You know we did a great job of almost eliminating smoking from our society. It was done mostly through education with a little bit of legislation. Smoking is known to be one of the most addictive habits known, and yet it was dealt with. There will always be a few die hards and its unlikely we'll get below 10% of the population that smokes. That's something we can live with.
Our next target should be alcohol. Most would think it highly unlikely that the current levels of consumption could be reduced down to that 10% mark. But maybe 30 years ago they thought the same thing of tobacco.
Can anyone argue against the fact that this substance, alcohol, causes more havoc in our society than any other substance? Heroin or crystal meth can't come close. Spousal abuse, family/parenting dysfunction, job loss/absenteeism, automotive chaos, physical and mental health issues. How many people die yearly as a result of alcohol? I don't know. I am guessing its in the tens of thousands.
As you might have guessed, I do not drink. I stopped the use of alcohol about 5 years ago and haven't had a drop since. And no, I wasn't an alcoholic. I've no use for it. No one should. We have inhibitions for a reason, to control our behavior. Removing those inhibitions through alcohol causes behavioral anarchy. Why would anyone desire that?
Another excuse for alcohol is to float the boat of self pity. Cure: ACTION!
And for those that need to relax after a stressful day, listen to some soft music or go for a walk.
This one might take 50 years or more to remove from out society, but it can be done.
