So much of it seems to boil down to an individual's self-control. You can't buy it, legislate it, or teach it very effectively. I've seen some very brilliant people who could forgo alcohol when they had to in order to complete an important project or whatever, but then they'd get wrecked when that was over. That's not exactly self-control, IMO.

Do they have problems as bad in places like France?

rh

They are adults, not kids. Is it safe to say that you did not attend college? or went later in life?

Unfortunately, yes they do. Youngest son a few years back lived for a year in Paris -- drunkenness a HUGE problem.

Ireland too (huge surprise, right!), as well as youth in Germany, and in the Netherlands throw in drugs along with the alcohol problems (they thought that legalizing hash and pot would eliminate the drug problem, and now with the influx of so many Muslims, the opiates are now flowing freely ...)

I went - and drug it out over a decade and mixed having 5 kids and working full time. I had a good buddy when I was at Millersville in '83 who paid the rent by throwing beer parties. I remember coming over to help clean up one night (morning) and she took a cup a beer and poured it on the carpet so that it would MATCH the rest of the room! Seriously!

I am pretty outgoing and people often accuse me of drinking because of me getting rowdy. If I even had a drink in my hand there would be no denying - they would never believe my assertions that I wasn't drunk.

I prefer to get high on life

rh