How Alcohol Quietly Wrecks Everything
Booze Is a Public Health Crisis in a Party Hat
Alcohol is the only drug where people look at you weird if you don’t do it.
It’s the only dangerous substance we toast with, advertise during football games, and use to celebrate everything from weddings to Wednesdays.
What if we looked at alcohol with the same cold logic we apply to other addictive substances?
What about banning alcohol for good?
It’s the Most Socially Accepted Poison on Earth
Ethanol, the active ingredient in wine, beer, or tequila, is toxic.
Actual poison.
If it were discovered today, it would be labeled hazardous, not bottled and served at weddings.
Even moderate drinking can damage the liver, increases cancer risk (even breast cancer in women who drink small amounts), and mess with brain function.
But sure, cheers.
Death and Disease
According to the WHO, alcohol causes 2 million+ deaths globally per year.
That’s more than malaria, tuberculosis, and violence combined. It’s implicated in over 200 diseases and injury conditions.
If alcohol had to go through FDA approval today, it would be laughed out of the lab. Well, I hope.
It Fuels Violence
A significant percentage of violent crimes, domestic abuse, assault, even homicide, are committed under the influence of alcohol.
Want to reduce crime rates overnight?
Eliminate the drink that makes people think they’re invincible, charming, and justified in throwing a punch.
We’ve all been there, unfortunately.
Productivity Drain
Hangovers are the most socially acceptable form of self-sabotage.
A single night of heavy drinking can wreck your focus, mood, and health for 48 hours.
Multiply that by millions of workers, and you get a GDP hit that would make an economist cry into his bourbon. (Not) Ironically.
The “Moderate Drinking Is Good for You” Thing Was… a Lie
For years, people clung to studies suggesting red wine was heart-healthy.
Turns out, those studies were mostly wrong. Or let’s say inaccurate.
Recent meta-analyses show there is no safe amount of alcohol. None. That myth has gone out the window.
Treat It Like a Treat
It’s addictive. But still a treat.
Alcohol is a physically addictive substance. If someone can’t get through the weekend without a glass, that’s a red flag, not a lifestyle.
And yet, we advertise it during the Super Bowl like it’s Gatorade for adults. As a treat.
Films, TV, social media… alcohol is everywhere. Sweet treats.
The “Profit”
Alcohol sales bring in billions in tax revenue, sure. It’s big business.
(So are illegal drugs. Just not official big business).
But the healthcare costs, law enforcement, lost productivity, and social services related to alcohol use are much, much higher.
We don’t need booze to keep the economy flowing.
Other Drugs Were Banned for Less
Marijuana was illegal for decades despite being less harmful than alcohol in almost every measurable way.
MDMA is still banned, despite showing promise for treating PTSD. Not that I would ever advocate for either. Marijuana or MDMA.
But alcohol? Nah, that’s fine.
We just ignore the ER full of people who fell off barstools, got into fights, or crashed their cars.
Booze is cool.
We Already Regulate Other Dangerous Substances
You need a prescription for antibiotics. For good reasons, I may add.
You can’t smoke indoors. You can’t bring a bottle of water through airport security.
But you can get blackout drunk at 30,000 feet on a plane, because apparently, that’s cool.
The Bottom Line
If alcohol were invented today, it wouldn’t be legalized.
Yes, banning alcohol would be complicated. Yes, there’d be resistance. But if we judged it by its impact, not tradition or convenience, we’d be locking it up. In a heartbeat.
Would people freak out if this happened? Absolutely. But popular doesn’t mean safe.
I couldn’t agree more !
I just started my publication and write about addiction, change and how to self-transform.
Funny thing: my second article — next Tuesday — will be about that very same subject. Alcohol, what it is and what it costs us. And I know from experience that it is no walk in the park.