Interesting. Here’s my cite, which may well be wrong–
This is taken from a class textbook mind you. Drugs and Behavior: an Introduction to Behavioral Pharmacology (5th ed.) by William A. McKim. Good textbook, one of my favorites.
Okay, so I was way off base on the heroin thing (faulty memory). The name is spelled in the cite as I have typed it above. However, having looked over your cite, I am apparently mistaken and my textbook is wrong-wrongety-wrong.
Consider me re-educated. 
(underlining mine)
I think there’s the seeds of a debate in this question. I think its TOTALLY acceptable for NT to think that drinking is “not cool.” What I DON’T think is OK is for him to dismiss people who indulge in alcohol as “idiots” and “morons.” Substance use is way more complex than that. It’s something that I don’t think we should dismiss offhand as being “evil” or “immoral” or “stupid.”
And honestly, I think throwing around the “maturity” label is a little… I dunno, trite? Maybe? Maturity is so overrated–being called immature is a lot less insulting to me than it used to be.
At my school, there are many people who think drinking is cool. I just accept it. It is who they are. Do I drink? Naw… but I still respect them. Unless they brag to my face about it. That is usually when I shut them down or I just shrug it off.
It is highschool. Just be glad that the idiots you encounter now are innocent, the ones you will encounter later will have no self-respect.
Then my work here in this thread is done! 
I’m not sure if your take is that I’m saying “drinking is evil” (and if not, my apologies), but that’s not what I’m trying to get across. What I’m criticizing is people who drink because they want to be admired for it; those who get hammered on the weekend so that on Monday they can brag about how many beers they downed.
I agree completely that most people who drink aren’t idiots. Some of my closest friends and some of the smartest (underage) people I know drink. Believe me, I’m not trying to put on a holier-than-thou attitude about drinking just because I don’t do it.
Because their actions can potentially (and in some cases already are) screwing up their lives. For example…one guy at my school was given a soccer scholarship for next year when he heads to college. His scholarship was (it may still be, I’m not sure) in jeopardy because of an incident involving alcohol, pumpkins and car windshields.
Maybe I am too concerned with interfering with other people’s lives, but I can’t help but feel a little angry about such a waste of potential as I mentioned above.
On another note, thanks to you guys for keeping this thread civil. Even though this is the Pit I’m glad everyone has posted rational thoughts (and some healthy criticism :)).
I said competitive drinking. If NT’s classmates are doing what I described above, then they are idiots and morons. Courting liver damage, and brain damage, and death, just to prove how big your dick is, is idiotic.
I think you may be, too. Don’t you have enough going on in your own life to be wasting time being ‘concerned’ about others’ partying habits? It sucks that the guy may lose his scholarship. Maybe that will teach him a Valuable Life Lesson®. Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it’s really none of your business, unless he himself asked you for your thoughts or you are the one funding his college career.
As it is, you come off sounding sanctimonious. Like I said, you’d be better off expending the energy elsewhere.
Yeah, after I posted that, I immediately regretted putting quotation marks around words you didn’t use. Since you didn’t say them, I can see how one would interpret it as me projecting those views on you. The evil/immoral/stupid argument is one that I hear a lot in connection with drinking excessively, and it’s one that I just don’t like. My bad.
I’d just like to say that you are now one of my favorite posters, after what you’ve done in a few threads I’ve read today to dispel myths about substance use. I see you haven’t picked up your membership yet. Although I can’t sponsor you now due to not having control over my financial situation (I’m a high school student), I will sponsor you in September or sometime over this summer (basically, as soon as I’m financially independent) if you want to join up then. Drop me an email or an IM around then, send me the $15 if you have it, and I will gladly sponsor you.