The Greatest Medical Breakthrough Ever

[The Grand Nudger]

Beth, go ride a roller coaster, or get laid, or whatever gets you your chemical fix. I'll take care of all the wine you wont be drinking in the meantime, thank you.
When the hell did chemical become a dirty word?

And Rayaan, for you and your bananas...
http://www.plu.edu/~bananas/social/home.html
Allah probably should have seen it coming, maybe a prohibition of the banana should have made the cut.

And going for the double whammy...
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swif...ps-up.html

See what I did there?

[Minimalist]

As Bill Maher said once, "I don't do heroin...but it hasn't hurt my record collection."

[BethK]

I really don't get any "joy" out of drinking something that tastes like it's got something in it that belongs in a gasoline tank or some sort of burner. I hate the taste of alcohol, and I hate the feeling of not being in control of my own thoughts and emotions/actions.

As for other people's use, if they can do it IN MODERATION, fine. However, if they injure or assault others who have nothing to say in the matter of their drinking or using some other drugs, AFAIC, "drunk and didn't know what I was doing" is no excuse. Rather, it should be considered an aggravating factor and pull a harsher sentence. Some other countries have harsher penalties. El Salvador, for instance, has a penalty of execution by firing squad for first-time offenders in drunk driving cases. They don't have a problem with repeat offenders. Finland and Sweden prescribe 1-year jail sentences of hard labor. South Africa gives a 10-year sentence.

There is some percentage of people who cannot keep "moderate" drinking in moderation. Even according to Alcoholics Anonymous' statistics, the percentage who stop drinking and stay stopped is abysmally low. Same with every other treatment or therapy known. What do we do with them? Putting them in jail or prison is no answer - alcohol and drugs are known to be quite available in jails and prisons!

[Epimethean]

I have a beer or glass of wine most nights, and enjoy the occasional Lagavulin or Talisker when out:

"Strong evidence consistently demonstrates that compared to nondrinkers, individuals who drink moderately have lower risk of coronary heart disease...

Moderate evidence suggests that compared to nondrinkers, individuals who drink moderately have a slower cognitive decline with age...

An average daily intake of one to two alcoholic beverages is associated with the lowest all-cause mortality and a low risk of diabetes and CHD (coronary heart disease) among middle-aged and older adults."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stanton-pe...79321.html

Hell, anything can be bad for you if you lose control over it. Trick is to find plenty of things that are not bad in moderation and ... moderate.

[Faith No More]

There is some percentage of people who cannot keep "moderate" drinking in moderation. Even according to Alcoholics Anonymous' statistics, the percentage who stop drinking and stay stopped is abysmally low. Same with every other treatment or therapy known. What do we do with them? Putting them in jail or prison is no answer - alcohol and drugs are known to be quite available in jails and prisons!

As long as they haven't committed any crimes while under the influence we try to get them help that doesn't involve twelve steps or god.