Should we ban alcohol again?

No. Sure kids drink to get drunk. Then you grow up and don't do that anymore....unless you have a problem.

Actually most people either don't drink or drink moderately.

@sonicare: Yeah same here. My place can get brutally hot without AC. Even if I turn it off and close windows it can still find its way in depending on the environmental conditions.

I actually agree with some of this but those people who are drinking all the time because of their lack of creativity were likely never going to be creative in the first place. Really, most people are just not that creative.

As far as that writer is concerned, I certainly agree that if he doesn't have his shit together, alcohol is not going to improve the situation.

I don't really believe in writer's block tho. Once a writer gets over their fear of the blank page (I can relate to this) and has a good idea of what they're writing, the words will come.

Benefits of Alcohol

1. It Can Lower Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

The School of Public Health at Harvard University found that "moderate amounts of alcohol raises levels of high-density lipoprotein, HDL, or 'good' cholesterol and higher HDL levels are associated with greater protection against heart disease. Moderate alcohol consumption has also been linked with beneficial changes ranging from better sensitivity to insulin to improvements in factors that influence blood clotting....Such changes would tend to prevent the formation of small blood clots that can block arteries in the heart, neck, and brain, the ultimate cause of many heart attacks and the most common kind of stroke." This finding is applicable to both men and women who have not been previously diagnosed with any type of cardiovascular disease.

2. It Can Lengthen Your Life

Drinking occasionally could add a few years to your life. A study by the Catholic University of Campobasso reported that drinking less than four or two drinks per day for men and women respectively could reduce the risk of death by 18 percent, as reported by Reuters. "Little amounts, preferably during meals, this appears to be the right way (to drink alcohol)," said Dr. Giovanni de Gaetano of Catholic University, another author on the study. "This is another feature of the Mediterranean diet, where alcohol, wine above all, is the ideal partner of a dinner or lunch, but that's all: the rest of the day must be absolutely alcohol-free."

3. It Can Improve Your Libido

Contrary to prior beliefs, newer research has found that moderate drinking might actually protect against erectile dysfunction in the same way that drinking red wine might benefit heart disease. In a 2009 study published in the, Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers found that the chances of erectile dysfunction were reduced by 25 to 30 percent among alcohol drinkers. The lead researcher, Kew-Kim Chew, an epidemiologist at the University of West Australia, conducted the study with 1,770 Australian men. In his study, Chew cautiously noted that he and his team in no way are advising men to hit the bottle, and that further research is needed to accurately connect impotence and alcohol consumption.

4. It Helps Prevent Against the Common Cold

The Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University found that while susceptibility to the common cold was increased by smoking, moderate alcohol consumption led to a decrease in common cold cases for nonsmokers. This study was conducted in 1993 with 391 adults. In 2002, according to the New York Times, Spanish researchers found that by drinking eight to 14 glasses of wine per week, particularly red wine, one could see a 60-percent reduction in the risk of developing a cold. The scientists suspected that this had something to do with the antioxidant properties of wine.

5. It Can Decrease Chances Of Developing Dementia

In a study that included more than 365,000 participants since 1977, as reported in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, moderate drinkers were 23 percent less likely to develop cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. "Small amounts of alcohol might, in effect, make brain cells more fit. Alcohol in moderate amounts stresses cells and thus toughens them up to cope with major stresses down the road that could cause dementia," said Edward J. Neafsey, Ph.D., co-author of the study, as reported by Science Daily. "We don't recommend that nondrinkers start drinking," Neafsey said. "But moderate drinking — if it is truly moderate — can be beneficial."

6. It Can Reduce The Risk Of Gallstones

Drinking two units of alcohol per day can reduce the risk of gallstones by one-third, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia. The study found that those who reported consuming two UK units of alcohol per day had a one-third reduction in their risk of developing gallstones. "Researchers emphasized that their findings show the benefits of moderate alcohol intake but stress that excessive alcohol intake can cause health problems," according to the study.

7. Lowers The Chance Of Diabetes

Results of a Dutch study showed that healthy adults who drink one to two glasses per day have a decreased chance of developing type 2 diabetes, in comparison to those who don't drink at all. "The results of the investigation show that moderate alcohol consumption can play a part in a healthy lifestyle to help reduce the risk of developing diabetes type 2," researchers said in a statement to Reuters.

You were saying.....

You could more easily have done that using medical cannabis. That wouldnt have resulted in an elevation of blood pressure or suppress your inhibitions that need to remain after watching that circus.

@mattbbpl: yeah I don't think that'll ever stop :P unless they make some of them legal. That way there will be less business for the cartels since they're the ones smuggling it over the border.

Unless he lives in a select few places that is illegal. Also smoking is not good for you either.

Oh, you are totally right and I would be all over that but my state's laws on medical marijuana are very restrictive so it's hard to get. My days of obtaining it in illegal ways are over. I wait for the end of prohibition.

Soooo...you're being selective about alcohol now? Two beers a day is as good as one glass of wine. If I need to provide a citation I will. You can't pick and choose alcohol. Alcohol is alcohol. Also, no one said, "significant."

