Alcohol ...

StupidLikeAFox

Plunky wrote:

Jeez, Colhol, seems like SOMEone reads the Sunday World... Pfft for tabloids! I work in Spar, so I'm allowed diss on crappy papers - i see the ****e they pull in as articles every day!..

Haha, i was in the pub sunday evening and it was on the counter!

halenger wrote:

Oh and the comment about forgetting. Yeah that's one that gets me a lot. People who go out to have a good night and get so smashed that they don't remember it, none of it.

Whats that got to do with you or me? If thats what theyre doing and theyre happy let them on. Same goes for the spending all theyre money part. Id disagree with this too, wont be losing any sleep over it. Anyway, back to your original point.....

And people want to drink at CTYI? What are you trying to forget?

See now, what makes you equate drinking with trying to forget something? Also, what makes you equate drinking with getting absolutely smashed?

Hugh Hefner

ColHol wrote:

See now, what makes you equate drinking with trying to forget something? Also, what makes you equate drinking with getting absolutely smashed?

Well why would someone drink if they didn't want to get drunk? If they didn't want to get drunk then there's no reason to be running the risk of drinking in CTYI and they'd be drinking something non-alcoholic.

StupidLikeAFox

ColHol wrote:

See now, what makes you equate drinking with trying to forget something? Also, what makes you equate drinking with getting absolutely smashed?

Hugh Hefner wrote:

Well why would someone drink if they didn't want to get drunk?

Drinking to get drunk as in merry, tipsy, ossiffied or what?

Stephen Forde

i dont think he has the word(or letters or whatever u want to call them) "ctyi" in his statement. But people drink to get drunk granted but most people dont do it to get smashed totally mainly cos it generally screws up your night and also your friends night. i forgot whatever else i was gonna say

Joycey

Stephen Forde wrote:

i told all my friends it was irish college except one of them and he kept calling me a nerd cos of goign to nerd camp then 2 years later he went!

just face it all ur friends should know by now that ur all nerds.....

Your still a nerd forde... Even if im one too

ha ha, as long as you know it Joyce

Lady penelopy

basically, if people want to drink, thats fine(not necessarily in a ctyi context though), but what i dont like is how lots of young people think thats the only way to have a good time:thats just unhealthy.

Aoibheann

Piste wrote:

Oh, and don't let Aoibheann see this thread

Hilarious, Liz!


Anyway, not everyone has had the pleasure of my lecture on underage drinking.

Ok, I'm just home from work, and I'm really not going to get into one of my rants, but think of this...

Money - think what you could be doing with that money, instead of pouring it down the drain(for drain, see mouth).

Health - eh, your liver. pretty important organ, ne? And all that alcohol can cause poisoning of the liver. Your liver gets messed up, so does the rest of you. Think of George Best here, people. I know you're all much younger than him, but you start drinking so much now, you dont stop...unless you're luckier than most.

People say they drink to enjoy themselves. Well guess what, you dont need to. I dont drink, and I definitely know how to enjoy myself. There's so much more to life then getting completely out of your head drunk. Presumably anyway. I dont drink and never will. Am I missing out on all that much? I dont think so, and what's more, I dont actually care.

Drinking at CTYI, what the hell are you people doing? You're quite possibly going to forget what could be some of the best times of your life. Drinking just ruins the whole thing. You get in trouble, you get kicked out, you egret it then. But it's all your own fault. Arent you forgetting that it's actually illegal for you all to drink? You'll end up having a far better time actually knowing what you're doing, and remembering. You'll have a much better time not having to hide anything. God forbid, you might just learn that drinking isnt everything.



Ok, so I ranted, sue me.

No. please dont. I like my money for spending on stuff.

StupidLikeAFox

thats a very narrow minded and extreme view of alcohol there aoibheann.....

Aoibheann

ColHol wrote:

thats a very narrow minded and extreme view of alcohol there aoibheann.....

Nah, not really. Now, you see, you know that I'm right. Otherwise you would have a lot more to back up your points. Alas, you have nothing. Drinking underage is illegal, for one thing, so there goes all your arguments down the drain.

