Essay On Social Drinking

SOCIAL DRINKING: A COOL TREND OR A RISKY POLICY?

PRAKTA KATWARE (170201088)

Drinking is a very common social activity, and for millennia, people have relished alcohol as a social lubricant. It is the most common way of reducing stress amongst corporate workers. Imagine having a long-hard day of work, and then going back home and opening a bottle of wine with your wife or perhaps meeting your friends or colleagues for a few rounds of beer, just to ease the tension. Doesn’t it sound relaxing? Of course, the idea is not to get drunk, but just to reach the brink, where you forget your worries and reduce your anxiety. Probably some of us are not very outgoing and need that sort of a burden off of our shoulders and boost our level of social bonding. Studies have also shown that casual drinking, in other terms

In fact, in the UK, the notion of enjoying yourself in the evening without alcohol is so unusual that it can lead to you being called a freak (or at least antisocial) whereas drinking yourself insensibly is not only accepted, but it is admired. The US is well known for its binge-drinking culture and problems associated to underage drinking. Beer is sold in every “friture” (traditional restaurants or food kiosks) in Belgium, however, drunkenness is socially unacceptable. The French drink to savour the flavours and to enhance their food. Same is the case in Italy, you either drink to accompany your meal or you will be given free snacks to soak up your drink.
There are studies which tell about the rewarding effects of social drinking. Almost all of them have momentary psychological benefits, such as reducing anxiety, narrowing attention focus, helping in social activeness, and my favorite, helping non-dancers to dance (not really sure how that is beneficial, but dancing’s good). Some also say that western cultures have social drinking imbibed in their culture to tackle the harsh weather