| Man has been carrying on a love story with alcohol | | | | criticism of legal drinking laws in some areas, outright |
| since the first hops steamed past the sugar matter | | | | derision in others. Some states rampantly police |
| and turned acid into alcohol. That must have been a | | | | highways with checkpoints, while others turn a blind |
| lively night by the campfire, to be sure. | | | | eye to all but completely overt public underage |
| Impulse-driven cavemen with no cable and no | | | | drinking. |
| Cavesports Illustrated quickly found practical uses for | | | | Modern living imbues similar pressures on individuals, |
| alcohol. It is possible that naturally occurring alcohols | | | | and a quick shot of alcohol, ranging in strength from |
| from cactus plants or accidental discovery of alcohol | | | | sherry to brandy is well known as a bracing refresher |
| from improper storage resulted in some entertaining | | | | for ugly realities, harsh truths, and unpleasant |
| adventures. Those seeking to mimic the strange | | | | consequences of everyday actions. Social pressures |
| results of last night's brew probably figured out the | | | | to use alcohol are prevalent, and consumption of |
| essential elements to making alcohol when the berry | | | | alcohol is viewed as an imperative in many societies. |
| harvest was in. | | | | This is part is a viewpoint that urges on premature |
| Thus the amusement factor of alcohol was born. | | | | consumption of alcohol. Still, alcohol consumption |
| However, man soon discovered uses for alcohol such | | | | continues to augment the most important social |
| as medicinal use of it during pain or injury, and also | | | | functions and "tribal rites". |
| for the rush of adventurous feeling it gives its user. | | | | Yet the brain is hindered when drinking alcohol, which |
| Drinking alcohol transforms a dull, unentertaining | | | | can take the mental stress and also halt depressive |
| person into the life of the party. It also serves as a | | | | cycles and artificial periods of sobriety. For cavemen, |
| coping mechanism for periods of intense sadness or | | | | coping with the stress of finding food, maintaining |
| depressive mood alteration. Insecurity and anxiety | | | | shelter, and wondering what the heck to do with |
| are often spurs to drinking at any age. Alcohol is | | | | that diamond shaped pigskin thing that threw straight |
| entrenched so deeply in popular culture its very | | | | when you curved it. Seeing the tribal elder suddenly |
| inaccessibility has become an attraction. | | | | fall off his feet or stutter his grunts must have |
| Consumption of small amounts of alcohol in the pop | | | | established that amusement was to be had when the |
| culture are everywhere. Alcohol is regularly consumed | | | | soured berry juice was drunk in the full moonlight. |
| for "Dutch courage", for quick daring in the face of | | | | Today's culture does much the same thing, in chosen |
| risk or bodily harm. Token amounts of "stirrup cup" | | | | environments set up to support the enjoyment of |
| before fox hunting are drunk in brisk weather, and | | | | alcohol with consenting adults who know how to |
| casks of brandy carried around the necks of St. | | | | handle it. However, decades of unnecessary deaths |
| Bernards, and the customary 'toast" is held over any | | | | drove certain political factions to pressure |
| cultural occasion of note. The presence and | | | | government change for legal purchase and |
| resonance of alcohol in significant human interaction | | | | consumption of alcohol. Binge drinking and purposeful |
| cannot be doubted. | | | | serial drinking to get drunk is an acknowledged |
| For a fabric of society to ride both rails of the | | | | practice that legislators thought could be halted by |
| "alcohol divide" is problematic. The fence-sitting | | | | changing laws. |
| offends those who would turn an understanding, if | | | | Thus we live in a culture that legally abhors underage |
| not quite complacent, eye on teenage legal drinking. | | | | drinking while the base mores condone it. Thus the |
| Many observe that for a culture to endorse practices | | | | debate has been stemming for some time now |
| of alcohol consumption via one medium (such as film) | | | | whether the legal drinking limit is a necessary adjunct |
| and proscribe against them via others (with local | | | | to modern living. Critics of teenage drinking claim it |
| state laws) reflects on the bifurcated nature of | | | | furnishes a gateway to addiction and drug abuse. yet |
| criticisms of underage drinking. | | | | many people drink over a lifetime and never become |
| Caveman, dark age man, and humans in antiquity | | | | addicted, nor dangerous. Dangerous behavior is linked |
| fighting battles, mammals, and each other probably | | | | to many substances, and problems such as |
| developed a rapid appreciation for the transformative | | | | psychological or conditions do not solely stem from |
| powers of alcohol on the body. Trying to forget | | | | alcohol. |
| bloody wounds, deal with life, stop and smell the | | | | Challenges to the basic preventative wisdom inherent |
| roses, all these are moments alcohol enhances. It | | | | in the legal drinking law come in many forms. Perhaps |
| must have looked pretty good to cave dwellers | | | | when the culture as a whole can see that alcohol is a |
| bleakly expecting another day of struggle and strife | | | | substance with its own rules that affect every |
| to stay alive. | | | | human being differently can a new age of alcohol |
| While opponents to teenage drinking claim dangerous | | | | tolerance and interaction begin. While some persons |
| behavior takes place, movies glamorizing drinking | | | | classify alcohol as a sedative hypnotic, others call it a |
| infuse cinematic culture. Anyone with a television | | | | culinary delight. Minors and their alcohol consumption |
| knows drinking is an event, a milestone, and an | | | | should be legally brought alongside culturewide |
| elusive coming of age experience. To brace the public | | | | practices. |
| with a conflicting set of laws brings questioning and | | | | |