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Sir Pseudonymous wrote:

Albatross wrote:The fact is alcohol is an extremely addictive substance.

No, it's not, as evidenced by the fact that 99.9% of people who drink aren't alcoholics. Nicotine is an extremely addictive substance, with around 30% of people who try it going on to become addicts, and you won't find many who smoke who aren't addicted to some extent or another. Alcohol is a slightly to non-addictive substance, with alcoholics being those who are genetically predisposed to addiction to it.

Sources for any of that or....?

Alcohol is substance which is easy to obtain, hard to withdraw from, and kills more people (by a huge margin) in the UK than heroin and cocaine combined. It regularly places highly in lists of most addictive substances. A quick google search will bring up pages of relevant material. I suggest you check it out.

I find that I start to feel ill if there is too much blood in my alcohol system so for me: medicine.

Its the voices.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Xelkireth wrote:Because spiced rum is a dark delicious nectar from the Gods! The Gods! Haha!

Rum for the Rum God!

Albatross wrote:

Sir Pseudonymous wrote:

Albatross wrote:The fact is alcohol is an extremely addictive substance.

No, it's not, as evidenced by the fact that 99.9% of people who drink aren't alcoholics. Nicotine is an extremely addictive substance, with around 30% of people who try it going on to become addicts, and you won't find many who smoke who aren't addicted to some extent or another. Alcohol is a slightly to non-addictive substance, with alcoholics being those who are genetically predisposed to addiction to it.

Sources for any of that or....?

Alcohol is substance which is easy to obtain, hard to withdraw from, and kills more people (by a huge margin) in the UK than heroin and cocaine combined. It regularly places highly in lists of most addictive substances. A quick google search will bring up pages of relevant material. I suggest you check it out.

You're confusing potential for harm and presence in culture for addictiveness. Almost no one who drinks, even on a regular basis, is addicted, and addiction follows a distinct pattern of behavior from normal use. Likewise, one doesn't need to be addicted to suffer health problems over time, nor to injure oneself while under its influence. Compare it to other common psychoactive chemicals, like caffeine or nicotine, where almost everyone who ever uses them is addicted to some extent or another. Granted, alcohol is more deleterious to one's health than either (someone who drinks like a smoker smokes is an alcoholic, and suffers worse effects than the smoker, faster; most people who drink, however, don't drink like that, while most smokers do), but it also demonstrably doesn't have anywhere near the same addiction potential.

I think I might be borderline addicted to it. I don't always look for a buzz but I find myself drinking a lot of times now a days... maybe 2 to 3 beers a day.

I like the flavours of certain beverages.

Cognac.
Whiskey (Irish).
Certain beers.

I don't drink to get drunk, or to forget - or remember.
I also don't smoke or take other chemical assistants (although I have in the past).
I don't do it alone (it's not something I have to hide).
I do it as a choice - it's not something I HAVE to do ('m not an alcoholic - they go to meetings.) and I CAN stop if I choose to.

EVERY human culture on this planet has found a way to chemically "get off" - whether it was by smoking, drinking, chewing or whatever. It's harwired into your genes.

You're missing something in your poll selections...

"Why Not?"

spyfunk wrote:You're missing something in your poll selections...

"Why Not?"

Why not? Because it's an addictive substance, can harm your body or someone may just not like alcoholic drinks.

htj wrote:

Cheesecat wrote:

Bromsy wrote:I drink because it makes me
A) Stronger
B) Smarter
C) More attractive to the ladies

plus it makes the shaking stop.

How does drinking make you stronger? I know it makes people over-confident, but I never heard it being used to boost you physical prowess.

I'm thinking either:

a) Because it is MANLY.

or

b) Because it's numbing effects means you don't feel the pain from the hernia.

or

c) Doesn't it boost strength in Fallout or something or other?

It interacts with my Y chromosome to enhance muscle binding glutinous something and something else. It's science.

Sir Pseudonymous wrote:

Albatross wrote:

Sir Pseudonymous wrote:

Albatross wrote:The fact is alcohol is an extremely addictive substance.

No, it's not, as evidenced by the fact that 99.9% of people who drink aren't alcoholics. Nicotine is an extremely addictive substance, with around 30% of people who try it going on to become addicts, and you won't find many who smoke who aren't addicted to some extent or another. Alcohol is a slightly to non-addictive substance, with alcoholics being those who are genetically predisposed to addiction to it.

Sources for any of that or....?

Alcohol is substance which is easy to obtain, hard to withdraw from, and kills more people (by a huge margin) in the UK than heroin and cocaine combined. It regularly places highly in lists of most addictive substances. A quick google search will bring up pages of relevant material. I suggest you check it out.

You're confusing potential for harm and presence in culture for addictiveness. Almost no one who drinks, even on a regular basis, is addicted, and addiction follows a distinct pattern of behavior from normal use. Likewise, one doesn't need to be addicted to suffer health problems over time, nor to injure oneself while under its influence. Compare it to other common psychoactive chemicals, like caffeine or nicotine, where almost everyone who ever uses them is addicted to some extent or another. Granted, alcohol is more deleterious to one's health than either (someone who drinks like a smoker smokes is an alcoholic, and suffers worse effects than the smoker, faster; most people who drink, however, don't drink like that, while most smokers do), but it also demonstrably doesn't have anywhere near the same addiction potential.

You're thinking in terms of physical dependency, but addiction isn't just as simple as that. Yes, crack cocaine may carry an increased risk of physical dependency in purely chemical terms, but consider this: What are you more likely to come into contact with? Beer or crack? Alcohol consumption, as you rightly pointed out, is pretty much ubiquitous amongst adults in the west, and so a person is at far greater risk of alcohol addiction than of cocaine addiction, in terms of probability. It's far, far easier to become an alco than it is a junkie. It's socially acceptable to drink regularly - hell, even every day, apparently. Take a drug every day and you will become addicted eventually.

Incidentally, I know plenty of occasional smokers who are not addicted to nicotine at all. However, if they smoked every day you wouldn't hesitate to call them an addict, right? How is drinking every day different?

Addiction implies that you can't stop, and would suffer withdrawal if you did. I know there's the old 'I can stop anytime I want to' stuff, but frequent use does not equate to addiction. Reliance is a necessary factor.

Cheesecat wrote:

spyfunk wrote:You're missing something in your poll selections...

"Why Not?"

Why not? Because it's an addictive substance, can harm your body or someone may just not like alcoholic drinks.

Oh wait, I think he's serious.

How's this for an answer? You only live once, so live it up and inebriate yourself!

Samus_aran115 wrote:

Cheesecat wrote:

spyfunk wrote:You're missing something in your poll selections...

"Why Not?"

Why not? Because it's an addictive substance, can harm your body or someone may just not like alcoholic drinks.

Oh wait, I think he's serious.

How's this for an answer? You only live once, so live it up and inebriate yourself!

I'm not saying I'm opposed to drinking, I'm just saying there's several good reasons why someone might choose not to to drink.

To get pished or a couple to get to sleep. Everytime a group of friends and i settle down to have a few pints i see that as a challenge, i must drink more than them. Oootcha...