Moderate Alcohol Drinking
A drink is a drink intended for consumption. Drinks fulfill many purposes in life, outside of the basic necessity of meeting thirst. Other roles include filling boredom, stimulating the appetite, providing hydration and/or immunity boosting. Besides their basic function to meet basic human need, various drinks also play significant roles in modern society.
Common varieties of alcoholic beverages include beer, hard liquor, wine, distilled spirits, brandy, whiskey, vermouth, port and sparkling wines. Traditionally, warm beverages were often flavored with fruits, nuts and various herbs. Popular drinks during festivities included punch, root beer, ginger ale, whiskey and ale. The mixing of different fruits was meant to enhance the flavor, as well as make the drinker more “alcoholic”. Nowadays, however, most drinks have undergone extensive designations such as alcoholic drink, mixed drink and beverage.
The majority of drinkers do not consider themselves alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It is estimated that one in every 12 adults consumes an alcoholic drink on an annual basis, with non-alcoholic drink consumption standing at around one in five. A large proportion of these individuals are consuming wine, a clear solution to the popular belief that wine alone will not quench a thirst. Most frequently, they choose some form of non-alcoholic drink.
The rise of drink spiking as a method of gaining a higher alcohol tolerance has been documented over the past decade. Some states in the United States, such as Michigan, have outlawed this practice under the state’s anti-consumption laws. In the United Kingdom, the CMA has also called for a ban on drink spiking. In the United States the Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration (AWCA) is working on guidelines that would prevent organizations from promoting high-risk beverages. However, as yet there is no law in the United States that prohibits drink spiking between parties.
There are a number of moderate alcohol consumption policies currently being implemented. California is the first state to announce a program requiring restaurants to serve drinks in both glass and stainless steel containers. The state of Colorado has also announced plans to introduce a similar legislation in 2021. According to the AWCA, these measures will help consumers find greater accountability and greater health benefits by allowing consumers to determine how much alcohol they can have before becoming legally allowed to purchase it. They also suggest that this would reduce prices for consumers, which they feel are currently increasing due to the current financial crisis.
Research has shown that it is the consumption of small amounts of alcohol rather than chronic heavy drinking that is responsible for most of the diseases and health problems related to alcohol abuse. Those who drink moderately are less likely to develop any alcohol-related problems than those who drink heavily. Reducing the amount of alcohol consumed and, in so doing, enjoying better health are the key points for reducing consumption of alcohol.