# Why is alcohol use so socially acceptable (required), and pot evil. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 22, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005 "2008-11-22T17:11:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/101 "2008-11-24T21:23:08Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Are you sure no one noticed? My husband’s daughter and her boyfriend were spending the night with us. The next morning he went out for about 5 minutes to walk the dog. I couldn’t tell he was stoned by the way he was acting, but I could smell it on him a mile away. It was insane. I mean, I believe that they couldn’t tell by how your were acting, but how did you get rid of the smell? I usually smoke in well-ventilated areas so the smell doesn’t stick to me, and use Febreez for the smell that does. Also, Visine Advanced Relief (I don’t trust eyedrops unless they burn like hell) for the red-eye. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/102 "2008-11-24T21:59:00Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Yeah, that was my thinking. Other than that, I’ve never really had anyone “pressure” me in terms of drinking. (Well, I did have one friend who asked that we not socialize in bars after he realized he had a serious drinking problem.) Maybe it is a fear of being judged, who knows. Back in my gay bar days, I used to joke “I don’t trust anyone who goes to a bar and doesn’t drink.” I only said that to my fellow drinking friends though. To me, you were what I called a “hydrator.” That guy who walks around displaying that he is drinking bottled water. You’re either staying sober because you want to take advantage of someone else’s decreased inhibitions, which makes you troll-ish, or you’re on ecstasy, which hardly makes you better than me. I never gave anyone a hard time for not drinking though. Just if you make a display of your not drinking. You could be on twenty different AIDS meds for all I know. I wouldn’t judge on just not drinking. Good for you. It’s definitely cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/103 "2008-11-24T22:01:14Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Back in my gay bar days, I used to joke “I don’t trust anyone who goes to a bar and doesn’t drink.” I only said that to my fellow drinking friends though. > > To me, you were what I called a “hydrator.” That guy who walks around displaying that he is drinking bottled water. Actually, I’m not. Most of the time when I go to a bar, I do drink. The one time I was given shit for not drinking was at a restaurant, not a bar, when I just didn’t feel like having a drink. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/104 "2008-11-24T22:02:42Z")
> [@neutron\_star](#): > > I usually smoke in well-ventilated areas so the smell doesn’t stick to me, and use Febreez for the smell that does. Also, Visine Advanced Relief (I don’t trust eyedrops unless they burn like hell) for the red-eye. Yeah, but this guy was outside…can’t really get more ventilated than that, right? And he still reeked of it. They should really make personal sized Febreeze! When I smoked, I would always keep a box of dryer sheets in the car. Right before I got to my destination, I would rub a sheet all over my clothes and hair. Not that I’m under any illusions that I totally got rid of the smell, but it did amazing smell removal on the hair! ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/105 "2008-11-24T23:22:25Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Yeah, but this guy was outside…can’t really get more ventilated than that, right? And he still reeked of it. They should really make personal sized Febreeze! When I smoked, I would always keep a box of dryer sheets in the car. Right before I got to my destination, I would rub a sheet all over my clothes and hair. Not that I’m under any illusions that I totally got rid of the smell, but it did amazing smell removal on the hair! [Here ya go.](http://www.propsandpans.com/2007/11/08/febreze-clears-the-air-on-the-go/) ---
**Author:** ![starryspice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@starryspice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starryspice)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/106 "2008-11-25T01:37:16Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > In real life, getting drunk is the whole point of drinking alcohol. Witness the lack of enthusiasm for alcohol-free “booze”. Wine drinkers like to deny this, but they’re full of it. :dubious: No, getting drunk is not the point (although it seems to be among your friends). Beer and wine serve very well as social lubricators, and tend to make people more relaxed and conversational. My parents, for example, had a beer or two every night so that they could wind down, relax and chat about their day. They sometimes got tipsy, but hardly ever drunk. Dinner parties are another example - people drink a glass or two of wine with and after dinner, and that’s it. Nobody needs to get drunk to have a good time. Anyway, it’s a lot harder to appreciate a good beer or wine if you’re drunk. (And FTR, alcohol-free beer is gross. Sparkling grape juice is pretty good, but lacks the sophisticated flavors of a good wine.) > [@mangeorge](#): > > Plus, back when I used to get high, when a joint was passed your way you could simply pass it along with hardly any comment from the peanut gallery. This surprises me. I’ve been in quite a few situations where friends have smoked pot, and every single time, I’ve been pestered about the fact that I don’t smoke. It makes them very uncomfortable to have me sit there and stay sober while they get high and laugh at things, despite the fact that I laugh too. I’ve actually tried smoking just to make them shut up, but didn’t get high, which made me really mad because here I was making an effort to fit in, and not only did I not get high, but my throat ended up hurting for the rest of the evening. To sum up, I hate pot. (And no, I don’t hang around those friends as often anymore.) As far as the matter of the OP, I think others have answered this pretty well. It’s rude to be empty-handed when everybody else is drinking. You don’t have to drink alcohol, or even soda. Why not just hold a glass of water? It’d be like going to a restaurant and not ordering food while your friends all ordered dinner. Wouldn’t you be uncomfortable in that situation? