Is Drinking really that bad?

Question

Hi,
I am 23 years old and live in India.I am an Engineering student. I Drink about 2-3 times a month..not more than a few drinks.
My parents are completely against it. About a year ago, I was drinking at home and my mom caught me red handed and I was in such a shock that till today, I wonder what happened after that.Amnesia I guess.. (it was taken that seriously)

Must be because of the Shock!!
My point is that Here in India, Most families consider Drinking a crime or something..
Is it really that bad? Should things Change?

ps. Please dont laugh at my question.We follow a totally different culture,Although the basic human values are the same...

Answer 1

It depends on WHY you drink. There are plenty of bad reasons to drink alcohol. While you are still living at home or when you are in their home, it's rude to do something that is against the house rules. That would definitely be BAD, really bad.

If you want to drink in some responsible way (no one has to carry you home or clean up after you) in your own space, then it's up to your judgment.
You would not carry a can of garbage into your friend's home and dump it on the floor? Of course not, it would be rude and you would not be invited again.

Answer 2

It sounds like a cultural thing, since you say most familes in India are against drinking. However there is some wisdom in it...as another commenter said, countless lives and families have been destroyed by alcoholism. It sounds like your culture has gone slightly overboard, throwing out the baby with the bathwater..many people can enjoy alcohol in moderation, as you describe.

If your parents are horrified at you drinking 2-3 drinks 2-3 times a month, they would be mortified at how students in the U.S. drink....they go on drinking binges and get totally smashed quite often....not a very healthy relationship with alcohol. You may have heard, some students have drank so much that in a few cases, they have died of alcohol poisoning.

But no, in the amounts you describe, sounds completely normal and well-adjusted to me. I guess just keep your social drinking a hidden thing until you move out and are on your own, if your parents won't see reason. 23 is plenty old enough to make your own decisions regarding alcohol.

Answer 3

Anything done to excess is harmful, even concern. I drink once in a while and have a tradition of one small glass of either brandy or single malt scotch after I get home from work on a Friday. I don't drink during the week and never when out of the house.

My wife enjoys a glass of wine with dinner (depending on what we're having) and my eldest son will go out and party with his friends occasionally. If he does so to the point where he can't work, then he suffers through working with a hangover. He has done this ONCE. If he does too much drinking I tell him he's gone to far and if he wants to continue to live at home he either establishes self control or leaves.

Alcohol is a depressant and shuts down toe portions of the brain that control inhibitions. It lets you put down the stress, but if done to much will result in a LOT of dangerous issues.

Learn to stop when you should. The day you cannot get through without a drink is the day you have a problem.

Answer 4

If it isn't accepted in your culture, then you may want to honor that.

Health-wise, there's nothing too bad with drinking a FEW times a month. That said, drinking CAN be bad to your body. Alcohol itself is poisonous in high concentrations. It can damage internal organs and inhibit brain functioning. It can also make you an alcoholic, addicted to it, if you're not careful.

It's your call. Just don't drink too much (what you're doing now is just about right) if you decide to carry on with it.

Answer 5

When you are aware of the number of lives which are lost as a result of other people's drinking and driving (even if you do not experience it in India), the number of youths in school who go to class drunk, come from families where alcohol consumption causes family break-ups, children are neglected and go hungry, go astray, etc, then you become congnizant of your mother's deep concern about your drinking, 2 - 3 times a month or not.

Answer 6

Yes, drinking is that bad. You are describing consumption in small amounts and infrequently, but have you asked yourself why you even want to consume those drinks? I enjoy a cocktail every now and then, if I'm home and needing something to help me relax. I'll have a cold beer after lawn work on a really hot day, but I don't just drink....to be drinking. Drinking has damaged my marriage, I've watched it nearly destroy people all around me. Just watch yourself, and overlook Mr. Dorkface's cynical comments, your mom has a job to do, so listen to her.

Answer 7

Well cultures are different. . . . I quit drinking because I have a addictive personality. I know that you drinking that seldom isn't really all that bad unlike some of us Americans that drink all day long everyday for many years and die of liver failure. It is actually completely up to you on whether or not you drink. If you want to live up to your culture quit, if you want to live your own life continue, it's up to you. . . .

Answer 8

i live in north America and many people here drink socially but there is a minority who are fanatically against any and all alcoholic consumption but the majority feel its OK to drink socially.it is debatable about human values being the same however.

Answer 9

Drinking can be alot of fun. It enhances social situations, and it makes you feel good. As long as you know your limits and you're not driving, then there's nothing wrong with getting hammered every now and then. You should throw a little weed in there too, because marijuana is a beautifal thing.

Answer 10

Well yea, drinking isn't good for you but it depends on how much you drink. People die from alcholism, thats what my cousin died from like two years ago, it's bad to because something develops in your espogus and then evenutally bursts and you bleed to death. Unfortuntely, people don't care they still drink. But drinking occasionally is fine.