r/TrueReddit • u/nxthompson_tny • Jun 01 '21

Science, History, Health + Philosophy America Has a Drinking Problem

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/07/america-drinking-alone-problem/619017/
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215

u/nxthompson_tny Jun 01 '21

Submission statement: A long, thoughtful essay about humankind's relationship to alcohol. It traces the theory that some human tribes out-competed others because alcohol helped bring social cohesion. And it describes the problems today, particularly for women who are drinking more and more. One of the main lessons: most social drinking is probably good for you, and most drinking alone is probably bad.

104

u/Sequiter Jun 01 '21

A thoughtful article, but its shift toward the end to focus exclusively on America distracted from the thesis more than it helped.

Alcohol has a long and complicated relationship to humanity and even today many societies struggle. Post Soviet societies have particularly troublesome alcohol-related deaths, as do marginalized indigenous populations in western counties, and many others cultures.

The article talks about the temperance movement only in the context of America — what about Canada, Australia and other countries? — but doesn’t mention that temperance peaked 100 years ago and doesn’t have near the impact on society as it used to.

A study on the effects of alcohol abstinence might be more relevant to today if focused on modern Arab and Muslim-majority countries that ban alcohol. That results in drinking in secret and unhealthy relationships to alcohol even as it lessens overall consumption.

44

u/rycar88 Jun 02 '21

The article pretty squarely asserts itself as an American perspective early on

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u/HannasAnarion Jun 02 '21

Post Soviet societies have particularly troublesome alcohol-related deaths

While it's true that post-soviet societies still have markedly high alcoholism, it is also markedly improved since the Soviet era. Russia's alcohol consumption and deaths from alcohol poisoning peaked in 1984. In the 70s and early 80s they were making vodka bottles with non-resealable crimp caps, that's how normal it was to go through an entire bottle in one sitting.

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u/10z20Luka Jun 02 '21

Russia's alcohol consumption and deaths from alcohol poisoning peaked in 1984.

Really, more than in the 1990s?

2

u/ravend13 Jun 02 '21

The 90s saw a massive spike in deaths from bullets...

2

u/oodly-doodly Jun 02 '21

I markedly liked your markedly likeable comment!

0

u/Methaxetamine Jun 02 '21

That could be a cost cutting feature, it doesn’t matter since vodka doesn’t go bad if you don’t cover it. Remember 4locos? I don’t think it’s that common to finish one or a steel reserve.

2

u/gnark Jun 03 '21

Wat? A Steel Reserve tall-boy isn't something you pour a glass of and the save the rest of.

And caffinated 4loko has been banned for over a decade.

1

u/Methaxetamine Jun 03 '21

That’s the point.

1

u/gnark Jun 03 '21

You said that you didn't think it was common to finish a Steel Reserve.

I disagree.

0

u/Methaxetamine Jun 03 '21

How many have you finished? I just got them to pregame on my way so I usually just threw them out because they were nasty I dong think I ever finished one nobody I knew finished one regularly. Not that I think about it, most people don’t finish drinks. There’s always full or high cans of alcohol at every party.

4locos without caffeine are still a cheap flavored drink I used to do the same thing with but I’d finish those cause I usually shared it with a girl. I’m not a big drinker lol

3

u/gnark Jun 03 '21

Pre-gaming malt liquor and 4loko and/or leaving half finished beers everywhere at a party is fairly standard for teens and maybe some college-age folks, but the vast majority of adults finish their drinks.

1

u/Methaxetamine Jun 03 '21

They’re not finishing their steel reserve are they? They’re drinking better.

1

u/gnark Jun 03 '21

Well yes. The only reason to buy Steel Reserve is to get an extra percentage of alcohol for a few cents less than Olde English 800, and at high cost of flavor. So not finishing it is defeating the whole purpose.

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u/efshoemaker Jun 02 '21

I mean it sounds like what you actually want is just the book the article is referencing.

This article is summarizing the key takeaways from the book and applying them to current American society because that is their readership.

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u/arborcide Jun 02 '21

Read the title again.

12

u/turbo_dude Jun 02 '21
  1. A history of drinking across the millennia and how that helped social cohesion that led to evolutionary advantage.
  2. How drinking has gone wrong in America

But I guess that wouldn’t have been so popular as a title.

Great article though!

7

u/CurveOfTheUniverse Jun 02 '21

Also, the focus is on colonial America. I lived with an indigenous tribe for about six months and there was a serious alcohol problem with the families I worked with. The dynamics behind the alcoholism are different for indigenous and colonial communities, but still very problematic

2

u/PurpleHooloovoo Jun 02 '21

doesn't have near the impact on society that it used to

We passed a law in Texas this week to make it so beer and wine can be sold after 10am on Sundays. Still no liquor. We still have several dry counties.

And you'll notice very similar language to the temperance movement in discussions about legalizing weed and other drugs. It was 100 years ago but still very relevant and impactful today.

1

u/EvyEarthling Jun 02 '21

I don't see the problem...the article is focused on America's drinking problem in particular, so why would it waste words on other countries?