT read this as a recommendation): imagine the (US) government, instead of discouraging drinking, required a mandatory n (4?) drinks/week to healthy adults, and sent out free drink vouchers.
What effects would this policy have on social cohesion (or happiness) among adults? What would the downsides be?
EDIT: yes, obvious downsides are obvious. What I find interesting is the idea of the government providing a small mandate that then creates emergent social change, by virtue of everyone having to do it.
For example, the OP is about "no safe level of alcohol consumption" and recommends a policy change to decrease the recommendation. But what ends does this achieve? What sorts of government policies might encourage people to solve the problems that are making them unhappy? That's the kind of thing I'm trying to figure out.
- JoeAltmaier 8y agoSome of us would feel nauseous and ill the rest of our lives
- toomuchtodo 8y agoSpend time with your friends drinking a soda while they use your vouchers. Everyone wins.
- JoeAltmaier 8y agoHave you ever actually done that? Its pretty grim. They get more silly and stupid and you don't, and you're looking at the clock and wishing you were someplace else.
- toomuchtodo 8y agoNot so much anymore because I've got kids now, but previously yes, as a designated driver. Grim? I suppose it's all perspective. Some people go to a therapist, some people go to the pub together.
- forgottenpass 8y agoSpeak for yourself. When I'm on a strict diet I still enjoy the company of my friends when they're drunk and I'm sober. The only frustrating part is that soda water and diet soda kinda suck. Come to think of it, when I was younger and worked some Saturday mornings I used to be sober at parties often.
- gnulinux 8y agoNo I never felt that, I LOVE talking to tipsy people, it's usually very fun. It's hard dealing with people drunk-to-the-point-of-black-out because they're unpredictable, rude and too silly to follow a nice conversation. Tipsy people are nowhere near intoxicated enough not to be able to follow a nice conversation, but are intoxicated enough that it adds a bit of spice to the conversation, imho.
- swsieber 8y agoSome people would become alcholics. It is that easy for some people.
- vinni2 8y agoFollowers of the religions which prohibit alcohol drinking would be pissed and may cause social unrest? and USA would not be a secular country anymore? Edit: typos