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Staredit Network -> Serious Discussion -> Drinking
Report, edit, etc...Posted by CaptainWill on 2006-05-23 at 18:25:31
I think it's time that the USA relaxed the age restrictions on drinking, and moved it to 18 years old.

I find it stupid that I can drink here in the UK, but if I went to the US and had a drink I would get deported and banned for life.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by BeeR_KeG on 2006-05-23 at 20:20:30
Not really, Will, you'll just spend like 15 days in jail.

Here in Puerto Rico it's 18 years for drinking, that law is a state law and not part of The Constitution, the problem is that in most states, it's 21. Having legal drinking at a lower age is better really, most 18 year olds will openly drink anyways, the only restricction is that they won't drink at pubs. They'll just get someone to buy the alcohol and drink it at another place.

What they should really do is that you can't have a certain amount of blood alcohol percentage in public places, like pubs and such. If you go over that limit, you will be fined. This will encourage more people to drink at people's houses and such, thus reducing alcohol related car accidents and alcohol sales in liquor stores will increase, giving more tax revenue to the goverment and less money to pubs and club owners, which are generally affiliated with illegal doings, like drugs and the places are already filled with such. You will also decrease over 50% of the Fake ID business, because younger people won't really have an incentive to go to places requiring them.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Slyence on 2006-05-23 at 21:31:12
I'm 18 and It's still illegal to drink. Although it doesn't really matter, I get my brother to do it, hes 23.

He buys me the alcohol and we have a good night!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Deathawk on 2006-05-23 at 22:21:02
QUOTE(Golden-Fist @ May 22 2006, 09:45 PM)
What is your defention of "responsibly" drinking?
I actually learned something in Drug Education class that I didn't know before that achool actually basically kills your brain. If you drink a certain amount over an amount of time (descriptive eh?) your brain is less and less, uh, I can't think of a word good? Devolped? Healthy? One of those. So even if you only have a drink once a month, that's still going to hurt in the long run.

I've had beer and a few sips of wine, and it tastes disgusting. I can't see how anyone can like that stuff.
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Yeah, it's an acquired taste, but I agree, alcohol tastes like ass.

Anyway, my father is an alocoholic, and once he reaches 10, he's braindead stupid. If you want to drink to relax, go ahead, but don't do it because it's cool. It pisses me off to hear these stories of these "cool" people not going to parties because there wasn't going to be alchohol, and stuff like that.

I agree with Millennium, Vault rocks smile.gif
Report, edit, etc...Posted by DarK on 2006-05-24 at 05:36:54
10?

Ok first I posted the effects of marijuana for Kellimus tongue.gif
And small amounts of weed dont cause the effects which I posted..


BeeR KeG how would they monitor the amount of alcohol in your blood?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by JaFF on 2006-05-24 at 05:42:25
QUOTE(DarK @ May 24 2006, 12:36 PM)
10?

Ok first I posted the effects of marijuana for Kellimus tongue.gif
And small amounts of weed dont cause the effects which I posted..
BeeR KeG how would they monitor the amount of alcohol in your blood?
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If I am correct, In America you have to do some things, like walk in a straight line, to show how drunk you are.

In my country, you must breathe into a "Pipe" - a device taht shows how many promiles are in your blood.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Rantent on 2006-05-24 at 06:32:44
I have a strict personal code which I stick to, to only do any substance on holidays, which is partially why I love holidays so much, but only major ones. (Sorry may day, your not a real holiday.)
One thing that I've found is that the less I drink, the better time I have. I have been known to get quite hammered at times, and then I basically lounge around in a stupor for a while. I now go for getting to the point where I am just about drunk, but buzzed. Once I hit that region I stop and just have fun.
And I detest beer and other common drinks, the only way the stuff tastes good is in 70 proof up.

Oh and kellimus, you mentioned that marijuana only blocks cell receptors. It actually mimics another chemical in the brain, opening up neurotransmitter channels. These function much like any other drug, the brain eventually stops many of these channels, because of the overstimulation. This is why it eventually takes more marijuana to feel the same effects. And why it is rumored to be addicting. wink.gif
Report, edit, etc...Posted by BeeR_KeG on 2006-05-24 at 09:31:15
QUOTE(DarK @ May 24 2006, 05:36 AM)
10?

Ok first I posted the effects of marijuana for Kellimus tongue.gif
And small amounts of weed dont cause the effects which I posted..
BeeR KeG how would they monitor the amount of alcohol in your blood?
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As they currently do, using breath tests.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Deathawk on 2006-05-24 at 10:06:10
QUOTE(DarK @ May 24 2006, 04:36 AM)
10?

