Don’t understand the point of alcohol? Then don’t drink it.
Gabe Cralley, in an editorial published on the Sept. 23 issue of Student Life (“On drunken ambiguity”), asks a very valid question: Why do we drink alcohol, given all of its negative consequences?
I gave this question some thought and realized that it was a matter of framing: It’s very easy to paint an undesirable picture of many things that we, as humans, find fun. It’s especially easy when the person painting the picture doesn’t enjoy those things the way others do. An example that comes to mind for me is that of roller coasters: I hate them. Because of this, it’s easy for me to spell out all of the negative things about roller coasters and make them seem completely inane. You have to spend a considerable amount of cash, wait in a line for hours on end and stand around in the hot sun, all to get onto a machine that simulates the sensation of falling. But it doesn’t follow from that line of reasoning that roller coasters are pointless. They’re pointless for me—I don’t “get” them—but the very same sensation that people find enjoyable is the exact opposite for me, and consequently I don’t feel like putting up with all of the baggage associated with it.
And so it is with alcohol: people drink because they enjoy the sensations that it gives them. I do disagree with some of the negative effects of alcohol discussed in the article. For one, I enjoy the taste of alcohol in its many forms, and I would say that it’s an acquired taste, much like coffee. I also don’t think that, for the overwhelming majority of people, a few years of drinking in college on the weekends will really amount to any serious liver damage. But the crux of my point is that even if all of the negatives of drinking alcohol were to be taken into account, they’re irrelevant to those who find consuming alcohol to be enjoyable, much like the cash and long lines are irrelevant to someone who enjoys the adrenaline rush brought on by roller coasters.
I really don’t think that the reason people drink is to escape reality for the majority of people—if that were true, people would still be getting smashed on the weekends well into their 40s—but that only happens to a comparatively small proportion of the population, and those people seriously need help. I also don’t think that the cause lies in social pressure, either—while alcohol does act as a social lubricant, nobody is forced to drink alcohol, and even if social pressure played some role, it could hardly play a dominant role, though one may have a case with cigarettes in that regard.
I think that the reason why people drink is far more fundamental and far simpler. To many people, alcohol is enjoyable. Of course, this leaves someone who does not enjoy an alcohol-driven buzz wondering why anyone would put up with all of the downsides associated with drinking. But for those who do enjoy alcohol, the benefits of the enjoyment outweigh the costs.
Alcohol is not for everyone: If someone doesn’t enjoy alcohol, then there’s no reason for them to drink in the first place. But this does not mean that nobody should drink, nor does it mean that drinking alcohol is pointless. That kind of reasoning, to be blunt, is clearly faulty. It would mean that eating junk food is pointless because there are all sorts of health risks involved and no clear benefits aside from the fact that it tastes good. It would mean that listening to music is a distraction and a waste of time because there are no good reasons to listen to it aside from the fact that it just sounds good. Ultimately, people drink because it makes them feel good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go out and get trashed.
AJ is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
I think that alcohol, like all drugs, can be used for many reasons. Some drink because everyone else does, some to escape their problems, but I think most people drink because it is enjoyable to them. A person’s first drink may be the result of peer pressure, but many find this first experience enjoyable and continue to drink because they like it. One has a problem when he or she transcends the desire to drink because it’s fun, and starts drinking because it is the only way they know how to cope. This progression is seen with most drug use; first we use the drug because of the positive reinforcement of it’s effects, then we use it because of the negative reinforcement of it’s absence. Luckily alcohol is a drug that most people never use due to negative reinforcement.
You made several very good points. We often times ride certain rides, such as the roller coaster, on a bet or peer pressure. Your friends make you feel like something is wrong with you if you do not ‘ride’ the rides like everyone else. And yes, drinking is an acquired taste. But too many times we give into peer pressure or we acquire certain taste for other people, to fit in, to be a part of something bigger than we are. I am over 40 and the same people that used to sit around in high school and college and get plastered are still doing it today. This acquired taste gets ahold of you and it is very hard to shake it. Drinking, just like eating, is a way to cope with life and the things it brings. Be very careful with the habits you form because habits follow you all through your life. Try to find a better way to bring your “outgoing” self out of the closet. I have personally seen people get hospitalized because of drinking, and not because they were drinking but because someone else was. I have seen a person’s head where their other side should be and a person’s life totaly destroyed by drinking. Everything we do has consequences, whether it is eating too much, playing too hard, or listening to your music too loud. Think before you act.