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Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

nytimes.com

111–120 of 167 posts

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#111
post #90
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of my friends growing up had a child when he was a teenager, and he and I had a candid talk about this sort of thing once. I pointed out that he was close to his father, who would always tell him stories of all the 'legendary' and reckless mischief he made, and how he's somehow grown up to make the same kinds of mistakes, whereas I never knew my father, and thus didn't have any legendary tales to idolize, instead…

Totally on point. If you are an American, I challenge you to start noticing: "Oh man, I was soooo shitfaced..." "I was so hungover..." "Dude, I don't even know how I made it home..." "Nah, I'm fine to drive..." "I'm sorry, it was the booze talking..." "I need a fuckin' drink after this..." "One for the road..." "I don't give a shit, I need to piss..." "Fuuuuuck it!" Notice the advertising in convenience stores. The s…

Schedule 1 drugs are prohibited. Heroin, MDMA, mescaline, GHB, etc.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#112
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How old are you? I'm just a touch over 40 and even at this age the poignancy of life really starts to reveal itself to you. You would trade 5 years of your life for being able to drink wine? Because it's that delicious, right? Sorry, but this is either hyperbole to the point of silliness or you have no idea the value of your life.

Don't forget that the X years always come off the back end. If you'd speak to my 90 year old grandmother about the poignancy of life right now I think she might have a thing or two to teach you about how great it is at the end. You've also chosen wine as the enemy here, I bet for any given person earth (including you) we could find something you could have done more of (or not done at all) to improve your lifespan. V…

One more thought...it doesn't always come off the back end. My mother is obese due to lifestyle choices. She has an artificial knee and hip. She is still a vibrant 67 year old woman, but she lost almost 2 years in rehabilitation and now does and will have mobility issues for the rest of her life. I still don't think when the end comes that she would have wanted to miss all the things that happened (good and bad) during those years, or even as she deteriorates further in the coming years.

Edit: spelling

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#113
post #57
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think mostly when people cite this they are referring to this study: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20101101/... Alcohol ranks very highly because of it's severe harmful effects on the body. However, behavioral effects tend to be those which make drug users a threat to society. But cocaine's harm is highly dependent on its form. In some pre-Colombian civilizations, as well as in some parts of mo…

A big obvious difference between alcohol and other drugs that also makes it popular is that in moderation it is not all that intoxicating or impairing. Unlike marijuana and mushrooms it is easily possible to have a drink or two and function normally. This accounts for a lot of its social acceptability. Simply put, unless you really overindulge, it doesn’t “fuck you up”. This is also generally true of hard drugs like…

[deleted]

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#114
post #69

Alcohol is definitely one of the most harmful drugs out there. In terms of addictiveness, physical side effects (short and long term), and the kind of behavior that people are likely to engage in while under the influence, the only things worse are probably IV painkillers and smoked meth/crack. As a society we need to get our heads out of our asses and challenge our notions of what kind of drug use is and isn't accep…

Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated. I used to binge drink every few nights when I was younger. Like most people that have drank more than they should have, I have lots of stories of mischief and questionable (at best, sometimes straight illegal) behavior. And these are the stories I used to trade with friends and coworkers. Oh man, they w…

How are we different than the rest of the world - most of the US has tighter controls on alcohol than europe does.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#115
post #69

Alcohol is definitely one of the most harmful drugs out there. In terms of addictiveness, physical side effects (short and long term), and the kind of behavior that people are likely to engage in while under the influence, the only things worse are probably IV painkillers and smoked meth/crack. As a society we need to get our heads out of our asses and challenge our notions of what kind of drug use is and isn't accep…

Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated. I used to binge drink every few nights when I was younger. Like most people that have drank more than they should have, I have lots of stories of mischief and questionable (at best, sometimes straight illegal) behavior. And these are the stories I used to trade with friends and coworkers. Oh man, they w…

> Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated.

Total drunk behaviour or total abstention are both extreme and symptoms of other, deeper issues. Alcohol can amplify existing issues, but there's also plenty of people who drink moderately, in family settings, without getting wasted or violent.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#116
post #115
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated. I used to binge drink every few nights when I was younger. Like most people that have drank more than they should have, I have lots of stories of mischief and questionable (at best, sometimes straight illegal) behavior. And these are the stories I used to trade with friends and coworkers. Oh man, they w…

> Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated. Total drunk behaviour or total abstention are both extreme and symptoms of other, deeper issues. Alcohol can amplify existing issues, but there's also plenty of people who drink moderately, in family settings, without getting wasted or violent.

So you are saying that I have issues because I don't like to use a popular drug?

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah and that place is Ikaria.

My point is that it's because of luck rather than because the residents are doing something special.

They don’t “do” anything. It’s genetics. Genetics are luck.

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#118
post #115
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated. I used to binge drink every few nights when I was younger. Like most people that have drank more than they should have, I have lots of stories of mischief and questionable (at best, sometimes straight illegal) behavior. And these are the stories I used to trade with friends and coworkers. Oh man, they w…

> Alcohol is shilled so hard in America. It's disgusting. I honestly don't know why it isn't more strictly regulated. Total drunk behaviour or total abstention are both extreme and symptoms of other, deeper issues. Alcohol can amplify existing issues, but there's also plenty of people who drink moderately, in family settings, without getting wasted or violent.

There are also tons of people that CAN'T just drink moderately. Functioning alcoholics are all alround you. I am glad that's not you, but just because it's not you doesn't mean there isn't the reality that alcohol destroys more lives than any other drug in America. Just because it isn't you, doesn't mean it's not your neighbor, or your coworker, or your cashier at the supermarket, or your nice uncle that gets a little creepy when he drinks...

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#119
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally on point. If you are an American, I challenge you to start noticing: "Oh man, I was soooo shitfaced..." "I was so hungover..." "Dude, I don't even know how I made it home..." "Nah, I'm fine to drive..." "I'm sorry, it was the booze talking..." "I need a fuckin' drink after this..." "One for the road..." "I don't give a shit, I need to piss..." "Fuuuuuck it!" Notice the advertising in convenience stores. The s…

Schedule 1 drugs are prohibited. Heroin, MDMA, mescaline, GHB, etc.

Correct.

"Schedule 1 (I) drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined by the federal government as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 (I) drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence."

Which part do you disagree with?

Re: Cancer Doctors Cite Risks of Drinking Alcohol

#120
post #95

It would be better to know at what age this increases risk. If a lifetime spent drinking delicious, delicious red wine ends up taking me out 5yrs before Alzheimer's would, so be it.

How old are you? I'm just a touch over 40 and even at this age the poignancy of life really starts to reveal itself to you. You would trade 5 years of your life for being able to drink wine? Because it's that delicious, right? Sorry, but this is either hyperbole to the point of silliness or you have no idea the value of your life.

There's also the "family history of Alzheimer's" aspect. A long and graceful old age isn't on everyone's cards.
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