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I agree with you on all but pointing out the cancer rates. If we're looking at it purely from a statistical point of view, then yes, the numbers might not look

I agree with you on all but pointing out the cancer rates. If we're looking at it purely from a statistical point of view, then yes, the numbers might not look that good in favour of "more drinking + ridesharing is better than less drinking + drink driving". Ethically, I consider people drinking themselves to an early grave of their own free will to be "less bad" than a drunk driver killing someone else on the road or a drunk person committing a violent crime against another person. I make this point in the context of the rest of what you've said, though, which raises good discussion points about "should we fix X really bad thing if it leads to people doing more of Y maybe-less-bad thing?"

strbean 7y ago
Ethically weighting deaths is a dangerous road. What would you say to "Innocent deaths from drunk driving go to 0, but suicides increase 1000-fold"?
- sigwinch28 7y ago
  This is a question I don't feel equipped to answer, despite having asked myself many times. I think it's widely accepted (and I believe) that "drinking + driving + killing someone else = very bad", and that "drinking + assaulting = very bad", but I don't think I know enough about the health implications of drinking. If a person really was drinking themselves to death of their own free will (i.e. they are aware of the physical health effects, and they do not experience any addictive effects from alcohol), then I don't see an ethical issue with them choosing to do that. But if suicide rates go up, why could that be? My opinion is that if someone who chose to drink (i.e. knew the risks and was not addicted) accidentally fell off a bridge or accidentally shot themselves with their own gun, it is their own fault. When someone is suffering in terms of mental health such that they are addicted to alcohol, or are depressed, or feeling suicidal, then I just don't know. It feels to me like that although the alcohol is not the root cause in these situations it definitely could've pushed them over the edge. I think this is analogous to "someone who felt suicidal committed suicide after another person told them to jump off a building"... I really don't know where I stand on the issue.

strbean 7y ago

Ethically weighting deaths is a dangerous road. What would you say to "Innocent deaths from drunk driving go to 0, but suicides increase 1000-fold"?

sigwinch28 7y ago
This is a question I don't feel equipped to answer, despite having asked myself many times. I think it's widely accepted (and I believe) that "drinking + driving + killing someone else = very bad", and that "drinking + assaulting = very bad", but I don't think I know enough about the health implications of drinking. If a person really was drinking themselves to death of their own free will (i.e. they are aware of the physical health effects, and they do not experience any addictive effects from alcohol), then I don't see an ethical issue with them choosing to do that. But if suicide rates go up, why could that be? My opinion is that if someone who chose to drink (i.e. knew the risks and was not addicted) accidentally fell off a bridge or accidentally shot themselves with their own gun, it is their own fault. When someone is suffering in terms of mental health such that they are addicted to alcohol, or are depressed, or feeling suicidal, then I just don't know. It feels to me like that although the alcohol is not the root cause in these situations it definitely could've pushed them over the edge. I think this is analogous to "someone who felt suicidal committed suicide after another person told them to jump off a building"... I really don't know where I stand on the issue.