To flip your question, I’m a massive fan of craft beer/real ales/etc …if it wasn’t for the alcohol ingredient, would I walk in to ten different pubs and try all the IPAs/stouts/pilsners I do cause “I haven’t had this one before”? Probably not…
this post was submitted on 07 Jun 2025
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
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How would the average German man socialize if alcohol did not exist? I'm not even kidding, I've never seen it be absent at any Western table. We should be able to slowly but surely become capable of being normal human beings without needing to be at least tipsy, but at this point in Western civilization it's a "necessary" crutch so I assume it would be used regardless of the method.
I have a friend who was addicted to both cocaine and alcohol. While he, of course, is convinced that cocaine is one of the worst substances to have ever existed, he is even wearier of alcohol because of: (I'm obviously both paraphrasing AND excluding most countries with a Muslim majority here)
a) Social acceptance. No one is ever going to judge you for quietly sitting in the corner of a bar drinking your beer. Try snorting a line on the same setting and see what happens.
b) Availability. Even in sparsely populated areas, you are never too far away (say, a 10 minute walk) from a bottle of wine/spirit/beer.
c) Practicality (which is what answers your question). You don't need a syringe, spoon, knife, bill, bong or lighter, not even another recipient, to start binging on booze. Once you buy/steal the stuff, you're all set - and drinking something definitely IS more 'natural' (as in, it's a reflex) than injecting or smoking something.
I love a beer, but I definitely think if alcohol were invented today, it would never be legal. Same with gambling. Why are some addictions legal and socially accepted, but some aren’t? Really don’t get it…
I wonder why eating drugs never became as popular as drinking alcohol. Obviously you can put THC in food but imagine if instead of going to the bar for a beer you went to the restaurant to eat some THC infused food or food infused with some other drug that can be taken orally. Eating food has the same level of social acceptability as drinking a liquid and is similarly as natural evolutionarily but it isn't a thing people really do.
Maybe it's because the effects of alcohol have a quick onset which edible THC lacks? What about infusing food with some other oral drug with a quicker onset? I can't come up with any off the top of my head though.
I remember seeing an old Vice story about making dehydrated vodka and putting it on food.
Most substances that have any kind of enjoyable aspect tend to be very bitter and have an alkaline taste. Think of like coffee, we cut it with stuff or sweeten it with sugar. Pure alcohol would taste terrible, thats why we have beer, wine, and spirits. Its all alcohol but nowhere near entirely alcohol.
Also, not all substances are able to be used by your body in same way or with nearly the same level of efficacy. Some things have high bioavailability when snorted, like cocaine, but many things have no bioavailability when snorted (even if they do when consumed orally). Likewise you cant smoke just anything, as not everything can be absorbed through your lungs
That said, sugar and salt are probably the most commonly eaten substances that also jack up our dopamine levels. We just dont think of that as drug use. Spicy food can also be just as addictive, as eating really spicy food releases a lot of endorphins and makes some people feel great. Is that substance use? I think most people would say no, because were also doing it for the flavor. But my nervous system would say yes
Alcohol: now in XXL suppository
Already exists: soak a tampon in vodka, then use it as suppo.
Easy high, cheap, and taste doesn't matter.
Great way to die from intoxication as well!
I was thinking more BD David XL size (think 3x 12oz/350ml cans)
I mean, fill the cum tube with alcohol and you got the same delivery system!
Big brain right here 👌
Quick, where can I get one of these? And does it vibrate??
When people say, "I don't use drugs", almost never do they include alcohol in that. Alcohol, which is a drug, is always referred to separately, in large part because it's a beverage. Most people, if asked, will agree that alcohol is a drug, but it's not really categorized as one in their mind on a day-to-day basis. No one has a glass of wine at lunch and thinks, "I'm doing drugs now." But, if alcohol as a liquid simply didn't exist, but exactly the same effect could be had in pill form, I don't think people would be taking a pill with their dinner, and washing it down with water.
