> it is very telling that nobody talks about it because it is a sign that alcohol is mostly a negative thing and has negative impact on people's life.
Alcohol can be a very negative thing. Nobody denies that. Similarly, opiates can be very negative things. However, opiates are not always negative and neither is alcohol. With most psychoactive drugs, how bad they are depends entirely on how much they are impacting the life of the user.
And, as with most psychoactive drugs, alcohol is enjoyable to consume. It's not 100% a negative thing.
> If it wasn't we would be hearing far more from ex-teetotalers how much more their life improved after taking up alcohol the way you hear from people who get sober.
You hear from vegans all the time about the benefits of veganism, you don't often hear from ex-vegans. Does that mean consuming meat/animal products is mostly negatives?
You hear pretty frequently from converts to a faith about the benefits of that faith, less frequently you hear from ex-members about the benefits of leaving. Does that mean there are no negatives to faith?
Crystal healers will tell you all about the benefits of putting topaz on top of random things, you don't often hear from ex-crystal healers about the negatives of buying topaz. Does that mean crystal healing is only positive?
This is the issue I take with your point. I certainly believe there are negatives to alcohol, there are also positives. I say that as an ex-teetotaler. My life hasn't spiraled out of control and I'm not in any major danger. Part of that is because I keep my consumption in check. Alcohol can be a huge negative to many people, which is why it's not something everyone should do. That doesn't mean that it can't be consumed responsibly or provide happiness to those that do drink responsibly.
> it is very telling that nobody talks about it because it is a sign that alcohol is mostly a negative thing and has negative impact on people's life.
Alcohol can be a very negative thing. Nobody denies that. Similarly, opiates can be very negative things. However, opiates are not always negative and neither is alcohol. With most psychoactive drugs, how bad they are depends entirely on how much they are impacting the life of the user.
And, as with most psychoactive drugs, alcohol is enjoyable to consume. It's not 100% a negative thing.
> If it wasn't we would be hearing far more from ex-teetotalers how much more their life improved after taking up alcohol the way you hear from people who get sober.
You hear from vegans all the time about the benefits of veganism, you don't often hear from ex-vegans. Does that mean consuming meat/animal products is mostly negatives?
You hear pretty frequently from converts to a faith about the benefits of that faith, less frequently you hear from ex-members about the benefits of leaving. Does that mean there are no negatives to faith?
Crystal healers will tell you all about the benefits of putting topaz on top of random things, you don't often hear from ex-crystal healers about the negatives of buying topaz. Does that mean crystal healing is only positive?
This is the issue I take with your point. I certainly believe there are negatives to alcohol, there are also positives. I say that as an ex-teetotaler. My life hasn't spiraled out of control and I'm not in any major danger. Part of that is because I keep my consumption in check. Alcohol can be a huge negative to many people, which is why it's not something everyone should do. That doesn't mean that it can't be consumed responsibly or provide happiness to those that do drink responsibly.