you chose to drink a highly addictive poison for fun

Alcohol - is a highly addictive poison. Our society drinks this poison for fun.  Social proof leads you to believe that the drinking this poison in a diluted form has many benefits, that is until you flip from the "normal drinker" to the feared and stigmatized dreaded "alcoholic."  You know, that other kind of drinker, the one you are never going to be, because you "can take it or leave it."  You know, the drinker in control, the moderation drinker, not that genetic disease carrying freak that has the "addictive personality." Your not the bum laying on the sidewalk in Las Vegas with a bottle in a paper bag begging for money as tourists walk by with colorful alcohol drinks in their hands.  In fact you may be the drinking tourist and smugly thinking - "what a drunken bum" get a job then you can party like me and enjoy the night life as a respectable drinker having "fun."  All depends on how you look at it.

90% of the adult population drinks alcohol.  90% of those people are addicted to the drug, 90% of those people will never admit they are addicted.  It is a socially acceptable drug addiction.  After all the government says it is legal - until you blow a .08 BAC while operating a vehicle - then your drug use is frowned upon as law breaking, and they court order you into the dreaded 12 step "program."  Thank God for Uber, it is much more classy to take Uber, only drunks take a yellow taxi home after a night of drug indulgence.

Here is an experiment - write down your reasons for drinking alcohol - 

I'll check in later to give you my list. 

Beer, wine, spirits, a cocktail, adult beverages -

Don't be fooled by the name.  It's a powerful poison and will shorten your life considerably.  It is also highly addictive, will debilitate your immune system and impede your concentration. It is a known cacogenic chemical.  It will systematically destroy your nervous system, your confidence, your courage and your ability to relax.  By the way in it's native chemical form it tastes awful and if too much is ingested will kill you and will cost you about $400,000 over your drinking lifetime if you are a moderate to heavy drinker. 

What does it do for you?  Here are the perceived benefits.

Helps me relax when I'm stressed
Helps me socially fit in
It tastes good, quenches your thirst
Is part of the celebration of holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions
Makes me loosen up and have better sex
Gives me confidence and courage
Helps me get over a unhappy event in my life
Makes me happy
Helps me fall asleep
Relieves my boredom
Rewards me for working hard at my job each day

Easy trade off - you drink an addictive drug and you get benefits.  You become a drug addict because it is socially acceptable and provides pleasure and relieves pain.

People get upset when I call alcohol a drug - they really get a red ass when I tell them it is highly addictive - they get downright nasty when I compare the addiction to alcohol to the addiction of other hard drugs. 

Here is the difference - alcohol addiction is a slow miserable death - opioid addiction is a fast usually painless death.  Both are drug addictions.

Cheers.