I’m always the designated driver.
I don’t drink. Well, at least not much. In 2014, I’ve already had three O’Doole’s, and a swallow of champagne on New Year’s Eve. In truth, though, the champagne was a nonalcoholic one.
I can’t claim to always having been a nondrinker. When I was in college, I used to have a beer with the guys at The Loft, a beer-bar outside of Oshkosh, on Friday nights, and on my 21st birthday, my buddies bought me a bunch of beers. That was the first (and last) time I ever had too much to drink. But I didn’t drive!
I’m not a nondrinker because of any built-in bias against drinking; I simply don’t like the tastes of most alcoholic beverages. And I’ve never understood how getting drunk is “fun.” Maybe I’m just cheap; Diet Pepsi is considerably less expensive than a small glass of wine or a mixed drink. So it’s not a big sacrifice for me to be the designated driver.
I am aware that some studies have indicated that consuming alcohol in moderation is associated with better health and greater longevity than is abstention. I’ve read that moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of developing and dying from heart disease. It could (maybe) possibly reduce the risk of a stroke. And it might possibly reduce the risk of diabetes.
But I’ve also read that the evidence about the possible health benefits of alcohol isn’t certain, and alcohol may not benefit everyone who drinks. And it’s a pretty certain bet that even moderate use isn’t risk-free. For example, drinking and driving is never a good idea.
It’s a little like those ads you see on TV for certain miracle drugs. The ads list the amazing benefits of the medication followed by a long litany of “possible” side effects. The listing of the side effects is considerably longer than the benefits — and it’s pretty scary, isn’t it?
Maybe the ads for alcohol should do that, too. Instead of showing how much fun the people are having drinking at the tailgate party, they should list all the possible risks of heavy alcohol use.
Imagine what the beer ads would sound like if, after all the fun is described, a voice-over announcer runs off a spiel about the risks of certain cancers, including breast cancer and cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus; pancreatitis; sudden death if you already have cardiovascular disease; heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading to heart failure; stroke; high blood pressure; liver disease; suicide; accidental serious injury or death; and brain damage and other problems in an unborn child.
Suddenly quite a bit less fun, right?
While moderate alcohol use may possibly offer some health benefits, heavy drinking — including binge drinking — has no health benefits. Excessive drinking can increase your risk of all the disclaimers in the list above, plus more.
I didn’t grow up in a teetotal home, but my parents drank so little, it would be hard to classify them even as social drinkers. There was never any alcohol in our house, but my dad would have a “whiskey and sour” (which I guess was booze and lemon juice), not the fancy “whiskey sour” drink, which has all kinds of stuff in it - even egg white, I guess) when they’d go out for fish on Friday night. And Mom would have a “sloe gin fizz,”which was made with sloe gin, lemon juice and carbonated water. Don’t quote me on that, but I know it was sort of pink and foamy.
And that was it, the extent of their imbibing. They never got drunk and they always had a good time.
My mom was a Methodist, and Dad was a Catholic, but I don’t think there was any religious motivation to their not drinking. I guess they (like me) never saw a point in losing control and didn’t need a “buzz” to have a good time. Mom and Dad were probably “designated drivers” before the term ever become a part of our lexicon.
I’m just following their example.
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