How are my views narrow minded? I was just showing the damage alcohol does, and I am not wrong about what I said. It's not just an opinion that alcohol can harm you, it wastes money and you dont need it for a good time. This is fact.


Fair enough, go ahead and drink if you want to when you're so young. Waste your time. But I ask you, please dont drink at CTYI and ruin it for the rest of us.

StupidLikeAFox

Aoibheann Brady wrote:

Nah, not really. Now, you see, you know that I'm right. Otherwise you would have a lot more to back up your points. Alas, you have nothing.

It was 3am in the morning, but if you really want me to, ill go back to your original post...

Money - think what you could be doing with that money, instead of pouring it down the drain(for drain, see mouth).

Things cost money. Your from Cavan right, you've paid money to go to Dublin to see friends. You leave Dublin in the evening with nothing, but you had a good time. Now some go down to the pub/club/whatever, have a few drinks, loosen up, have a good time. They get a little drunk, it may not be absolutely necassary, but the alcohol helps

Health - eh, your liver. pretty important organ, ne? And all that alcohol can cause poisoning of the liver. Your liver gets messed up, so does the rest of you. Think of George Best here, people. I know you're all much younger than him, but you start drinking so much now, you dont stop...unless you're luckier than most.

How many people actually end up like george best? How many people actually DRINK to the same extent as George Best. Is it your view that theres none drinkers on one hand, and millions of George Bests on the other?

People say they drink to enjoy themselves. Well guess what, you dont need to. I dont drink, and I definitely know how to enjoy myself. There's so much more to life then getting completely out of your head drunk. Presumably anyway. I dont drink and never will. Am I missing out on all that much? I dont think so, and what's more, I dont actually care

.
Good for you Aoibheann! Neither do i, ive gone to the pub several times and enjoyed myself without drinking, ive also gone a few times and had a few drinks and not had fun. At the end of the day life is what you make of it, alcohol isnt a dead cert for a savage night, and nobody should be assuming that. Likewise, drinking alcohol doesnt exactly mean your gonna get langers, puke, forget everything, wake up in a ditch. That sorta thing doesnt just *happen*.

There's so much more to life then getting completely out of your head drunk

*clap*, no ****.
1) Who said that, should you choose to drink, you'll be getting completely out of your head?
2) Who said there *wasnt* more to life than getting drunk?
And as for this concluding paragraph....

Drinking at CTYI, what the hell are you people doing? You're quite possibly going to forget what could be some of the best times of your life.

*Possibly*. As i said, it takes a lot of alcohol to get that drunk that you start forgetting lotsa things. And also whos to say it wont be "some of the best times of your life"? Your under the impression that alcohol=bad times and memory loss, which is a v extreme view

Drinking just ruins the whole thing. You get in trouble, you get kicked out, you egret it then.

Thats if you get caught. Its a massive risk, but if its a risk you're willing to take then your gonna have to be prepared for the consequences

You'll end up having a far better time actually knowing what you're doing, and remembering.

Oh cmon, this is another thing, people who say "i didnt know what i was doing, i was drunk". Again you do have some degree of self control when drunk. Until your getting very drunk you have quite a lot. And again with the FORGETTING. What is peoples obsession with "if you drink you'll forget everything!!!"???

God forbid, you might just learn that drinking isnt everything.

Again, why the assumption that "they drink, therefore they think drinking is everything". Nobody here said that!

In short i feel you have a wrong perception of alcohol. You take George Best as your typical drinker? He's sad, hes gone beyond a joke. If your gonna talk about alcoholics then thats a different thing. Fact is, not every drinker is an alcoholic.

Also you believe the myths that if you're gonna drink, you will most definitely get absolutely smashed, lose all self control and that you're gonna forget everything. No offence, but this is a very blinkered view, its pretty much propaganda. If you're going to drink to that extent, then you have a problem imo. But newsflash, the people who end up like this cannot blame drink, it is down to the person themselves!

