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Show Think Twice About Drinking As statistics about alcohol alco-hol misuse in our country become more alarming, it's important for everyone to step back for a moment to reconsider two basic questions ques-tions asked by the United States Brewers Association in its new alcohol awareness program. The questions seem relatively re-latively simple will I drink? If I do, will I drink in moderation? But your personal answers involve several sev-eral complex factors. They include your attitudes atti-tudes toward alcohol beverages. bev-erages. They involve a consideration con-sideration of your family and friends who could be affected by your decisions. Your answers also require an examination of your own life goals as well as a look at how much individual indi-vidual responsibility you're willing to assume for your physical, emotional health and well-being. Of the two questions, the first will I drink? is perhaps the more serious one. Many persons decide to answer "no." That decision, de-cision, as the brewers association asso-ciation points out, should not be subject to peer, industry or other pressures. It is entitled to respect, understanding and acceptance accept-ance by all associates. Clearly, persons below the legal age should not drink at all. And for those who tend to misuse alcohol, the Association believes, abstinence ab-stinence is the better answer. If your answer is "Yes", to both questions, then you must personally decide what "moderation" means to you. Your definition will come from your knowing the facts about alcohol beverages, bever-ages, recognizing your individual indi-vidual responses and applying apply-ing your own common sense and intelligence. Any definition, however, most certainly implies the proper use of alcohol beverages at all times. Just by seriously reconsidering recon-sidering these two questions each of us will become more aware of the growing health problem of alcohol misuse. Your understanding of that problem is something to think about twice. |