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/107 "2008-11-25T16:39:37Z")
> [@starryspice](#): > > This surprises me. I’ve been in quite a few situations where friends have smoked pot, and every single time, I’ve been pestered about the fact that I don’t smoke. It makes them very uncomfortable to have me sit there and stay sober while they get high and laugh at things, despite the fact that I laugh too. I’ve actually tried smoking just to make them shut up, but didn’t get high, which made me really mad because here I was making an effort to fit in, and not only did I not get high, but my throat ended up hurting for the rest of the evening. To sum up, I hate pot. (And no, I don’t hang around those friends as often anymore.) Surprises me too. I can’t recall ever being around someone that was using illegal drugs that didn’t try (usually multiple times) to get me to do it as well. Even people I had known for years that were aware that I didn’t wish to join them. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/108 "2008-11-25T17:00:50Z")
> [@starryspice](#): > > This surprises me. I’ve been in quite a few situations where friends have smoked pot, and every single time, I’ve been pestered about the fact that I don’t smoke. It makes them very uncomfortable to have me sit there and stay sober while they get high and laugh at things, despite the fact that I laugh too. I’ve actually tried smoking just to make them shut up, but didn’t get high, which made me really mad because here I was making an effort to fit in, and not only did I not get high, but my throat ended up hurting for the rest of the evening. To sum up, I hate pot. (And no, I don’t hang around those friends as often anymore.) Many/most people don’t get high the first time they smoke. The second time, they tend to get higher than they’ll ever get from pot even if they smoke it every day for the rest of their lives. I still remember the first time I smoked (and didn’t get high). The guys offering, who were known as the school badasses who didn’t give a fuck about anything and started smoking cigarettes in the 4th or 5th grade, actually asked me several times if I was _sure_ I wanted to try it, and emphasized that they weren’t trying to pressure me. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/109 "2008-11-25T17:38:40Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > Surprises me too. I can’t recall ever being around someone that was using illegal drugs that didn’t try (usually multiple times) to get me to do it as well. Even people I had known for years that were aware that I didn’t wish to join them. I had the opposite experience. I dated someone many years ago who used crystal, but hid it from me because he knew I didn’t do drugs. I reconnected with him years later and went to visit him. He and his friend got some crystal and didn’t bother hiding that from me. I said “can I look?” My friend got really protective and didn’t want me to even look at it, and under no circumstances consider trying it. Not that I would have; I just wanted to see what it looks like. He absolutely did not want me to share in what apparently was a problem for him. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/110 "2008-11-25T17:57:29Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I had the opposite experience. I dated someone many years ago who used crystal, but hid it from me because he knew I didn’t do drugs. I reconnected with him years later and went to visit him. He and his friend got some crystal and didn’t bother hiding that from me. I said “can I look?” My friend got really protective and didn’t want me to even look at it, and under no circumstances consider trying it. Not that I would have; I just wanted to see what it looks like. He absolutely did not want me to share in what apparently was a problem for him. Perhaps the dating part makes it different for people. I never dated anyone that used illegal drugs so I can’t speak to that. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/111 "2008-11-25T22:36:37Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > I mean, I believe that they couldn’t tell by how your were acting, but how did you get rid of the smell? The only thing I’ve ever found that worked for covering up the smell of weed smoke … was more smoke, but of the tobacco kind. Pipe tobacco not only covers up the smell better than cigs, but you will also hear lots of stories about peoples grandfathers. 🙂 The citrus febreeze worked OK, but not as well as tobacco smoke. I can sort of understand the OP, given that alcohol just puts me to sleep, so I got in the habit of filling beer bottles with water. Starryspice hits the nail on the head, it’s just like sitting at a table in a restaurant when everyone’s eating and you are not. Besides, I’m usually hanging around the garage/porch/basement/smoking area anyways … > [@starryspice](#): > > This surprises me. I’ve been in quite a few situations where friends have smoked pot, and every single time, I’ve been pestered about the fact that I don’t smoke. > [@Antinor01](#): > > Surprises me too. I can’t recall ever being around someone that was using illegal drugs that didn’t try (usually multiple times) to get me to do it as well. Even people I had known for years that were aware that I didn’t wish to join them. This seems strange to me. Weed is pretty cheap, especially compared to the more hardcore stuff, but it still costs money, and I’ve almost never seen more than a token offer of a joint to someone who didn’t want any. The one time I’ve seen pressure used was when someones girlfriend was receiving chemo, and wouldn’t try it “because it was illegal.” Far more common was the cry “OK, more for me!” ---
