Alcohol

Person_one

pukkamum wrote: »

Do you have a link to this as I know many 60 odd yr olds who have been smoking not abusing cannabis for most of their adult lives and not one of them has mental health issues in fact most of them are successful professionals, as are many of my 30 odd 40yr old friends.
I would love to see the stats on lung damage from the smoking of pure cannabis versus the liver and other health problems brought about from drinking alcohol.

If its not an either/or then why get into comparisons? There's no choice to be made between lung and liver damage, I'm going for neither.

There are many many studies looking into the cannabis/mental illness link, as I understand it its more of an issue with modern species and the 'skunk' type cannabis that now predominates.

pukkamum

lostinrates wrote: »

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/expertadvice/problems/alcoholanddrugs/cannabis.aspx

I have lost two friends related to their cannabis use. One a very severe reaction, one through mental illness believed to be related with their use of cannabis.

Fwiw, I am not opposed to it, or alcohol, being legal, I am opposed to the myth it's harmless.

I think related is the key word here could it be said for sure that that person would not have succumbed to mental illness anyway, not to mention that for every cannabis related mental health issue there are no doubt thousands more attributed to drinking, at the end of the day any abuse of any substance is bad news, I am under no illusions that cannabis is harmless, my argument is that statiscally it is much less harmful than alcohol

NAR

miss_independent wrote: »

It came to the point where I realised I was only drinking to make others feel better about the fact they were getting drunk so around 3 years ago I just stopped. I don't need booze to have a good time and, in fact, I have a better time without. People do treat me like a freak though - as if I can't let my hair down or as though I'm making them feel bad because they are drinking and I'm not. I've solved it by quietly ordering by myself - ginger ale and lemonade or a small glass of lemonade or water can easily pass for something vaguely alcoholic looking and it gets people off my case, no questions asked.

Good for you for making a stand. Of course you don't need alcohol to have a good time, being out for a meal with your favourite man will do. As I drink you could drive us home! :rotfl: :rotfl:

Valli

Pollycat wrote: »

I'm all for having a drink, especially out with friends & OH but getting rat-a**ed with kids is a definite 'no-no'.

and illegal...

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Edw7/2/28/part/I

pukkamum

Person_one wrote: »

If its not an either/or then why get into comparisons? There's no choice to be made between lung and liver damage, I'm going for neither.

There are many many studies looking into the cannabis/mental illness link, as I understand it its more of an issue with modern species and the 'skunk' type cannabis that now predominates.

The reasons for the comparisons are the nature of the thread I am making an alcohol versus cannabis argument, of course neither abuse would be preferable. Also the super skunk issue is one the main arguments for legalisation, cannabis grows with a natural antidote to the unwelcome effects of cannabis, however many growers inhibit this natural antidote to make the weed stronger. With regulated growers and home growers this would not be as much of an issue.

pukkamum

http://www.ibtimes.com/%E2%80%98medical%E2%80%99-marijuana-10-health-benefits-legitimize-legalization-742456#

Very good article about the benefits of cannabis use.

emsywoo123

Person_one wrote: »

If you are truly addicted to alcohol its a physical dependency. You can't go without drinking for days without having unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Its ridiculous and trivialises real, devastating, alcoholism to pretend that everybody who ever drinks is an addict.

Not true actually.

System

NAR wrote: »

I might describe you as many things, but never cheap! :A

I'm needy, i'm clingy but your right, i'm never cheap :cool:

Callie22

VestanPance wrote: »

I'm not tea-total, but I very rarely drink even when I could. More often than not I prefer a non-alcoholic drink. I never drink in the house either. I'd much rather have a coffee when at home.

I do find some people struggle to deal with someone not drinking alcohol and choosing an alternative. In Scotland some folk even seem offended when I'd rather have a coffee or soft drink rather than sit and drink alcohol. Either that or they assume you must have had an alcohol problem in the past, like that is the only logical why you would refuse alcohol! I do find it sad that adults still try to pressure you into drinking, as if I can't make up my own mind as to what I'm doing.

I did the drinking thing when younger and to be honest I grew out of it. British drinking culture bores me. I'm not a much of a pub person anyway. I'd rather go out for a meal than visit a pub. I'll have the odd drink now and again, but I probably drink alcohol around three/four times a year on average.

OH and I are much the same and it's really annoying when people seem to see you not drinking as a challenge. OH's dad insists on offering him alcohol whenever we visit, even when OH points out he's driving ('Oh, it's just a couple of Whiskies, it won't do you any harm, it'll help you concentrate on the road ...' :eek:).

I will admit that I had an alcoholic parent so I don't feel comfortable at all around 'merry' people, but I find that in the UK people seem to have to get plastered when they go out and I don't like being in situations where people aren't in control of themselves. As the non-drinker I've lost count of the times I've ended up looking after the drunks at social events - it seems to me that in pretty much every situation with alcohol there's always someone who goes too far, and I find that totally uncomfortable. I'd rather not be in those kinds of situations. I'm not at all a naggy non-drinker but I really feel that a lot of people do have issues with alcohol and can't control what they drink - alcohol is a very, very dangerous drug and it surprises me that it's still legal and encouraged, given the damage it does. It must cost this country a fortune to deal with the health and social problems that it causes.

Person_one

emsywoo123 wrote: »

Not true actually.

What isn't true? That alcoholics are physically dependent?