Ok first I posted the effects of marijuana for Kellimus tongue.gif
And small amounts of weed dont cause the effects which I posted..
BeeR KeG how would they monitor the amount of alcohol in your blood?
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10:00 PM, that's after like 16 12oz Miller Lites ;\
Report, edit, etc...Posted by l)ark_13 on 2006-05-24 at 10:21:32
Nah, drinking is fun.
The problem is people dont know how to use it in responsible doses (im talking about like getting smashed on the weekends). If you drink in the mornings, alone, when depressed, or on weedays then you have a problem. Getting drunk on the weekends is fun and is a very socialable thing which you can make new friends with, get laid, and generally have a good time with.
I wouldn't wanna stop it cause its illegal for one (and anything illegal is fun biggrin.gif ), it feels funny and happy, girls become more like guys (sexually lol), guys become like super guys n we do stupid funny things like try to ride dogs and jump over bars or breakdance, and its just something to do with friends.

Probably the kids whos parents let them drink are the ones who wont become alcoholics because they have their parents looking after them making sure they dont do it so often. People who go drinking every weekend are not alcoholics.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by JaFF on 2006-05-24 at 10:50:12
Having sex while drunk ? You must be very cairful about it. If a person has sex while drunk & that leads to a babie, the baby might have serious genetical disorders.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Kellodood on 2006-05-24 at 11:52:14
QUOTE(DarK @ May 23 2006, 09:06 AM)
Ok time to show you all effects of marijuana
Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain.

In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement4.

The short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term marijuana abuse indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid (THC or synthetic forms of THC) withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system5 and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine6. Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse
Effects on the Heart

One study has indicated that a user's risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana7. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana's effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.
Effects on the Lungs

A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers8. Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

Even infrequent abuse can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways9. Smoking marijuana possibly increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced evidence that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers10.

Marijuana abuse also has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens9,11. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke12. It also induces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form—levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells13. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may be more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco.
Other Health Effects

Some of marijuana's adverse health effects may occur because THC impairs the immune system's ability to fight disease. In laboratory experiments that exposed animal and human cells to THC or other marijuana ingredients, the normal disease-preventing reactions of many of the key types of immune cells were inhibited14. In other studies, mice exposed to THC or related substances were more likely than unexposed mice to develop bacterial infections and tumors15,16.
This is for your Kellimus
Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior

Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. Depression17, anxiety17, and personality disturbances18 have been associated with chronic marijuana use. Because marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover, research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off19,20,25.

Students who smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from high school, compared with their nonsmoking peers21,22,23,24. A study of 129 college students found that, among those who smoked the drug at least 27 of the 30 days prior to being surveyed, critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after the students had not taken the drug for at least 24 hours20. These "heavy" marijuana abusers had more trouble sustaining and shifting their attention and in registering, organizing, and using information than did the study participants who had abused marijuana no more than 3 of the previous 30 days. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a reduced intellectual level all of the time.

More recently, the same researchers showed that the ability of a group of long-term heavy marijuana abusers to recall words from a list remained impaired for a week after quitting, but returned to normal within 4 weeks25. Thus, some cognitive abilities may be restored in individuals who quit smoking marijuana, even after long-term heavy use.

Workers who smoke marijuana are more likely than their coworkers to have problems on the job. Several studies associate workers' marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation claims, and job turnover. A study among postal workers found that employees who tested positive for marijuana on a pre-employment urine drug test had 55 percent more industrial accidents, 85 percent more injuries, and a 75-percent increase in absenteeism compared with those who tested negative for marijuana use26. In another study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including cognitive abilities, career status, social life, and physical and mental health27.
Effects on Pregnancy

Research has shown that some babies born to women who abused marijuana during their pregnancies display altered responses to visual stimuli28, increased tremulousness, and a high-pitched cry, which may indicate neurological problems in development29. During the preschool years, marijuana-exposed children have been observed to perform tasks involving sustained attention and memory more poorly than nonexposed children do30,31. In the school years, these children are more likely to exhibit deficits in problem-solving skills, memory, and the ability to remain attentive30.
Addictive Potential

Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction for some people; that is, they abuse the drug compulsively even though it interferes with family, school, work, and recreational activities. Drug craving and withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for long-term marijuana smokers to stop abusing the drug. People trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, and anxiety32. They also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately one week after the last use of the drug33.
Genetic Vulnerability

Scientists have found that whether an individual has positive or negative sensations after smoking marijuana can be influenced by heredity. A 1997 study demonstrated that identical male twins were more likely than nonidentical male twins to report similar responses to marijuana abuse, indicating a genetic basis for their response to the drug34. (Identical twins share all of their genes.)

