Have you ever drank alcohol?
Do you remember your first time?
If you’re in the United States you probably remember the anticipation of turning 21 so you can go out with your friends, order drinks legally and get smashed
According to the NIH, almost 90% of Americans have drank alcohol at some point in their life[1]
When I turned 21, I almost drank a full 40oz with my friends in the college dorm room
Yup, you read that right, almost three full beer bottles all by myself
I woke up the next day hung-over, my girlfriend Tracy was PISSED I missed our date
Date? I barely remembered my name or what planet I was on
She was three years older, knew how to handle her alcohol. I was just learning
Thank God I learned fast and never became part of the 16 Million adults who had an Alcohol Use Disorder. [1]
Or part of the nearly 90,000 who die yearly due to Alcohol, the forth leading cause of preventable deaths. [1]
I remember learning a friend had used Mushrooms. I was ANGRY. How dare they take mushrooms and ask my girlfriend to join them? Mushrooms are harmful, right?
I remember friends smoking Marijuana and offering some to me. NO WAY! I shouted, that’s bad for you, and illegal
I remember friends going to Rave’s and enjoying the effects of Ecstasy. No way would I rave. X kills your brain cells, you can die from it, and it’s illegal!
I remember friends and strangers offering me Cocaine, Meth, Ketamine and Mushrooms.
Repeatedly I said no and judged them that they are damaging their bodies
Now I’m not so sure. The findings of Professor and British psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt found that Alcohol was the worst offender of them ALL
Worse than Heroin
Worse than Crack Cocaine
Worse than Meth
Worse than Cocaine
Worse than Marlboro, Newport, Camel or any Tobacco
Check out this study, funded by The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (UK), published in the peer-reviewed medical journal, The Lancet [2]
Harm was measured as dependence, mortality, and impairment of mental functioning for self-harm and crime, environmental damage, and international damage for harm to others
Not only was Alcohol the most harmful drug studied, it was the most harmful drug by a landslide
76% more harmful than the second drug studied, Heroin
When I drank too much Alcohol in Guatemala, I wound up in the Emergency Room, was prescribed Prednisone, and warned I will need stronger drugs
My experience on Prednisone lead me to meeting Bob Stickles, 30 years no symptoms, no medication
My experience on Prednisone lead me to searching what is meant to have a Great Gut
Perhaps it’s time to rethink what is a harmful drug, and what is not
I remember meeting a woman who had recently turned 21. She had Crohn’s, and was excited she could finally drink legally
She was most upset that her friends would peer pressure her into having 3 or more drinks, when she just wanted one or two
She knew it made her Crohn’s Disease worse, she felt it. But she wanted two. Â Cool, no problem, it’s her body, she should be allowed
But her friends peer pressured her. What if her friends pressured her into having Heroin? Â Cocaine? Meth? With the evidence from this study, is that worse, or better?
I’ve had i think two drinks this year. It’s just not a priority for me. I feel better not drinking, It’s saved me money, and i enjoy being DD if my friends drink
If you do drink, that’s cool, i do my best not to judge, simply observe
I’m curious, Do you drink Alcohol? How do you feel afterwards?
Please let me know in the comments below, or let me know privately
To Your Health,
Joel
[1] National Insitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcolosim – Alcohol Facts and Statistics –Â https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
[2]Â The Lancet –Â Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis – Prof David J Nutt, FMed, Leslie A King, PhD, Lawrence D Phillips, PhD, on behalf of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)61462-6/abstract
[3] Procon.org – Explore Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004477
