Thank you first of all for the sentiments regarding my aunt. Jo was a remarkable woman. And my uncle has never been the same. It snapped something in him that will likely never be right again. It's unfortunate; but, that's life, you never know what will come your way.
The questions regarding alcohol ought to be a no brainer. I drank like a fish for years. But I decided when I did or did not. I didn't need rehab to get away from it. I went from drinking a fifth every other night to not drinking at all - because it was a choice - not an addiction. After four years I went back to social drinking and decided there was nothing there for me. I put it down again and haven't had a drop since. And I don't care if I take another drink or not. It doesn't bother me either way. Now as to the particulars, Alcohol is non addictive by and large. Alcoholism is a predisposition - not. My mother's second husband - my first stepdad - was an alcoholic. He's dead. Wanna guess what killed him. My parents have both been married 4 times. There isn't much of anything I haven't seen or been affected by either through them or through their 12 brothers and sisters and their families. Add to that the families of all their other spouses and the world starts getting really small. I have a deceased stepdad that died of alcoholism and an uncle that died before I ever knew him - hit by a drunk driver and burned to death in his car on US 35 in middle indiana. Till two years ago, there was still a clearly visible burn mark in the concrete in the spot where his car burned. I could take you right to the spot where it happened. They finally repaved that section of the road and it is now no longer that visible. One now has to look at the police reports to spot the location that precisely - save for our family. My grandmother hasn't traveled on US 35 since that day and never again will. Alcohol has the possibility of being a nuisance. But should it be outlawed? I'd say if it was abused to the level that drugs are, yes. Pot smokers by and large smoke to get high. Alcohol users drink to relax and once in a while get drunk. The percentages of population are inequalities by comparison. It's a no brainer. Funny thing is that this is brought up as though it's an intelligent and equally footed issue. It isn't. But its interesting that most of the pot smokers I know abuse alcohol and were busted at least once for underage drinking. Propensity to violate the law for a thrill - hmm. Does that sound like reckless irresponsibility combined with rebellion. It's what put my buddy through five endos and landed him upside down in his big blue bomb in a cemetary. Yeah, he was drunk and speeding - go figure. Nature of the beast. Quote us some goofy math and tell us of the evils of alcohol. I need a good laugh.