You've inspired me. Next time I decline a drink I'll say no thanks, I don't do drugs.
For many people, "drugs," with no other qualifier, is just short-hand for "illegal drugs." Plenty of people who say they don't use drugs also take prescriptions or OTC medications.
It will be interesting in the next few years to see where marijuana ends up on that spectrum. Still largely illegal (federally), but if that changes, will people still consider it a "drug" in the same way they do now, or will it fall into a separate category like drugs that are mostly legal?
There's people already, which smoke recreationally and/or advocate for legalization, that already don't see it in the same category as other 'harder' drugs. And, it hasn't always been illegal federally.
All this to say, it'll probably end up near alcohol on the spectrum you describe
Alcohol is something that for a very long time was associated with civilisation itself, it was and is very important. It's just embedded into most societies of course people don't consider it drug.
It was the only way to make water drinkable in many places
"Small beer" wasn't made for funsies
It's largely a myth that ancient and medieval people brewed beer for lack of fresh drinking water, kind of like the "spices were for eating rotten meat" myth. People have always known how to find fresh water or preserve meat.
The main reason people have always brewed beer and wine is because they're good. Small beer was in fact made for funsies.
And, interestingly, in certain places and times there was also a cultural reason as drinking those was higher status than water which was "for commoners."
I agree for the most part,
It was very dependent on where people lived
My point that booze comes in many delightful varieties still stands
Booze has a journey, other drugs are about the destination
Also coffee, which is a stimulant.
Caffeine (including Tea and Coffee sources) is by far the most widely abused drug.
I agree, but there's a significant difference
I love wine, beer and whisky and pretty much anything except vodka (because it's boring)
I love it because of the flavours, the mouth-feel, the way I can pair drinks with food to enhance the enjoyment of both
I've never had coke, mushrooms, ketamine, weed or anything else that made me think "wow, this is yum! I reckon it'd go beautifully with a nicely aged cheddar, or oysters, or a perfectly cooked lamb shoulder"
Weed goes nicely with a big ole bag of Chex mix
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I think of it was a pill it would be waaaayy more popular. A lot of people avoid alcohol because it’s disgusting, including me, but if I could skip having to drink disgusting liquid to get drunk I’d consume a lot more of it. Snorting probably would be more popular too as long as it didn’t smell bad or burn to do. I like alcohol and hate drinking so I don’t drink but if drinking is taken out of the picture…. I’d be down
It's the opposite for me. I don't want the effect of alcohol, I just want a nice drink to complement my meal and is hard to find something that in neither sugary or alcoholic.
Have you tried boofing?
I believe it’s mostly cultural. Alcoholic beverages are as old as civilization itself. We drink alcohol because that has been the social norm for thousands of years.
But there’s probably something about it being a beverage as well. It goes along well with food because of this, which makes it a tasteful alternative to water.
Alcoholic beverages are as old as civilization itself.
Some people theorize that alcohol was the cause of civilization; that we settled down and developed agriculture to have a reliable source of grain to make archaic "beer".
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Cigarettes, pipes, hookah and lots of other forms of smoking were and are popular as a social lubricant, if that’s what you’re getting at
Snorting and chewing too
I think you're probably right, especially now that snorting snuff and smoking are significantly less common. Although if you put it in vape form...
Although if you put it in vape form…
Vaportini was a short-lived trend that did not end up taking off.
Well duh, how's that supposed to fit in my pocket
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You can drink alcohol? I thought you had to boof it.
Shouldn't you be slowly eroding the government instead of browsing Lemmy, Brett?
boofing it is peak commitment to running shit on the bare metal
Snorting tea, coffee and broccoli would be less popular too.
Considering how many drugs are taken in those other ways and how popular they are, I don't think the method of delivery is the issue.
Before water could be reliably sterilised beer was the only thing people could drink safely. So it would have been the only thing a lot of people drank for their whole lives after they stopped breastfeeding which I think will have contributed quite strongly to it's popularity.
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