Aoibheann, you have completely written off alcohol and cast it to the "bad" section of your brain. You cant understand why anyone would want to drink, but yet you've never drank before in your life. Take these two statements:
I have never been to CTYI because it is ****
I have never drank alcohol because i will have a bad time
Im not encouraging anyone to go out and get locked, but a mature, openminded view on the subject would be nice. Not this "alcohol is bad mmk". Fair enough, if thats what you think then fine, but its just not a very open minded view.

incredula pert

Aoibheann Brady wrote:

Anyway, not everyone has had the pleasure of my lecture on underage drinking.

Luckily, I have. And am used to your sensationalist statements, assertions, and sterotyping. I'm also use to speaking to your from your high horse.

Aoibheann Brady wrote:

Ok, I'm just home from work, and I'm really not going to get into one of my rants, but think of this...

Yes, I would call it a rant. There are no logical progressions, just alot of generalised statements. GOODY!

Aoibheann Brady wrote:

Money - think what you could be doing with that money, instead of pouring it down the drain(for drain, see mouth).

Aoibheann, have you ever considered that not everyone may not deem it to be a "waste of money"? People don't always drink to get drunk, the fact that you believe this shows that you have very little experience with drinking itself (and no, I *don't* mean getting drunk, I mean in pubs etc). Granted, you have a right to an opinion, but unfortunatly, you seem to forget that everyone else does too, and you lecturing them on the 'rights' and 'wrongs' of their behaviour really isn't your place.

Aoibheann Brady wrote:

Health - eh, your liver. pretty important organ, ne? And all that alcohol can cause poisoning of the liver. Your liver gets messed up, so does the rest of you. Think of George Best here, people. I know you're all much younger than him, but you start drinking so much now, you dont stop...unless you're luckier than most.

Oh my, you are a smart one! Yes your liver *is* an important organ, but guess what? so is your heart! but I'm guessing that doesn't stop you or the majority of us here from eating fatty foods. Fatty foods, just like alcohol, when 'binged' on are ofcourse dangerous, but that does not mean however, that one cannot enjoy it on certain occasions.

Gerorge Best is your example? Am I seeing things right? Now Aoibheann dear, if you are going to use a relevant example, don't pick an ageing alcoholic. Another thing that seemed to slip out of your train of thought is that ALCOHOLCISM is infact a DISEASE. And that NO, not everyone who takes a drink will become an ALCOHOLIC! Is that a stunng realisation for you? Just like obeseity, some people are more prone to it that others.

And as for "that most", I assume alot of peoples parents here enjoy a drink, are "most" of them alcoholics? don't think so, but if you'd like to challenge me on that Aoiheann, I invite you to.

The problem with alcohol today is not that fact that it exists, its the fact that people BINGE on it. The problem with underage drinking in Ireland does indeed run rampant, so rampant that we can't even expect to curb it by stopping every teenager from doing it. The statement "alcohol=bad" does NOT teach teenagers how to control their consumption-it infact encourages them to drink because *shock**horror* teenagers want to REBEL!Taking examples of France, Italy or Spain, where teenagers are introduced to drinking alcohol responsibly at a younger age, their rates of underage drinking are MUCH lower. In ireland, because our drinking culture is so prominent, wouldn't you agree that it would be more productive to actually encourgae THIS rather than a blanket ban thats completely ignored and completely ineffective?
Alcohol shouldn't be dangerous unless you binge on it, and that is what people need to be taught, not that is an evil substance. At this stage, you're not going to stop teenagers from drinking alchol, what needs to happen is effective control and regulation. Just like sex, if there is a social stigma attached to something, most likely, the rammifications of its irresponsible and often 'uneducated' use are far more dangerous. Why can't we concentrate on that rather than telling people that its wrong?

Aoibeann Brady wrote:

People say they drink to enjoy themselves. Well guess what, you dont need to. I dont drink, and I definitely know how to enjoy myself. There's so much more to life then getting completely out of your head drunk. Presumably anyway. I dont drink and never will. Am I missing out on all that much? I dont think so, and what's more, I dont actually care.