It also was discovered that the twins' shared or family environment before age 18 had no detectable influence on their response to marijuana. Certain environmental factors, however, such as the availability of marijuana, expectations about how the drug would affect them, the influence of friends and social contacts, and other factors that differentiate experiences of identical twins were found to have an important effect.34
Source : http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html
You can read a bit more from there.. Later il post effects of drinking and you can compare
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Of course they are going to say all that. It's a GOVERNMENT site. The government hates it. They spread propaganda about it ALL the time.

Most everyone I know smokes pot. Guess what? They are ALL healthy. To bad your Government lies ALL the time.

And next time, QUOTE it. -_-

QUOTE(DarK @ May 23 2006, 09:08 AM)
I am not saying that we should all never drink!

Heres the effects of drinking
For people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), decisions about drinking alcohol can be difficult. At this time, no studies have proven that alcohol either instigates or worsens these conditions, but drinking has been proven to have significant effects on the digestive system as well as the rest of the body.

Effects on the Liver
The function of the liver is to break down toxic substances (such as drugs and alcohol) and filter them from the body. In addition to this important purpose, the liver filters the blood, synthesizes chemicals needed by the body, and stores vitamins, sugars, fats and other nutrients. When alcohol is present in the body, the liver must cease its important functions and deal solely with ridding the body of the toxin. As a result, fatty acids may build up in the liver.

Alcohol can damage the liver by destroying or altering its cells and may even worsen an existing liver condition. Chronic liver disease is a serious complication that affects from 5 to 15% of IBD patients.

Effects on the GI Tract Lining
While all the effects of alcohol on the gastrointestinal tract are not clear to researchers, it appears that the lining is affected. The results of this irritation can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding (symptoms that IBS and IBD patients are already struggling to keep under control).

Drugs and Medications
Several medications prescribed for gastrointestinal conditions may react unfavorably with alcoholic drinks. In addition, medications put a strain on the liver's ability to rid the body of toxins and alcohol can increase that effect. See the Table below that lists drugs commonly used to treat IBS, IBD or related conditions and the possible effects when mixed with alcohol.

Positive Effects
In addition to the psychological and social benefits of the occasional drink at parties, moderate amounts of alcohol may have health benefits. Studies have indicated that moderate drinking (defined as 1 drink a day for women, or 2 drinks a day for men) may have a positive effect on the coronary system and help prevent coronary artery disease.

Conclusion
The choice to drink is an individual decision that should be made after clearly understanding the potential effects. For many with IBS or IBD, an occasional drink may not worsen their condition, but some may discover (as with other foods, through trial and error) that it does have a detrimental effect. Additionally, the effect of alcohol on the liver, the stomach, and overall health should be weighed against the positive effects as well as the importance of social drinking to quality of life.

One Drink Is…
4-5 ounces of wine
10 ounces of wine cooler
12 ounces of beer
1-1/4 ounces of distilled liquor (80 proof whiskey, vodka, scotch, or rum) Effects of Alcohol on Medications

Drug Reaction With Alcohol
Anti-depressants Diminished alertness and judgment, possible death
Aspirin  Stomach irritation, possible bleeding
Flagyl (metronidazole)  Stomach upset and cramps, vomiting, headache, sweating, flushing
Narcotics (painkillers)  Diminished alertness and judgment, reduction in brain function, possible death
NSAIDs  Stomach irritation, possible liver damage
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And what source did you conjour up these from eh? QUOTE your sources or it's plaigurism -_-

QUOTE(DarK @ May 24 2006, 02:36 AM)
10?

Ok first I posted the effects of marijuana for Kellimus tongue.gif
And small amounts of weed dont cause the effects which I posted..
BeeR KeG how would they monitor the amount of alcohol in your blood?
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To bad your source is a source of lies.

Here are UNBIASED sources:

