Do you drink? Do you smoke?

[Speedy Cerviche]

I drink beer or liquour about once every 3 months and smoke weed about once a week.

[Andrew NDB]

Lately it is "how to build the perfect Bloody Mary."

[ProphetofGanja]

I like my Bloody Maries on the spicy side. Its my go-to drink at airports

[The Green Ranger]

I drink occasionally, mostly when I goto cons. Other than that, an occasional beer or glass of wine.

[Andrew NDB]

Does anyone find themselves drinking more than normal during the year-long "14 days to stop the curve"?

[Leo656]

Less, actually. But there's reasons for that. I have a liquor store right across the street, too.

For one thing, the common practice used to be we'd be on the way home from something and I'd be like "F*ck it, let's grab a six." But we don't go out as much.

For another - and this is something that really pisses me off, but there's not much I can do about it - the Idiot-In-Law's drinking got REALLY bad over the last two years, to the point where I kept having to beat him up and he kept getting arrested for drunken disorderly, and then he was gone for most of December and at one point tried to kill himself. So he came home right before New Year's, and he's been "behaving" (although I swear he's still sneaking beers in the garage late at night), but I'm not "supposed" to drink because it would "trigger" him. Either the smell would set him off or he'd go on a rant about "If HE gets to drink then I should be allowed to drink," even though I can handle my alcohol and he completely f*cking can't. And he's been getting pissy again lately since his wife flat-out won't let him drink.

I still do drink, occasionally, but I have to be really careful about it, sneaking it into the house, sneaking the bottles into the recycling, etc. etc., and it's just more of a hassle than it's worth. My wife agrees with me that it's bullsh*t but nobody wants to deal with the lunatic downstairs. So it's pretty much like once or twice a month only.

I'm not shocked that liquor stores are doing huge business these days, though. People get bored and/or depressed, they tend to drink.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Does anyone find themselves drinking more than normal during the year-long "14 days to stop the curve"?

I haven't had a sip of alcohol for nearly 2 years now.

I began taking antidepressants in late 2019, and only stopped earlier this year. My doctor told me there was actually no problem having an occasional drink as long as I didn't use alcohol to wahs down my daily pill, but I still opted not to. I mean, antidepressants work on your brain. Doesn't seem like it's a very good idea to drink alcohol when you're taking that kind of medication.

And I haven't drunk any alcohol since I've been off the meds yet either. Tbh I might have to get back on some kind of medication depending on my evolution by the time my next appointment comes.

It's okay though. I miss having the occasional beer, but there's no rush. It's not like beer is that important to me.

[Last Ronin]

Yes to all the above.

Except weed. Weed is wack, as an 80's kid I was taught that from those damn commercials. I did sell it to the damn loosers though.

[IMJ]

Never done a drug a day in my life, never smoked cigarettes ever.
I will have a cigar now and again though. I love Acid Kuba Kuba's. If I'm on the cheap it's hard to be the aroma of a Backwoods.

Some fondness for whiskey as well. If it's beer I like red ales when I can find a good one. Killian's Irish Red is great if I'm drinking a mass bottled beer.

[mrmaczaps]

I picked up drinking during the later stages of this ******** plandemic. I drink vodka & whiskey, usually in some Cherry Coke. Lol.

I don't smoke & can't be around it or people who do. Makes my eyes & lungs burn & I get sick.

[Jester]

Never had a want to drink or smoke.
Pre-Covid a co-worker convinced me to take a hit of his vape pen, and I coughed my head off.
Strongest thing I drink is a caffeinated Arnold Palmer.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Jester

Never had a want to drink or smoke.
Pre-Covid a co-worker convinced me to take a hit of his vape pen, and I coughed my head off.
Strongest thing I drink is a caffeinated Arnold Palmer.

You're not missing out on anything when it comes to tobacco, trust me.

I gave cigarettes a couple of tries just to see what the fuss was all about... and well, the first two puffs make your head feel lighter which is kinda cool. But then you're just standing there forcing yourself to finish your cigarette. And your hands will stink afterwards and possibly your breath as well.

Waste of health and money.

[CyberCubed]

I'm more surprised people can afford it. I've never done either, but out of curiosity I look up prices for smoking or buying drinks/alcohol, and goddamn....it's expensive. And there are people out there who blow $200+ every weekend at bars just buying drinks? What the hell?

Losing $200+ just on drinks is crazy. I have no idea how people have that extra money lying around to just "throw away" so to speak. Just think of what $200 can buy you otherwise.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I'm more surprised people can afford it. I've never done either, but out of curiosity I look up prices for smoking or buying drinks/alcohol, and goddamn....it's expensive. And there are people out there who blow $200+ every weekend at bars just buying drinks? What the hell?

Losing $200+ just on drinks is crazy. I have no idea how people have that extra money lying around to just "throw away" so to speak. Just think of what $200 can buy you otherwise.