Aoibheann,yet again, GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE! People, when they drink don't always "get out of their head". Goodness me, are you that ignorant? And do you think that you're the first person to tell someone "well you don't need to drink to have a good time"? Thats right, you *don't* need to, but that doens't mean that you can't choose to. We don't need to do many things, we don't need to wear nice clothes, or have nice shoes, eat nice food, wear make-up, door our hair, or even have sex to have a good time(granted we may need the last one to pro create, but we all know that every time a person has sex they're not trying to pro create). But the point is, we choose to. There are certain things, than when taken in moderation( or done so responsibly in relation to sex) are pleasures in life. We don't need to run away from them, label them a taboo subject, and hope that the bad rammifications of their overuse will just go away. Like I said, people need to learn how to tackle issues like this responsibly, and in Ireland today, by attaching underage drinking with such soical stigma we are not giving people, espeically teenagers, the appropriate tools to do so.

And as for "People say they drink to have a good time", yes, they may use it to *enhance* their good time, but that doesn't mean that they need it to have a good time. (Logical progression is something which you should look into.)

Aoibheann Brady wrote:

Drinking at CTYI, what the hell are you people doing? You're quite possibly going to forget what could be some of the best times of your life. Drinking just ruins the whole thing. You get in trouble, you get kicked out, you egret it then. But it's all your own fault. Arent you forgetting that it's actually illegal for you all to drink? You'll end up having a far better time actually knowing what you're doing, and remembering. You'll have a much better time not having to hide anything. God forbid, you might just learn that drinking isnt everything.

Are you assuming that everyone who drinks thinks that it is "everying"? Now aoibheann, on countless occasions, what have we said about sterotyping?
If you don't want to drink Aoibheann, fair dues, don't. But let people make their own decisions. And yes, they may make mistakes, however they are theirs to make, and the only way (esp. in our society) that they are going to learn is through these mistakes. You don't foget everything when you take *some* alcohol Aoibheann, it takes alot to get that drunk. for gods sake, we don't need to run away and hide from everything. And alot of the time when people say that they can't remember anything, they are infact exaggerating! Did you ever consider that?


Drinking in CTYI however, is against the rules. These people are running their own risk, and its their choice, so let them. But please, don't tell them they are going to forget the best time of their life. If you're going to disuade someone from drinking, atleast be reasonable and stop using sensationalist arguements. The fact that you may get sent home is a bigger threat.

LiamD

Yeah Aoibheann you're kinda taking it to the extreme there.Many people can enjoy a few drinks without getting drunk.Personally I think too many drinks leads to a bad night, not a good one.So what it costs money?Chocolate costs money, it's not necessary for life but I'm gonna go ahead and guess you eat it anyway.That's such a stupid argument you have there.

Re. liver, not many people drink that much to do damage to your liver and even if someone did drink excessively once or twice, your liver has a great ability to repair itself.

Drink is not necessary to enjoy yourself, I agree but I would compare a trip to the pub/club like a trip to the cinema.You don't need these other things to enjoy yourself but why do yuo do them?Because they are enjoyable.And what do you mean by there's so much more to life than getting drunk?You sound like a nun.I doubt anyone here's life is devoted to getting drunk.Drinking/getting drunk is just one activity out of a vast range of activities you can do.I think the word you're looking for is moderation.

Why do you think drinkiers think drinking is everything?You're only talking about the majority of the population here Aoibheann, I'm sure you can generalise them all because your just *that* smart.How do you know people will have a better time without drink?It's completely in the person's own hands what type of time they have.It always amazes me that people like you who want to be seen to take a stand will criticise something having only tried it once or twice, or never at all.Open your eyes!

incredula pert

LiamD wrote:

And what do you mean by there's so much more to life than getting drunk?You sound like a nun.I doubt anyone here's life is devoted to getting drunk.Drinking/getting drunk is just one activity out of a vast range of activities you can do.I think the word you're looking for is moderation.
!

