With all of the negative consequences, why do people drink alcohol? With a wealth of information on alcohol abuse, including the long term effects of alcohol, alcohol effects on the body, and staggering statistics on alcohol related deaths, the epidemic of alcohol abuse and alcohol problems baffles many.

“I remember when I used to drink alcohol on a very regular basis.”

 

I remember when I used to drink alcohol on a very regular basis. I never thought of the negative consequences of drinking. And quite honestly, I never thought about drunk driving consequences, despite the many drunk driving stories I may have heard, either. For a while, to drink alcohol was something I did to be social. My friends drank, and when we went out or were getting ready to go out, that’s what we did. There never seemed to be a place, at least in the life I was living at this time, where drinking alcohol was not acceptable. It made me feel better, it lightened the mood, and it was just what I did. Never in my life did I imagine that I would be sitting here wondering, “Why do people drink alcohol?” Yet here I am.

I certainly understand that not all people are alcoholics, not all people drink and drive, and not all people end up in inpatient alcohol treatment centers. That being said, the negative consequences of drinking alcohol,even for people who aren’t exhibiting alcoholic symptoms or alcoholic behavior, seem to far outweigh any of the benefits of drinking alcohol.

Some people may think that, because they do not consider themselves an alcoholic, they can’t possibly experience problems related to drinking or alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This is not true. Sure, there is a difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, but the consequences can be the same.

These are just some of the longer term effects of alcohol abuse, but I don’t think I need to go on. With all of this information, I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to continue to drink alcohol. I find it hard to understand why do people drink alcohol, even if it is just one drink every now and then. Alcohol is clearly a dangerous substance, regardless of whether or not the person drinking it fits the definition of an alcoholic