Yes, tobacco is expensive.

When I was in HS, a lot of my classmates were smokers. They often complained about blowing their allowance money on tobacco, which meant they had less money to spend on food and often lead them to have rather bare lunches/snacks of low-nutritional value.

Their parents didn't know that because their kids, being minors and all, obviously hid the fact they smoked from their parents. I don't know how, though. Even if you're not a smoker, your clothes will reek of it if you spend some time surrounded by a bunch of people smoking. I've come home at night with my clothes smelling like tobacco before even though I'm not a smoker.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I'm more surprised people can afford it. I've never done either, but out of curiosity I look up prices for smoking or buying drinks/alcohol, and goddamn....it's expensive. And there are people out there who blow $200+ every weekend at bars just buying drinks? What the hell?

Losing $200+ just on drinks is crazy. I have no idea how people have that extra money lying around to just "throw away" so to speak. Just think of what $200 can buy you otherwise.

Those Acid Kuba Kuba's I mentioned can be pricey. But it's a vice and you don't suck one down every day, or even every week.

[Leo656]

Weed's pretty expensive, but it's easier to get now since most of the stigma is gone (and NJ just legalized it). So it's a little less expensive now. Plus at some point my wife and I "re-negotiated" who pays for what expenses and she assumed the entire "weed budget" for herself, so that's one less thing I have to worry about.

Without it, she couldn't sleep on account of her Lyme Disease and I couldn't stand up straight on account of my back. Soooo kind of a necessary expense.

It's also much cheaper than alcohol.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I'm not shocked that liquor stores are doing huge business these days, though. People get bored and/or depressed, they tend to drink.

...and that's precisely how alcoholism begins most of the time.

Ever since I've been diagnosed with depression I haven't touched ANY alcohol again. Precisely to avoid falling into alcoholism and thus getting an additional problem to depression.

[Leo656]

I think it's more complicated than anyone ever wants to admit.

Like, by all reasonable rights I "should" be an alcoholic. Most of my family are, so there's a very strong genetic predisposition. I was given beer at an extremely young age and was stealing sips of my Mom's beers at age 3, so there's the fact that I've had lifelong "exposure" with almost no restrictions. And then there's the fact that I've had my own issues with depression and so on.

And yet, I have no problems with alcohol whatsoever, except for the fact that if I'm in a "party" atmosphere I do tend to go a bit overboard, but that's extremely rare and I still quit before things get out of hand. I often go months without drinking, no matter how much I drink in one session. There's been weekends where I'll have 6 or 12 beers and then not have even one for a couple of months after. I never feel any compulsive "need" to drink, even though I enjoy it and am one of the seemingly rare ones who actually enjoys the taste of beer and undiluted alcohol. If it's there, I'll drink it, if it's not I'll do something else. My wife's family is also full of drunks, so at any holiday function I'm always getting the side-eye from her relatives every time I have a glass of wine, and she's constantly defending me to them by explaining that I'm the most responsible drinker she's ever met.

I think a lot of it is simple common sense and impulse control. In other words, "Don't be an idiot." People love to say that it's not as simple as all that, and maybe not, but I think it can be. It probably isn't for everyone, but for some people it is. For example, you should have a glass of water for every drink of alcohol, and that avoids a lot of problems. Aside from that, and even with that, after a while the drinks starts to taste like battery acid, which is a sign you're poisoning yourself and need to stop, and that signal should be listened to. If you persist past that, you're gonna have a hard time the next day. I don't much enjoy uncontrollable vomiting, or spending an hour on the toilet the next day passing greasy black stools, so when it starts to feel unpleasant I cut off my alcohol intake.

It's not like I never drank until I got sick, or had blackouts; I have. But I don't enjoy that kind of thing - especially if I have to work the next day - so I don't let things get that far out of hand. BUT, at the same time I've had other periods of my life where I had one or two beers with dinner every day for weeks at a time and had no ill affects, and I don't think that is any way symbolic of a "problem" either.

Why I'm like this, I don't know. Most people I know who drink, shouldn't drink. I have no idea why I'm so "good" at it, other than I listen to my body and exercise common sense. I know my own limits and I keep in mind the unpleasant side of things to keep from going overboard. In other words, I "drink responsibly".

I know that some people can't help themselves, but I kind of feel like "becoming an alcoholic" in some ways is something people do to themselves because they ignore all the warning signs or insist that they're fine when they're not. Like my wife's idiot father. He doesn't know how to just have one or two beers and relax, he has to drink a bunch of cheap piss and start fighting wars with the whole neighborhood. And when confronted with this information, he just insists he's fine and everyone else is just ruining his good time. THOSE are the kinds of people who simply shouldn't drink at all, because they can't handle it. And they can't handle it because they're simply assholes.