haha..*claps*

nosmo

Basically, I would feel uneasy with people drinking at my session. I know people can do whatever they want in the broader scale of things, but odds are 95% or more of the drinkers aren't going to be having a beer and socialising.
One of the main pulls of CTYI at the time for me was that it's a safe place (yes, yes, I know the setting contradicts that), an enclosed environment of the students and staff. I'm aware that's possibly a rather silly thing to say, but that's me. Having alcohol present isn't really going to contribute to that.
Another part of it is just the pathetic nature of it. I remember hearing someone say that they had an outside source who was getting them a naggin or something and that they intended to drink it in their room, alone (not in a trying to be a lonely drunk way, more a I'm Hip Lookit way). There's a great idea.
To bring back a point that's been discussed a thousand times, People at CTYI are underage. I'm aware most of those who drink start before they're legal, but nevertheless. It is always the case that there are people who are looked up to by others, and the usual thing happens in this situation.

and as a final point, if you DO drink, please PLEASE don't get caught. If you do, you deserve it fully. Try and control yourself. A bit. I have great memories of someone at sess1 2003 who was trying oh so hard to be cool throughout the session and then ended up rather drunk at one of the discos and he was a wreck.

Don't get me wrong, I loves my alcohol. But I really don't think CTYI is the place for it

nosmo

Raphael wrote:

Wrong Liam. Plunky is talking about the way that drinking didn't used to happen at CTYI. Everyone knows it happens now, a few people are expelled as a result. However, last time the discussion was to the tune of "Lads, I was so twisted at CTYI, omglol." Or, in your words

...etc...

That's lower than my barometer. Quoting IMs on public message boards is really not cool.

halenger

ColHol wrote:

Good for you Aoibheann! Neither do i, ive gone to the pub several times and enjoyed myself without drinking, ive also gone a few times and had a few drinks and not had fun. At the end of the day life is what you make of it, alcohol isnt a dead cert for a savage night, and nobody should be assuming that. Likewise, drinking alcohol doesnt exactly mean your gonna get langers, puke, forget everything, wake up in a ditch. That sorta thing doesnt just *happen*.

This applies to a number of the replies...

That sort of thing very much does happen. And people do die because of it. Am I talking crap? No. A person the year ahead of me died because he fell asleep in a ditch because he was incredibly drunk and was kicked out of an event - it was a cold and very rainy night. My point is is that it happens. Falling asleep in ditches etc is common enough too. A friend of mine was dropped home after getting quite drunk and he fell asleep on his front door step. Sue has told me that a number of work friends of hers admit to sleeping in a ditch/door step/somewhere because they were too drunk to get home/remember where home was.

Drinking to get drunk - it may not be common to you but you've not yet reached college, so I'll excuse that. It is incredibly common in college to hear the phrase "lets get drunk" and yes, they do mean it. College has a week devoted to drink sure - Rag Week in case you've not heard of it.

I know people don't always drink to get drunk. Of course this is going to happen. Just as people will drink themselves stupid and others will drink nothing at all. People are different, doesn't even need to be stated.


And people, bit of cop on please. You can comment all you like (within reason) on what someone says but bear in mind they're entitled to their opinions. There's no need to start labling people who don't think the same way as you. So, keep the comments about the post, not the person.

Gonna have to split this off into another thread when I get a chance. Don't make me close it up and ban people. Be sensible.

halenger

ColHol wrote:

Aoibheann, you have completely written off alcohol and cast it to the "bad" section of your brain. You cant understand why anyone would want to drink, but yet you've never drank before in your life. Take these two statements:
I have never been to CTYI because it is ****
I have never drank alcohol because i will have a bad time
Im not encouraging anyone to go out and get locked, but a mature, openminded view on the subject would be nice. Not this "alcohol is bad mmk". Fair enough, if thats what you think then fine, but its just not a very open minded view.

That is a dreadful, dreadful comparrison. Shockingly bad, sickeningly so in fact. CTYI is not bad for your health/wont kill brain cells/wont x,y,z -> infinity.

Open minded? "Oh God I've never drank alcohol. I should try some because I'm not open minded" Aoibheann never ever, that I saw, said that she doesn't drink because she thinks she "will have a bad time". You clearly don't get why people don't drink. I don't know if you smoke or do drugs (that's your business) but if you don't do one, or either, try ask yourself why you don't.
I don't drink because a) I don't approve of it (personal opinion which I'm entitled to) b) I have a habit of becoming addicted to things and I do not trust myself c) I wake up with bad enough headaches as it is, I don't need to learn what I hangover feels like (don't bother commenting on this) d) I like to keep as many brain cells as I can. I work with computers all day etc - I lose enough of them from CRT radiation e) I like to remember my nights out f) I like my inhibitions thanks.
I don't smoke because a) I can't stand the smoke b) I don't like the idea (again) c) the smell is dreadful d) I'd like to improve my chances of living a longer life e) I've seen what it can do to people
Most of the above apply to why I don't do drugs either.

