Category: Opinion

Anti-Alcohol Sentiment: “The Atlantic” Has It

prohibition supported

The following article by Dr. Alex Berezow is reprinted by permission of the American Council on Science and Health. In it, he points out fallacies of an Atlantic anti-alcohol article.   Completely banning alcohol would only prevent about 3.5% of cancer deaths. That, of course, means the other 96.5% of fatal cancers are caused by things other …

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Confusing Correlation with Causation (Alcohol Examples)

confusing correlation wth causation

Confusing correlation with causation is natural. We all tend to fall into the trap. The classic example is the correlation between high ice cream sales and drownings. And the sale of sunglasses. But ice cream sales don’t cause either drownings or the sale of sunglasses. The cause of these things is clearly warm weather. It’s …

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COVID-19 and Unemployment & Alcohol Related

to-go alcohol and drunk

The coronavirus pandemic caused serious problems around the world. Many companies and their employees are hit hard. COVID-19 and unemployment were closely connected.  COVID 19 especially threatened restaurants and bars. These had been places where people typically gather in groups.  But social distancing and sheltering in place threatened to destroy such businesses. Trying to survive, …

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Alcohol Policy for Youth in the U.S.: What Should It Be?

abstainers try drinking

What should alcohol policy for youth be in the U.S.? This is a heated subject. Here the National Youth Rights Association (NYRA) gives its views.                Overview I.  Alcohol Policy for Youth II. Resources I. Alcohol Policy for Youth NYRA believes U.S. youth alcohol policy should recognize the inevitability of alcohol …

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A Learner’s Permit for Drinking: A Logical Proposal

As a teenager, writer Courtney Love Gavin suggested the value of a learner’s permit for drinking safely. She argued that we issue learner permits to help people drive safely. Here is her opinion piece.   The transformation of going from a child to an adult does not happen overnight. It is a metamorphosis that happens …

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America’s Drinking Problem (Discover What It Is)

America's drinking problem

Journalist Logan Jenkins describes what he sees as America’s drinking problem. See if you agree.   A Canadian friend, the mother of a graduating high school student, telephoned recently for some parenting advice. Her son wanted to throw a pre-prom party at his Montreal home. The question: Should alcohol be served, as her son requested? …

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Teen View on Reducing Alcohol Abuse: We Can Learn Much

Here a reader gives a teen view on reducing alcohol abuse. It’s based on her cross-cultural experience. Hi, I came across your website while trying to find and compare alcohol abuse statistics between France and the US. Here is an excerpt of the paper I am writing. I thought you might find interesting. As teenagers, …

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Teach Safe Drinking to Your College-Bound Teen

teach safe drinking

Parents should teach safe drinking to their college-bound high school teens. Students also need to learn how not to drink and how to drink less according to Dr. Dwight B. Heath of Brown University. He is the world’s leading authority in anthropology on alcohol and drinking.   It once was a happy time when high …

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Rethinking Drinking by Young Adults (How to Reduce Abuse)

rethinking drinking by young adults

We should be rethinking drinking by young adults. That’s the advice of three experienced college observers and researchers. They are Joel S. Rudy, Dr. Dwight B. Heath, and Dr. David J. Hanson.   In a majority of states in the US, drivers aged 16 and 17 gain experience while holding special licenses. These restrict the …

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Lower the Drinking Age to 18? (Yes Says Expert & Here’s Why)

Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan explains why we should lower the drinking age to 18. That’s the age at which young people become adults.   My colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health, where I studied preventive medicine, deserve praise for their study on teenage drinking. What they found in their survey of college students was …

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