Social Drinking Alcoholic Beverages: Risks Outweigh Benefits

Social drinking of alcoholic beverages is common in the United States (and in many other countries). But is it wise? I think not. Please read on.

Some Reasons Not to Drink Alcoholic Beverages
One reason not to drink beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages socially is that even one drink has health risks. Please click on the link to a Centers for Disease Control Fact Sheet that cites some risks of moderate drinking, including some from consuming one drink or less.

Does a blood alcohol content (BAC) of only 0.01 percent seem very small? "Some skills are impaired at 0.01 percent" blood alcohol content according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Alert No. 52 April 2001. Consuming less than one typical alcoholic beverage would lead to a larger BAC than that.

Also, almost everyone I talk to who claims to only drink socially has been legally drunk at least once. That means their BAC was 0.08 percent or more. Many drinkers become binge drinkers and/or alcoholics.

Alcohol consumption is a significant factor in many automobile  accidents, diseases, and other negative health effects. It is a factor in a large number of deaths. A study published in 2009 in the British medical journal The Lancet indicated that approximately "one in 25 deaths worldwide are attributable to alcohol," as quoted from a webpage of The Lancet.

Is Consuming Alcoholic Beverages in Moderation Beneficial?
Some claim that drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation has benefits that outweigh the risks. But an American Heart Association webpage "cautions persons NOT to start drinking . . . if they do not already drink alcohol." The same webpage states "Pregnant women shouldn't drink alcohol in any form."

And many, including some scientists, question whether alcohol really is beneficial in moderation. One of the sources that discuss this in more detail is a June 16, 2009 New York Times piece on the NYT website, titled "Alcohol's Good for You? Some Scientists Doubt It."

This photo is of a poster I made that mentions some of alcohol's harmful effects.

Concluding Thoughts
Consuming alcoholic beverages has caused a lot of problems for a huge number of people. Given this, do you still want to consume them just for socializing? I hope you will agree with me that the risks of social drinking outweigh the benefits.

Note: This blog entry was last revised on May 29, 2019. It  is adapted from other articles I have written on the subject and from a chapter in my book True Christianity: It May Not Be What You Think (2014, second edition 2015, third edition 2017).

Overturning Roe vs. Wade Isn't Enough to End Abortion

Overturning Roe vs. Wade (and returning the issue to the states) is not the same as making abortion illegal nationwide. The way the Supreme Court decides a case (or cases) that come before it will be key.

Abortion was legal in some states before the 1973 United States Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade. This was probably a contributing factor in the Supreme Court decision in the case.

The number of abortions each year in the U.S. escalated back in the early 1970s after abortion was legalized in New York and some other states, according to data on JohnsonArchives.net. This was before Roe vs. Wade.

Ways to Make Abortion Illegal in the United States 
Three ways abortion could be made illegal in the United States are:

1. The Supreme Court could make a pro-life decision, rather than either returning the issue to the states or being pro-choice.
2. Congress could pass a law outlawing abortion and then the President sign it into law (or Congress could override a Presidential veto). However, this law would probably be challenged in court, and the Supreme Court would ultimately make the final decision.
3. Pass an amendment to the United States Constitution. But few amendments have succeeded in getting the votes to become law.

Abortion Rate Has Been Declining in the U.S. 
Even without reversing Roe vs. Wade, the number of abortions per child-bearing woman per year in the United States has declined for decades according to a recent study linked to in a January 17, 2017 Guttmacher Institute news release and discussed in numerous news reports. The Guttmacher piece states that the abortion rate in 2014 (the most recent year studied) was the lowest since Roe vs. Wade passed in 1973.

Making Abortion Illegal in the United States Won't End It
Even if abortion becomes illegal in the United States:

• some persons will likely go to other countries where it is legal;
• others may have illegal abortions done somewhere by someone;
• many people may seek to perform their own abortions.

Emphasizing Sexual Abstinence Before Marriage and Contraceptive Use for Couples Desiring No Children
We can virtually eliminate abortion if parents, teachers, community leaders, and religious leaders properly educate children about the importance of sexual abstinence before marriage, the risks of premarital sex, and the proper way to use contraceptives. Also, to the extent reasonably possible, limit the time boys and girls spend alone together in the formative years (ages 10-18) when their bodies are physically ready, but their child rearing ability, judgment, job skills, etc., may be years away from being at a level that qualifies them to be parents or to comprehend the numerous risks from premarital sex and sexual promiscuity.

This is a photo of a poster I made that summarizes my views about premarital sex.

Furthermore, married couples who desire no children might do well to use contraceptives consistently and properly. For example, using two birth control methods simultaneously, birth control pills and condoms, can virtually eliminate unwanted pregnancies. Unfortunately, many who desire no children, but lack the discipline to practice abstinence, also fail to always use contraceptives--and use them correctly. Practicing abstinence or using very effective contraceptives can virtually eliminate unwanted pregnancies and thus the demand for abortions.

Final Thoughts
I will conclude by stating that virtually eliminating abortion is a worthy goal  to strive for. However, attaining it will require much more than overturning Roe vs. Wade.

NOTE: This article was last revised on January 20, 2017.