Now lets get something clear. Alcohol is bad and is unhealthy. To my knowledge noone has ever died from an overdose of CTYI or anything directly related to CTYI.

I'm sure Aoibheann can see why some people do drink. If not, she'll see soon enough in her life. I do understand why some people do it but the reasons are often the worst reasons to turn to alcohol - break-up, death and so on. And the occasional drink isn't really a problem either. I may not approve of it but they're entitled to do what they want with themselves. What I really do disapprove of and do not understand is people who drink to get drunk. That's where my main qualm with alcohol lies (again the above exceptions make it more understandable to an extent. "I need the pain to go away" etc). It's quite possible I will drink sometime in my life but it wont be because I feel the need to loosen up or other. It'd take something incredibly bad and even that may not drive me to it, I'm just saying it's possible.

halenger

halenger wrote:

Now lets get something clear. Alcohol is bad and is unhealthy.

That's a lie.
Just plain wrong.

Alcohol consumption to an extreme level is unhealthy. Same can be said of Milk, Coke and orange juice.

Alcohol in Moderation is actually good for you! There's medical studies proving this! A glass of wine a day etc etc.

So i'd appreciate if you took back that statement.

Barry Aldwell

Deleted User wrote:

Alcohol consumption to an extreme level is unhealthy. Same can be said of Milk, Coke and orange juice.

I've never heard of milk, coke or orange juice poisoning*, have you?

*Except in the obvious case of being allergic to the substance in question

Deleted User wrote:

Alcohol in Moderation is actually good for you! There's medical studies proving this! A glass of wine a day etc etc.

Quote me one of these fabled medical studies. One which hasn't been denounced as quackery

halenger

Deleted User wrote:

That's a lie.
Just plain wrong.

Alcohol consumption to an extreme level is unhealthy. Same can be said of Milk, Coke and orange juice.

Alcohol in Moderation is actually good for you! There's medical studies proving this! A glass of wine a day etc etc.

So i'd appreciate if you took back that statement.

You can appreciate all you like but no, it's not a lie.

We're not talking wine or port here, the latter being recommended to older people to have very occasionaly - very does not mean a glass a day.

Be sensible and read things in context. The context of that post was clearly not alcohol in moderation. Nor was is wine or port. How many young people drink wine or port? Except of course if it's the cheapest thing they can get their hands on - and in such a case it'll be the bottle that's being drunk, not a glass. You can view your "good for you" here: http://www.healthchecksystems.com/alcohol.htm That refers to it being good for the heart in some cases and lists how many drinks one should consume in a day (for healty people) and at the very end how to take ones drink. If you read this and it applies to you then very good. Very very very few who I've ever been out drinking with has ever actually drank slowly enough and few enough to actually fit in with any of that. Let me just quote for the lazy readers out there.

Moderate use of alcohol can be an enjoyable, safe experience if used with caution. If you do choose to drink, sip each drink slowly, and always consume alcohol with food. Spaces drinks out to no more than one drink per hour, and consume plenty of water in between drinks.

I'd appreciate it if you read my posts in context in future before throwing out accusations of lies.

Barry Aldwell

Barry Aldwell wrote:

I've never heard of milk, coke or orange juice poisoning*, have you?

*Except in the obvious case of being allergic to the substance in question


Quote me one of these fabled medical studies. One which hasn't been denounced as quackery

Halenger has already addressed your second question below.

If you drink enough of anything it's bad for you. Orange juice has Citric acid in it, yes? it may be mild, it may be weak, but enough of it's gonna make you sick. Milk is basic, exact same applies to it. Ever watched supersize me? At the end they lay out all the sugar that the guy has consumed just from drinking coke all day. It's dangerous in large enough quantities.

halenger

Right. Splitty split split.