**Author:** ![starryspice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@starryspice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starryspice)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/112 "2008-11-25T22:49:32Z")
> [@neutron\_star](#): > > Many/most people don’t get high the first time they smoke. The second time, they tend to get higher than they’ll ever get from pot even if they smoke it every day for the rest of their lives. To clarify, I actually tried it twice. Neither time did I feel anything at all out of the ordinary (aside from my throat hurting like hell). If that’s the highest I ever get, that’s awfully disappointing. You know, another thought I had is that alcohol in its many forms is usually (but not always) familiar to people, as they grow up around it in one form or another, and they know its effects. Pot, on the other hand, is often first tried in high school and/or college and doesn’t have the same familiarity about it. One of the reasons I’m hesitant about smoking pot is because I don’t know what it will do to me, mentally or physically. For example, being a highly anxious person when fully sober, I was a little leery of the paranoia that’s often associated with pot. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/113 "2008-11-25T22:55:56Z")
> [@Mithrander](#): > > This seems strange to me. Weed is pretty cheap, especially compared to the more hardcore stuff, but it still costs money, and I’ve almost never seen more than a token offer of a joint to someone who didn’t want any. The one time I’ve seen pressure used was when someones girlfriend was receiving chemo, and wouldn’t try it “because it was illegal.” Far more common was the cry “OK, more for me!” To be fair, with at least one of the pot smokers it seemed like it was more that they forgot that I had said no several times already. So I can forgive that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/114 "2008-11-26T04:26:37Z")
> [@Mithrander](#): > > The only thing I’ve ever found that worked for covering up the smell of weed smoke … was more smoke, but of the tobacco kind. Pipe tobacco not only covers up the smell better than cigs, but you will also hear lots of stories about peoples grandfathers. 🙂 The citrus febreeze worked OK, but not as well as tobacco smoke. Yeah, this too. I smoke cigarettes, and I think that helps with the smell. > [@starryspice](#): > > To clarify, I actually tried it twice. Neither time did I feel anything at all out of the ordinary (aside from my throat hurting like hell). If that’s the highest I ever get, that’s awfully disappointing. Sometimes it actually takes three or even four times, but I’m guessing you don’t want to keep trying to find out. No biggie. > [@](#): > > You know, another thought I had is that alcohol in its many forms is usually (but not always) familiar to people, as they grow up around it in one form or another, and they know its effects. Pot, on the other hand, is often first tried in high school and/or college and doesn’t have the same familiarity about it. One of the reasons I’m hesitant about smoking pot is because I don’t know what it will do to me, mentally or physically. For example, being a highly anxious person when fully sober, I was a little leery of the paranoia that’s often associated with pot. This definitely varies. I’ve known tons of people who grew up with pot around and went on to smoke with their parents once they were in their 20s/30s. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/115 "2008-11-26T15:49:12Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > To be fair, with at least one of the pot smokers it seemed like it was more that they forgot that I had said no several times already. So I can forgive that. 😃 I forget, does marijuana interfere with your short term memory? 🙂 > [@neutron\_star](#): > > Sometimes it actually takes three or even four times, but I’m guessing you don’t want to keep trying to find out. No biggie. For me it was the third time, the first two times I could have gotten higher by holding my breath and spinning. The third time was mindblowing, and I’ve never even come close to being that high ever since. Obviously, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/116 "2008-11-26T16:31:18Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > I have no idea what you are talking about. All of my friends either drink, or smoke weed, or both, and none of us give a fuck about what the other’s chosen form of recreation is. Of course, if you go to a party where there are people you don’t know, I can see this might happen. As for me, I just don’t go to, or quickly leave, those sorts of parties. Hmmm. First you say you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you tell me exactly how you avoid that very same thing (those sorts od parties). ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/117 "2008-11-26T16:37:35Z")
> [@neutron\_star](#): > > [Here ya go.](http://www.propsandpans.com/2007/11/08/febreze-clears-the-air-on-the-go/) Febreze is one of those things that work. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/118 "2008-11-26T16:48:09Z")
> [@starryspice](#): > > No, getting drunk is not the point (although it seems to be among your friends). Beer and wine serve very well as social lubricators, and tend to make people more relaxed and conversational. My parents, for example, had a beer or two every night so that they could wind down, relax and chat about their day. They sometimes got tipsy, but hardly ever drunk. Dinner parties are another example - people drink a glass or two of wine with and after dinner, and that’s it. Nobody needs to get drunk to have a good time. Anyway, it’s a lot harder to appreciate a good beer or wine if you’re drunk. (And FTR, alcohol-free beer is gross. Sparkling grape juice is pretty good, but lacks the sophisticated flavors of a good wine.) I don’t understand. You deny getting drunk, then go on to describe these people getting drunk! Others here have done the same thing. “Lubricated” is drunk. That’s what “drunk” means, affected by alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/119 "2008-11-26T16:52:52Z")
I wonder how alcohol use was viewed during prohibition. Was it similar to how pot use is viewed? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005/120 "2008-11-26T17:37:38Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I wonder how alcohol use was viewed during prohibition. Was it similar to how pot use is viewed? Why is spinning yourself in a circle till you fall over so socially acceptable, and alcohol evil? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-alcohol-use-so-socially-acceptable-required-and-pot-evil/474005.md?page=7)