This isn't a popular opinion, but alcohol is extremely hazardous.
There are 88,000 alcohol-related deaths in the US each year[0]. That's more than double the total number of the ever unpopular gun-related deaths[1].
Granted, dying of cirrhosis, or getting hit by a drunk driver, or even getting beat by a drunk boyfriend doesn't have the media appeal of a crazed gun-toting redneck.
Anyway, I think people should be able to hoard all the guns and booze they want, but I have to acknowledge alcohol does have a pretty terrible cost on society.
[0] http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_S...
The big advantages are making better use of our evenings and also saving a ton of money. We eat out a lot more, and in probably better restaurants, because even one glass of wine each added significantly to the bill. When we drank two glasses of wine each, alcohol could be half our restaurant bill. We ask for separate checks when eating out with friends but no one seems to mind.
Make pot available on the same terms and see alcohol usage decline.
I do agree that we need to legalize pot, and I can see how for some people it would have this effect. In my experience, it's not so much that pot replaces the effects of alcohol (much different effects as mentioned by others), the real impact for me is just being in the habit of using one over the other to alter consciousness/relax.
Considering the wide range of molecules that are psychoactive, it is interesting to consider what 'drugs' could be seen as a better alternative to alcohol. Interested if anyone here has ideas on what less harmful substance(s) could step in to fill this role?
Has alcohol use dropped in Washington or Colorado? I'm not sure very many people consider them interchangeable.
The Guardian published an article stating that alcohol consumption (specifically tax revenue) has actually gone up: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/31/alcohol-indu...
I think the approach many people take to things that aren't good for you isn't a good one. I don't need to cut out every unhealthy thing from my life. I just want to know what's healthy and what isn't so I can make some rational choices.
I can make the decision to drink when I want to, even if it's bad for me. Most of my friends fall into 2 camps. 1) don't do anything that's bad for you, or 2) find some pseudo-healthy replacement for the thing you actually want.