Hey, Canada

[JerryBaumchen 1,354]

Hi Canada,

I am well aware that you are the USA's largest trading partner.  And, I think that is a good thing. 

Back when I was still working, I made many trips to your country for projects that I worked on.  I never had an occasion to work with a Canadian company that I did not like; from Vancouver to Montreal and a number of places in between.

However, I sure hope that you do not export this:  Canada's drastic new alcohol guidance

What's behind Canada's drastic new alcohol guidance - BBC News

And, along those same lines:  Hotseat: Ruby Warrington (wweek.com)

Disclaimer:  I have never had a DUI; although, I did come really close one time.  Lesson learned.

Thoughts??????????????

Jerry Baumchen

Edited January 18, 2023 by JerryBaumchen

[gowlerk 2,190]

1 hour ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Thoughts??????????????

Expert texpert choking smokers don't you know the joker laughs at you? Seriously no one in Canada will pay this report any attention at all except to laugh at it. Ethyl alcohol is poisonous. Everyone knows that without a government report.

Edited January 18, 2023 by gowlerk

[SethInMI 173]

I just read an article in the NY Times about the research indicating alcohol is carcinogenic. Apparently there is an enzyme produced as part of the processing of alcohol that depending on your genetic makeup can sit around in the body for a while or be rapidly consumed. The "sit around" people are more likely to get cancer IIRC. The article didn't go into a lot of detail on the important "HOW MUCH more likely are they to get cancer".  

One way to express an answer to that question is the common "how much will changing my ways change my expected lifespan"? I drink 3-4 beers a week. If I reduced that to one, would I gain 1 week in expected lifespan? 1 month? 1 year? I dunno. I don't see a reason to change my life based on any of those values, but having some data would be nice.

[riggerrob 643]

Over the last 40 years, tobacco consumption has declined, especially after they started printing pictures of cancer on cigarette packages. Now even long-time smokers step out of their houses to smoke.

Perhaps similar warning pictures on bottles of alcohol will make alcohol less fashionable.

I probably would never have started drinking if I had been warned of all the health risks. I drank heavily for 20 years, but now have been sober for 25 years. Now I suffer from permanent liver damage.

Back then I routinely drove home from the bar but never got charged with DUI, though I do remember three conversations with police officers who stopped me on my way home from the bar.

As the American Prohibition on alcohol sales a century ago proved that trying to ban alcohol is a fool's errand. The Bronfman, Molson, Kennedy, etc. families all made their first million from selling alcohol to thirsty Americans.

The sin taxes charged in Scandinavia also do not dampen thirst for alcohol.

[gowlerk 2,190]

21 hours ago, riggerrob said:

As the American Prohibition on alcohol sales a century ago proved that trying to ban alcohol is a fool's errand.

Almost everywhere there is a civilization there is some form of alcohol use. Humans have a very long history using and mis-using the stuff. Misery and joy can both be found in the jar.

[JerryBaumchen 1,354]

38 minutes ago, gowlerk said:

Almost everywhere there is a civilization there is some form of alcohol use. Humans have a very long history using and mis-using the stuff. Misery and joy can both be found in the jar.

Hi Ken,

From personal experience, it is more misery than joy.

Jerry Baumchen

[Bigfalls 111]

1 hour ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Ken,

From personal experience, it is more misery than joy.

Jerry Baumchen

If you drink enough, you can forget you are miserable or happy.

[gowlerk 2,190]

57 minutes ago, Bigfalls said:

If you drink enough, you can forget you are miserable or happy.

If you drink enough you will hold your breath until the fire goes out. And you won't even care. Just like fentanyl. Except it is far easier to control the dose of poison with Ethyl.

[BIGUN 1,296]

Pan Metron Ariston - Everything in Moderation. 

[lippy 918]

Never got a DUI, but once in Venezuela I had a couple of cops pull me over shitfaced and then they followed me to the ATM to pull out their bribe.

Surprised by how much better I'm feeling 3 weeks into Dry January.  I don't drink a lot these days, but after realizing it's been 20+ years since I went a whole month without whetting my whistle, figured it would be a worthwhile endeavour to take a month off.  Will probably be feeling a bit rough Feb 2, though

[JoeWeber 2,720]

On 1/22/2023 at 11:37 AM, lippy said:

Never got a DUI, but once in Venezuela I had a couple of cops pull me over shitfaced and then they followed me to the ATM to pull out their bribe.

Surprised by how much better I'm feeling 3 weeks into Dry January.  I don't drink a lot these days, but after realizing it's been 20+ years since I went a whole month without whetting my whistle, figured it would be a worthwhile endeavour to take a month off.  Will probably be feeling a bit rough Feb 2, though

It's a good idea, Dry January, but fraught with risks, too. Back in '80, after a particularly active month of debauchery, I decided to give it a rest one Saturday night. No problem so I added a Sunday. Then I thought to see what a week was like, then a month, then a year. I never quit the bar scene, I just wasn't boozing, and the years rolled on. It all ended on afternoon at a sidewalk cafe table with a girl in Paris, two weeks short of the ten year mark. I was just looking around at folks enjoying their wine and their companions and suddenly I could no longer ignore the ill effects of sobriety. The rest is history.

[lippy 918]

2 hours ago, JoeWeber said:

It's a good idea, Dry January, but fraught with risks, too. Back in '80, after a particularly active month of debauchery, I decided to give it a rest one Saturday night. No problem so I added a Sunday. Then I thought to see what a week was like, then a month, then a year. I never quit the bar scene, I just wasn't boozing, and the years rolled on. It all ended on afternoon at a sidewalk cafe table with a girl in Paris, two weeks short of the ten year mark. I was just looking around at folks enjoying their wine and their companions and suddenly I could no longer ignore the ill effects of sobriety. The rest is history.

Thanks for sharing your cautionary tale!

[wmw999 2,439]

Some friends of mine had big plans for a sober January, as well as it’s being some atkins-like paleo diet cleanse, too. 
Then on the 3rd or so they tested positive for COVID. 
Never happened… the need for wine was too great

Wendy P. 

[lippy 918]

2 hours ago, wmw999 said:

Some friends of mine had big plans for a sober January, as well as it’s being some atkins-like paleo diet cleanse, too. 
Then on the 3rd or so they tested positive for COVID. 
Never happened… the need for wine was too great

Wendy P. 

I started feeling rough on Jan 1. Tested positive for COVID Jan 2. That ended up being a freebie for week 1 of dry Jan.