Smoking cigarettes is not good for you. The data on marijuana is not as bad, though any substance that is burned and inhaled is usually not good. However, mark1974 has chronic pain and glaucoma so he'd be ok to have the marijuana.

I mean, I understand you do not like cig smoke and want to avoid it, but to say you can't breathe outside around it is dramatic.

@LJS9502_basic: Don't waste your breath. He is talking about, "mixed drinks" only.

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."- Benjamin Franklin

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.”- Abraham Lincoln

You assholes need to quit being anti-American.

This chronic pain and glaucoma is going to be the death of me. I wish someone would help!

@intotheminx: It's not as if I can't literally breathe it's just that at times it can be overpowering.

No. This thread is now about alcohol and why it's great.

I like scotch, yet I like fruitier beers for some reason. Why.

People should be able to do whatever they want as long as it isn't hurting others. Smoke, drink, vape, fap or whatever it is that makes you happy. But do it responsibly.

Dont show half of the truth, it hurts your position. Alcohol also hurts people as well. Alcohol messes with cerebrial spinal fluid, which is kind of important....

I'm with you all the way. Talisker is my favorite scotch and I like beers that are fruity ( due to the hops used) more than the ones that are fruited.

I'm a beer and red wine drinker myself but I do enjoy the occasional Crown Royal on the rocks.

I love red wine! I'm into cabernet and zinfandel on the heavier side of the spectrum but also love a good Pinot Noir ( red Burgundy) on the warmer days.

@hillelslovak: He said there weren't benefits to alcohol. I presented him with some benefits. You have trouble following conversations don't you?

You have trouble not being a **** at all times, dont you?

Considering you keep trying to get into arguments I think that best describes yourself.

@mark1974: Nice. I'm not too knowledgeable about my wines, I just know that if it's red I'll like it. :P I do prefer it be a little more on the dry side and not too sweet.

I did not even get into an argument with you, I pointed out how you listed only the benefits, and you acted like a ****. I should have known. Someone who identifies with the Cure, a band made up of pretentious whiney twats.

Then I was correct. You didn't follow the conversation.

Why not just admit that?

You're acting like a child right now with immature insults.

Your identifying with the Cure is immature and insulting. You said alcohol in moderation has benefits, neglected to note that it also has a detrimental effects.

Once again you present an idea without any facts. Always your MO. And then you start with your ad hominems because you couldn't follow a simple conversation. He initially stated there were no benefits to alcohol meaning to take the opposite stance is to GIVE HIM SOME BENEFITS. If you aren't going to follow the conversation and are going to continue to act petulant with childish insults then don't discuss things with me. I know I won't miss your unwitty banter.

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/ModerateDrinking-03.htm

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/how-even-moderate-drinking-may-negatively-affect-your-brain.html

@hillelslovak: LOL another abstract and a page that says MAY cause. Congrats.

And once again my stance was to answer his post. So it's immaterial for me to argue what you suggest I should.

Yeah, dont at all address the nih study.

No.. but being drunk and noisy and loud yes, bann them please.

I read it did you? It seems to back up benefits.

Both benefits and detriments.

Didn't really find much in moderation. Which is basically what I said to start with.

only if we legalize weed

@hillelslovak:

Alcohol does MUCH more damage to your body then help...it isn't even close.

But I don't think it should be banned.

yes, this is obvious.....

In rare cases, drinking an extreme amount in a short time can be dangerous. It can cause the level of salt, or sodium, in your blood to drop too low. That's a condition called hyponatremia.It's very serious, and can be fatal. You may hear it called water intoxication.

@sonicare: sure, it worked so well last time, why not?

@hillelslovak:

Yeah, my bad, I meant my post for the previous guy.....you and I agree here.

No, because gangs would capitalize on it.

Also, just encourage common sense.

Absolutely not, but it should be regulated (and is) just like all guns should be. I don't think the vast majority of people trying to curb gun violence want to ban guns but rather have them regulated to help alleviate the massive amounts of gun deaths.

There was certainly a large amount of outrage over drunk driving fatalities and since the founding of MADD and other restrictions put in place since the early 80's, a large amount of alcohol related deaths have subsided (per capita). I get what you're trying to do but your comparison is fairly weak considering how you're misconstruing what the majority are actually vying for when it comes to gun violence.

We live in a world of grey, not necessarily restricted to black and white of 'legal vs illegal'. Regulating something isn't equivalent to promoting its illegalization.

GTFO

Just going to assume you are joking.

I mean that is honestly one of the few things that'd make me go batshit insane and turn into a smuggler, bootlegger, etc.. I generally go along with the law whether it makes sense or not for fear of the consequences of not doing so, but that....banning alcohol...that'd be worth breaking.

In a world where Nuclear weapons are tested in the desert, where corporate pollutors put billions of gallons worth of toxins into water supplies, where frackers destroy water tables, and we have an island of trash floating around the ocean that no country is willing to accept, you people thinking we should ban cigarettes or alcohol are funny as hell. Wake up and look at the world around you......

YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

nah, jk

With that said, it's the same argument for alcohol as it is for guns; it's about self control, not the innate deadliness of the thing.

Besides, we tried prohibition with alcohol before, and we are currently doing it with marijuana; it did not work for the former, and it is not working with the latter.