Erowid Archive
Wikipedia PWNS you

There you go. The TRUTH about Marijuanna. Not some government propaganda crap

QUOTE(Rantent @ May 24 2006, 03:32 AM)
Oh and kellimus, you mentioned that marijuana only blocks cell receptors. It actually mimics another chemical in the brain, opening up neurotransmitter channels. These function much like any other drug, the brain eventually stops many of these channels, because of the overstimulation. This is why it eventually takes more marijuana to feel the same effects. And why it is rumored to be addicting. wink.gif
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You know what I was talking about though wink.gif And you know chemistry, and you know THC is Fat Soluble. So if you stop, it eventually gets asorbed by the body wink.gif
Report, edit, etc...Posted by JaFF on 2006-05-24 at 12:32:20
QUOTE(Kellimus @ May 24 2006, 06:51 PM)
And what source did you conjour up these from eh?  QUOTE your sources or it's plaigurism -_-
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That part about alcohol sounds OK. Look at the style of the language used, Kellimus.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Kellodood on 2006-05-24 at 13:29:21
I KNOW it sounds OKAY. Jesus. I wasn't even talking to you, so be quiet. I was asking Dark to CITE his SOURCES. Not have some "know-it-all" to put their two cents in.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by CaptainWill on 2006-05-24 at 13:53:17
QUOTE(Jammed @ May 24 2006, 02:49 PM)
Having sex while drunk ? You must be very cairful about it. If a person has sex while drunk & that leads to a babie, the baby might have serious genetical disorders.
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Hang on a minute - where is the evidence for this? I doubt that conceiving while drunk will lead to a baby with genetic disorders.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by JaFF on 2006-05-24 at 13:56:47
QUOTE(CaptainWill @ May 24 2006, 08:52 PM)
Hang on a minute - where is the evidence for this? I doubt that conceiving while drunk will lead to a baby with genetic disorders.
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It's not 100% going to happen, but it's possible. I don't know people like this, but I think you should trust my biology teacher. wink.gif
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Kellodood on 2006-05-24 at 13:58:22
QUOTE(CaptainWill @ May 24 2006, 10:52 AM)
Hang on a minute - where is the evidence for this? I doubt that conceiving while drunk will lead to a baby with genetic disorders.
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And that proves my point of what I was going to say to you Will (What he said above this post)

He is obviously gullible. "My teacher said it, so it's true!"
Report, edit, etc...Posted by JaFF on 2006-05-24 at 14:13:14
QUOTE(Kellimus @ May 24 2006, 08:58 PM)
"My teacher said it, so it's true!"
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If you do not belive it, don't I'm not forcing you to.

Read a bood about biology then.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Kellodood on 2006-05-24 at 14:24:08
Bood? What's that?

A child conceived while the parents are drunk, will most likely be perfectly fine. Maybe you mean while the mother IS PREGNANT with the child and drinks, genetic defetcts will happen. That must be it.

But you just even clarified my point even more.

Teachers teach the things they teach. But most teach with biased and personal views. So the smart thing to do, is realise that the teacher teaches with personal beliefs, and sometimes lies.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by JaFF on 2006-05-24 at 14:44:04
QUOTE(Kellimus)
Bood?  What's that?


I mean booK.

QUOTE(Kellimus)
A child conceived while the parents are drunk, will most likely be perfectly fine.  Maybe you mean while the mother IS PREGNANT with the child and drinks, genetic defetcts will happen.  That must be it.


So, you think that while the mother is pregnant, alcohol can affect the child, but it cannot effect the future child in the most important moment - impregnation ? If the woman/man were drunk, alcohol was in both the sperm & ovule.

QUOTE(Kellimus)
Teachers teach the things they teach.  But most teach with biased and personal views. 


Yes, I agree that a teacher brings her point of view on things when teaching. But how can you twist that so that it gets different meaning ?


Report, edit, etc...Posted by Mini Moose 2707 on 2006-05-24 at 14:58:59
Say the two parents are drunk at conception and then no longer drink.
The mother's body has alcohol in it for awhile until it reaches a normal level. Meanwhile, the cells that made up the embryo keep dividing rapidly, diluting whatever alcohol there, making it smaller and smaller amounts. If no more alcohol is ingested, eventually that's going to level off just as in the mother.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by JaFF on 2006-05-24 at 15:08:32
QUOTE(Mini Moose 2707 @ May 24 2006, 09:58 PM)
Say the two parents are drunk at conception and then no longer drink.
The mother's body has alcohol in it for awhile until it reaches a normal level. Meanwhile, the cells that made up the embryo keep dividing rapidly, diluting whatever alcohol there, making it smaller and smaller amounts. If no more alcohol is ingested, eventually that's going to level off just as in the mother.
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If there is alcohol in the prosecc of splitting of the cell, there is a higher chance that it will go worng, compared to normal. So it may be wrong from the first division, thus it will go on like this. The first division can determine everything. If it happens in such conditions, it may go wrong.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by BeeR_KeG on 2006-05-24 at 16:44:17
Nope. Blood travels through the blood system and not on men's sperm or a woman's eggs. Women drinking while pregnancy may cause some sort of damage to the embryo because the feeds the embryo via blood, and since her blood has alcohol, then alcohol is passed too.

At time of impregnating the woman, it doesn't really matter.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by l)ark_13 on 2006-05-24 at 20:59:55
Yes... your teacher is an idiot, no offence.
Babies get FAS because pregnant women drink while pregnant. This happens because the embryo has actually formed enough to be sharing the blood and nutients of the mother (thus, if the mother drinks she'll be sharing the alcohol in her blood stream with her baby).
This is not the case at conception. Sperm and eggs are not affected by alcohol and so neither will the zygote; it just isn't developed enough.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by xMCx on 2006-05-24 at 21:22:06
Captain Will, it is called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
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