Keep it on topic, reasonable and so on.

Barry Aldwell

Deleted User wrote:

Halenger has already addressed your second question below.

If you drink enough of anything it's bad for you. Orange juice has Citric acid in it, yes? it may be mild, it may be weak, but enough of it's gonna make you sick. Milk is basic, exact same applies to it. Ever watched supersize me? At the end they lay out all the sugar that the guy has consumed just from drinking coke all day. It's dangerous in large enough quantities.

It is quite possible to consume enough alcohol in one night to cause alcohol poisoning. If I attempted to drink enough coke to cause a similar effect (bearing in mind the distinction between getting fat and dying from alcohol poisoning) my body would not be able to hold enough coke to cause a poisoning effect. Whereas a couple of "de lads" in a field with a bottle of absinthe can quite easily poison themselves

Ah well. Survival of the fittest and all that

StupidLikeAFox

halenger wrote:

That is a dreadful, dreadful comparrison. Shockingly bad, sickeningly so in fact. CTYI is not bad for your health/wont kill brain cells/wont x,y,z -> infinity.

I wasnt comparing CTYI to alcohol. I meant take the mentality into account. For instance, someone saying, i dont like CTYI because its ****, this is an immature remark, as they dont have enough basis for an opinion on it, all they have is hear say etc. Same with some views on alcohol, they see bad things happen with alcohol abuse, therefore all alcohol must be bad. I jus dont think its an accurate reflection. Im sorry but thats the way Aoibheann was coming across, and its a view that is just a silly as "lets get locked lads, wahey"

halenger wrote:

Open minded? "Oh God I've never drank alcohol. I should try some because I'm not open minded"

ColHol wrote:

Im not encouraging anyone to go out and get locked, but a mature, openminded view on the subject would be nice

See? I dont care if she drinks or not, but writing off alcohol completely, seeing it only in the extreme cases (ie George Best, bingeing etc) doesnt come across as v openminded

You clearly don't get why people don't drink. I don't know if you smoke or do drugs (that's your business) but if you don't do one, or either, try ask yourself why you don't.

I don't drink because a) I don't approve of it (personal opinion which I'm entitled to) b) I have a habit of becoming addicted to things and I do not trust myself c) I wake up with bad enough headaches as it is, I don't need to learn what I hangover feels like (don't bother commenting on this) d) I like to keep as many brain cells as I can. I work with computers all day etc - I lose enough of them from CRT radiation e) I like to remember my nights out f) I like my inhibitions thanks.
I don't smoke because a) I can't stand the smoke b) I don't like the idea (again) c) the smell is dreadful d) I'd like to improve my chances of living a longer life e) I've seen what it can do to people
Most of the above apply to why I don't do drugs either.

Great. But what do you do to relax and enjoy yourself? Some people have a few drinks, they may live til 80 years of age. Again the whole forgetting your night thing doesnt really wash, because again that is binge drinking, not the general, average drinker.

Can you understand that both yourself and Aoibheann, the way your coming across, is that your view of alcohol is a very extreme and represents only a minor section of drinkers, ie the alcoholics and binge drinkers.

To my knowledge noone has ever died from an overdose of CTYI or anything directly related to CTYI.

Nobody said anyone did, as i said, i was comparing the mentality and process at how people would arrive at them conclusions.

StupidLikeAFox

Barry Aldwell wrote:

Whereas a couple of "de lads" in a field with a bottle of absinthe can quite easily poison themselves

No **** sherlock. So you think a bunch of eejits in a field is an accurate representation of alcohol the world over? Grow up Barry

Barry Aldwell

Barry Aldwell wrote:

It is quite possible to consume enough alcohol in one night to cause alcohol poisoning. If I attempted to drink enough coke to cause a similar effect (bearing in mind the distinction between getting fat and dying from alcohol poisoning) my body would not be able to hold enough coke to cause a poisoning effect. Whereas a couple of "de lads" in a field with a bottle of absinthe can quite easily poison themselves

Ah well. Survival of the fittest and all that

you reacted originally to a reply i made to Halenger's post saying
"acohol is bad" he never gave a measure, that was his quote. So if we had no need to talk about measures surely its fair to say
"orange juice is bad" or "Milk is Bad"?

halenger

colhol wrote:

Can you understand that both yourself and Aoibheann, the way your coming across, is that your view of alcohol is a very extreme and represents only a minor section of drinkers, ie the alcoholics and binge drinkers.

