Beer isn't alcohol
More than half of Poles think a shot of vodka contains more pure ethyl alcohol than a bottle of beer. It contains the same amount. Beer often isn't even seen as alcohol, which is a real problem when a doctor takes your medical history.
We need to ask ourselves an important question: haven't we started treating those couple of beers in the evening or a glass of wine as something normal? American movies have got us used to the sight of a whiskey decanter being opened at the office at the end of the day, or going out for a drink after work. A bottle of wine and Netflix as your way to deal with a hard day at work can be the start of problems.
Number one
Research clearly shows that no amount of alcohol is healthy. Don't kid yourself that a glass of red wine is good for your digestion. Alcohol is a poison with toxic effects. It damages your liver and brain tissue. It also raises the risk of colorectal and breast cancer. The IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) has classified it as a Group 1 carcinogen. That's the highest-risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation and tobacco.
Alcohol is an addictive psychoactive substance. On the list of dangerous substances ranked by social harm, alcohol comes first, as the most dangerous. Next on the list is heroin. Makes you think.
If that still surprises you, think of ruined childhoods and broken families with a drinking problem, or fatal car crashes caused by drunk driving. It's a plague on our society.
Social acceptance
I'm sure you've heard the saying:
You can have fun without alcohol, but why would you?
Turning down a drink triggers strange social reactions: big surprise and lots of coaxing. But if you tell someone you don't eat mustard, nobody asks: What do you mean you don't eat mustard? or What, you won't have mustard with me?
You probably remember the days when you partied till late, then dragged yourself to work or class in the morning and you were fine. Maybe you felt a bit rough, but you bounced back quickly.
With age, your tolerance for alcohol drops. If you haven't noticed yet, you'll start to see that after a few beers it's harder to get going in the morning, and after a heavier weekend you'll be nursing a hangover for 3 days.
I'm an alcoholic
I never thought anyone would ever tell me:
Marcin, I'm an alcoholic
It's not something you hear often. It doesn't mean the person is actively drinking. It means that at some point in their life the problem was spotted and dealt with. That's why I prefer to be very careful about offering alcohol and pushing it on people, and it's definitely not an essential part of a social get-together.
I hardly drink at all myself. I can't remember the last time I had a hangover, and it's not an experience I'd willingly repeat. Every day matters too much to me to ruin it with a boozy evening. Drinking hurts my workouts, lowers my endurance and slows my recovery.
If you know me, you know I'm a naturally cheerful guy. I can have a great time over coffee, tea or an alcohol-free beer. Too much alcohol dulls me and makes me sleepy. It doesn't make me aggressive at all. I get way more pissed off when I'm hungry.
I tried vodka at university, and in my second year I decided I'd never touch it again, because it ended badly.
Still, I realize how important the social side can be. That sometimes the best conversations happen over a glass of wine. I'm not a teetotaler. Now and then I'll have some bubbly or a good IPA. My lower tolerance makes me a very cheap date. Two beers and my head's buzzing, and there's absolutely no way I can manage a third. And forget about me finishing a whole bottle of Prosecco. The next morning would be awful.
Morning espresso
My final thought is that it's worth questioning the substances we consume. Asking ourselves whether, in the long run, they bring us more benefits or more potential problems.
I feel the same way about coffee. Although I really love starting the day with a cup of espresso, my energy levels are definitely higher all day long when I don't have any caffeine at all.