Drinking

Now unlike smoking, I don't drink... well, very hardly ever. But is drinking something that is 'being bad'? I think, on reflection, many of the same arguments applicable to smoking are to drinking as well. It is expensive, although perhaps not as much as smoking; it is bad for one's health, at least in excess it is. And it can have bad effects on the people around you. But there are also other arguments to drinking, mostly as drinking and smoking are not the same. While smoking does effect one's health in many of the same ways that drinking does, smoking (most often) does not also effect an individual's mind as excessive drinking does. I should make it clear here that I am speaking only of excessive drinking, setting aside what level makes drinking excessive and not, I do not speak of drinking in moderation. This is another difference between smoking and drinking of course, that drinking in moderation is not addictive, or at least half as much so, as smoking. But excessive drinking, as we all know, can make someone so consumed with feeding their addiction that they will happily steal, isolate themselves, and commit illegal actions while drunk. These are of course some of the effects of the terrible affliction, but I think we can call drinking an act of being bad for the simple reason alone that it destroys one's life as an individual, as well as their health. Lost jobs; homes; families and friends are but some examples of how drinking can do this. Obviously, alcoholism is bad, there can be little argument against this. But what of the medium? That point between excessive drinking and moderate drinking? I avoid the cut of level earlier, but here I think is a question worth posing: what about those people who are not addicted to drinking as alcoholics, but who drunk far more often than they medically should. I must admit, since I started typing along this line of thought I conjured up an image of those young ladies and gents who go out every weekend - at least - and get 'hammered' in pubs and clubs. We've all seen them, spilling out onto street corners being sick, abusing passers by, getting into fights and generally commitng unlawful actions. But the arguments for alcoholism do not really apply to these people, unless they cross over from this into alcoholism, which sadly many do in later life. They do not alienate close ones, they do break laws, but normally only when drunk (as opposed to while being dunk and sober as many alcoholics do in order to get alcohol or money for it). As unhealthy as this may be, it cannot be as unhealthy as prolonged drinking. But, on reflection, perhaps there can be differing degrees of 'being bad' as there can be alcohol consumption. These people who frequent the red light districts of the town, and the more upmarket social meeting places perhaps a little too much may not be as bad as their alcoholic cousins, but are certainly far worse off than those who do not. Although, they do at least have two rectifying reasons for doing what they do; the pleasure it gives them and that most, if they tried, can stop doing what they do, much more easily than can a cocaine addict.