90% of college students are binge drinkers. Here's an interesting one for you also "Quarter of college lecturers binge-drink"... Story from http://newsweaver.ie/educationmatters/index000082627.cfm

90% is a random figure. It's not relevant really. The fact is, and you've yet to experience it, that a very large majority of college students do binge drink. You seem to think I've no experience with people and alcohol. The points I make are mainly based on the last four years of college. The "night thing" may not wash in your opinion, but I've heard it all too often. "What did I do last night? I don't remember." Even worse, sometimes, is that people who do drink are untrusting of people who don't as they're afraid they'll remember all the embarrasing things they did.

You can pick and tear at my points all you like but they're my points, from my experiences. I can't tell it other than the way I know it. My "experiences" of alcohol are not of watching celebraties making idiots of themselves on TV or being taken to hospital from too much drink etc, mine are of my friends and people I know drinking themselves stupid for various reasons. You can't tell me my view on alcohol is "immature" because I've no experience of it personally - in the taking of it. One doesn't have to drink to have "experience" of it. What about a friend of mine who got smashed the night before he was leaving for Australia. So smashed that he threw up most of the night and some friends of his and myself had to stay with him and make sure he got to the airport. I know I quote some extreme cases but I'm trying to make it quite clear that I have well enough "experiences" of alcohol. I know people who'll have just the one drink on a night out, or maybe two and not get smashed. I know people who have never gotten drunk ever and do drink. This doesn't effect my opinion of alcohol.

Me thinks I've said enough on the matter at this rate.

incredula pert

Halenger, you are COMPLETELY missing the point.

Nobody is challenging you on the fact that people binge drink. For gods sake, we *kow* they binge drink, and will probably continue to do so no matter what you say.
Like I said in my post, which you have also failed to respond to, the problem with alcohol is not the fact that it is exists, or even that it is available - the problem is that it has a social stigma attached to it, and people like you encourage this attitude. What we need is a HEALTHY and RESPONSIBLE towards alcohol, not one that deems it an evil substance. Therefore a persons consumption would be more controlled, read my earlier post.
Alcohol isn't bad, its the ABUSE of it which is bad, and people abuse it because they don't know enough or understand its effects.

And while your personal experiences are a great input, they aren't really relevant, because everyone here could name countless experiences when they've seen people get drunk and NOT be ossofied. Everyone knows people who binge drink, just like we know people who binghe eat, but yet again, that doens't mean we make fatty foods unavailable, or call them evil. Being overweight is just as dangerous as being an alcholic, have a fry up assaults just as much damage on your body as a night of drinking (not binge drinking).

Now we could all sit here and quote statistics all day, but the problem is not that. The problem is the *attitude*, the belief that all drinkers thing alcohol is great, and that we *need* it to have a good time.

StupidLikeAFox

Im jus gonna point out one or two things, take from it what you wish.

halenger wrote:

The "night thing" may not wash in your opinion, but I've heard it all too often. "What did I do last night? I don't remember."

Yeah, i agree that this is stupid alright, however im blue in the face saying that NOT EVERYONE HAS THE COLLEGE BOY MENTALITY!

halenger wrote:

Even worse, sometimes, is that people who do drink are untrusting of people who don't as they're afraid they'll remember all the embarrasing things they did.

Yeah, theyre called idiots.

halenger wrote:

You can't tell me my view on alcohol is "immature" because I've no experience of it personally - in the taking of it. One doesn't have to drink to have "experience" of it.

Your experiences are of the people who are experiencing their first taste of freedom (in general). They tend to go wild and overdo it. I agree its silly to go out and get ossified,IM AGREEING WITH YOU, but again this does not mean alcohol cannot be enjoyed