I don't think it's ever as simple as "So-and-so drinks, therefore they're an alcoholic." If it were that simple then I'd be one. On some level "addiction" is a disease you give yourself, by being an oblivious, self-destructive idiot. People don't like to admit that, but in my experience it's mostly true.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I think it's more complicated than anyone ever wants to admit.

Like, by all reasonable rights I "should" be an alcoholic. Most of my family are, so there's a very strong genetic predisposition. I was given beer at an extremely young age and was stealing sips of my Mom's beers at age 3, so there's the fact that I've had lifelong "exposure" with almost no restrictions. And then there's the fact that I've had my own issues with depression and so on.

And yet, I have no problems with alcohol whatsoever, except for the fact that if I'm in a "party" atmosphere I do tend to go a bit overboard, but that's extremely rare and I still quit before things get out of hand. I often go months without drinking, no matter how much I drink in one session. There's been weekends where I'll have 6 or 12 beers and then not have even one for a couple of months after. I never feel any compulsive "need" to drink, even though I enjoy it and am one of the seemingly rare ones who actually enjoys the taste of beer and undiluted alcohol. If it's there, I'll drink it, if it's not I'll do something else. My wife's family is also full of drunks, so at any holiday function I'm always getting the side-eye from her relatives every time I have a glass of wine, and she's constantly defending me to them by explaining that I'm the most responsible drinker she's ever met.

I think a lot of it is simple common sense and impulse control. In other words, "Don't be an idiot." People love to say that it's not as simple as all that, and maybe not, but I think it can be. It probably isn't for everyone, but for some people it is. For example, you should have a glass of water for every drink of alcohol, and that avoids a lot of problems. Aside from that, and even with that, after a while the drinks starts to taste like battery acid, which is a sign you're poisoning yourself and need to stop, and that signal should be listened to. If you persist past that, you're gonna have a hard time the next day. I don't much enjoy uncontrollable vomiting, or spending an hour on the toilet the next day passing greasy black stools, so when it starts to feel unpleasant I cut off my alcohol intake.

It's not like I never drank until I got sick, or had blackouts; I have. But I don't enjoy that kind of thing - especially if I have to work the next day - so I don't let things get that far out of hand. BUT, at the same time I've had other periods of my life where I had one or two beers with dinner every day for weeks at a time and had no ill affects, and I don't think that is any way symbolic of a "problem" either.

Why I'm like this, I don't know. Most people I know who drink, shouldn't drink. I have no idea why I'm so "good" at it, other than I listen to my body and exercise common sense. I know my own limits and I keep in mind the unpleasant side of things to keep from going overboard. In other words, I "drink responsibly".

I know that some people can't help themselves, but I kind of feel like "becoming an alcoholic" in some ways is something people do to themselves because they ignore all the warning signs or insist that they're fine when they're not. Like my wife's idiot father. He doesn't know how to just have one or two beers and relax, he has to drink a bunch of cheap piss and start fighting wars with the whole neighborhood. And when confronted with this information, he just insists he's fine and everyone else is just ruining his good time. THOSE are the kinds of people who simply shouldn't drink at all, because they can't handle it. And they can't handle it because they're simply assholes.

I don't think it's ever as simple as "So-and-so drinks, therefore they're an alcoholic." If it were that simple then I'd be one. On some level "addiction" is a disease you give yourself, by being an oblivious, self-destructive idiot. People don't like to admit that, but in my experience it's mostly true.

From what I've heard, the official definition for alcoholism in USA is WAY stricter than in Europe. The American Anonymous Alcoholics association will consider you an alcoholic if you've ever drunk by yourself EVEN ONCE jn your entire life.

Also, in mos tof Europe, having beers at a local cafe or something after you leave work with your coworkers is seen as a normal thing. But I've read that apparently it's not seen as socially acceptable in the USA as in Europe? And I'm talking white collar jobs here.

In HS I had a teacher who'd have a few beers with his lunch at the cafe he had lunch in front of the school everyday. No one ever thought it was weird since he never came drunk to school.

Thing is, alcoholism isn't something you develop overnight. It can take weeks, months or EVEN years to become a full fledged alcoholic.

[Leo656]

Yeah, over here there's a ton of stigma because the people who can't handle it become the ones who dominate the conversation. And there does seem to be an abundance of people who "can't handle it" here versus elsewhere. Why, I don't know.

The whole "If you drink by yourself you're an alcoholic" thing never made any sense to me. I always, always drink more in social situations than I do when I'm by myself (or rather just with my wife since I'm rarely ever "alone"), and the few times I've been blackout drunk or ended up throwing up were in "party" situations where there was an abundance of alcohol and people were openly encouraging me to go overboard. Those things don't happen if you buy a six for yourself and stay in playing video games. It's very much "safer" to drink alone. I don't know how that whole thing started.

Other than "social" drinking is considered not only acceptable but encouraged. Like in certain business situations if you're offered a drink you "have to" accept, even if you don't drink, or it's considered "bad manners".

The US definitely has some weird and problematic issues with alcohol.