3 ms·

Alcohol culture is interesting, it seems to have a specially carved-out cultural niche which isn't enjoyed by nearly any other drug. The only other drug that co

Alcohol culture is interesting, it seems to have a specially carved-out cultural niche which isn't enjoyed by nearly any other drug. The only other drug that comes close is probably coffee. This alcohol culture has resulted in a lot of political pressure to undersell the negative health effects of drinking. I think it's fine if people are drinking as long as they're aware of the consequence. Although alcohol advertising in general still makes me a bit uneasy, I don't think any other substance could get away with the same kind of ads as alcohol manufacturers. For most, it's probably better to live a shorter and more fulfilling life than that of a monk which abstains from all pleasures. But if we're going to drink, it's better to be honest about the impact we're expecting.

jdsnape 3y ago
Having spoken to people who are monks, I usually come away with the impression that their lives are a lot more fulfilling than mine...
mrighele 3y ago
> For most, it's probably better to live a shorter and more fulfilling life than that of a monk which abstains from all pleasures. But if we're going to drink, it's better to be honest about the impact we're expecting. Monk didn't really abstain from all the pleasures, in fact they enjoyed drinking and eating well. Ever noticed how many beer brands have a monk on their label ? That's because they were the ones brewing them, sometimes for "religious purposes" [1] [1] https://lordsofthedrinks.org/2016/02/11/the-all-beer-diet-german-monks-created-for-the-46-days-of-lent-fast-before-easter/ https://lordsofthedrinks.org/2016/02/11/the-all-beer-diet-ge...
- jsmith99 3y ago
  Monks beer was generally very weak. The modern Belgian Trappist brands you may be thinking of that are almost 10% alcohol aren’t actually drunk by monks - they were invented in the 20th century as a commercial opportunity when Belgium banned spirits in bars.
md_ 3y ago
There's some research that suggests group alcohol consumption increases social cohesion. I can't remember the studies I originally read which suggested this, but a few from a web search: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/moderate-doses-of-alcohol-increase-social-bonding-in-groups.html https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/moderate-... https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120629211854.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120629211854.h... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5462438/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5462438/ Whether other psychoactive substances have similar effects I don't know, but it seems reasonable to assume alcohol's somewhat-unique social role reflects its actual impact on group bonds.
Nursie 3y ago
> I don't think any other substance could get away with the same kind of ads as alcohol manufacturers. Cigarettes did for a long old time, until we regulated it away. Even when I was a kid (80s) I remember the tobacco ads mostly being kind of abstract because the regulations prevented them from saying very much. Then later they disappeared entirely. I think I would probably be OK with most alcohol ads disappearing. Opinions on this may vary of course.
P_I_Staker 3y ago
It's interesting how many drinkers judge smokers as unhealthy, when they can suffer from the same consequences. Cancer and heart disease... maybe it's less, but it's still A LOT, like 1/3 of the total cancer cases (obvious issues with this metric aside, that's insane). Alcohol certainly causes heart disease. Either can burn through your esophagus... there's just so much bad in both.

jdsnape 3y ago

Having spoken to people who are monks, I usually come away with the impression that their lives are a lot more fulfilling than mine...

mrighele 3y ago

> For most, it's probably better to live a shorter and more fulfilling life than that of a monk which abstains from all pleasures. But if we're going to drink, it's better to be honest about the impact we're expecting. Monk didn't really abstain from all the pleasures, in fact they enjoyed drinking and eating well. Ever noticed how many beer brands have a monk on their label ? That's because they were the ones brewing them, sometimes for "religious purposes" [1] [1] https://lordsofthedrinks.org/2016/02/11/the-all-beer-diet-german-monks-created-for-the-46-days-of-lent-fast-before-easter/ https://lordsofthedrinks.org/2016/02/11/the-all-beer-diet-ge...

jsmith99 3y ago
Monks beer was generally very weak. The modern Belgian Trappist brands you may be thinking of that are almost 10% alcohol aren’t actually drunk by monks - they were invented in the 20th century as a commercial opportunity when Belgium banned spirits in bars.

md_ 3y ago

There's some research that suggests group alcohol consumption increases social cohesion. I can't remember the studies I originally read which suggested this, but a few from a web search: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/moderate-doses-of-alcohol-increase-social-bonding-in-groups.html https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/moderate-... https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120629211854.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120629211854.h... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5462438/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5462438/ Whether other psychoactive substances have similar effects I don't know, but it seems reasonable to assume alcohol's somewhat-unique social role reflects its actual impact on group bonds.

Nursie 3y ago

> I don't think any other substance could get away with the same kind of ads as alcohol manufacturers. Cigarettes did for a long old time, until we regulated it away. Even when I was a kid (80s) I remember the tobacco ads mostly being kind of abstract because the regulations prevented them from saying very much. Then later they disappeared entirely. I think I would probably be OK with most alcohol ads disappearing. Opinions on this may vary of course.

P_I_Staker 3y ago

It's interesting how many drinkers judge smokers as unhealthy, when they can suffer from the same consequences. Cancer and heart disease... maybe it's less, but it's still A LOT, like 1/3 of the total cancer cases (obvious issues with this metric aside, that's insane). Alcohol certainly causes heart disease. Either can burn through your esophagus... there's just so much bad in both.