General Interest > Tacitus' Realm

Alcohol use in Europe vs the United States

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none-ya:

--- Quote ---Oscar wrote;
The goal is to make them socializing - not drunk.
--- End quote ---

So why not socialize over snooty European coffee?


--- Quote ---Nerds become accepted because once people start to talk they learn what they can get of information from the nerds to improve their grades.
--- End quote ---

So the nerds (smart kids) got to tutor the drunks?


--- Quote ---So every student know that alcohol drinkers are safe and those who don't drink needs to be reported to the authorities. Every single firm in Denmark got a letter last year warning us to look after co-workers who act "undanish". I guess the schools have received such a letter also
--- End quote ---

What makes alcohol drinkers safe? And those who don't drink should be snitched on? To whom? The pro drunk committee? Is this really the Danish way?  This is farcical. I mean this would make great satire.  Except I'm afraid it's not. And that's fuckin' scary!

Oscar:
I am sorry that you find our culture scary. I guess that there is price to pay for Denmark to be called "The happiest nation in the world" as Oprah stated.

Source: OPRAH ON LOCATION: THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE ON EARTH

psy:
None-ya. It's precisely the European attitude towards drinking that prevents overreactions that land kids in programs.  Also by teaching kids to drink responsibly as they grow up, they don't binge and behave irresponsibly as they often do on reaching college in the states.  If you make something taboo, or imply it's associated only with "grown-ups" you make it desirable, and without instruction on responsibility, that's dangerous.  Alcohol dependence, when it happens, is generally treated as a medical problem by medical professionals, and not by a bunch of religious fruitcakes taking instruction from a guy who thought he saw god nearly a century ago while he was tripping balls on Belladonna.  I think Europe has exactly the right idea.

As to the whole deal with reporting people who act "un-danish".  I might not agree with that completely, but I can see where they're coming from.  Europe is not like the States.  In the States the general policy towards immigrants is "you're all welcome, come bring your culture to the melting pot".  In Europe, you're expected to assimilate into the native culture and failure to do so is...  Well it's frowned upon.  We're talking about small countries like Denmark where a flood of immigration from another culture could easily replace the native one.  They don't want that, so they do their best to pass laws or whatever to make sure the people behave in a manner that's consistent with the local culture.  In France, the state funds and supports French musicians and culture and so forth in an effort to stave off Hollywood.  It doesn't really work, but they try.  I'm not sure the Denmark thing will work either.  If they're trying to weed out terrorists by those who don't drink...  it sounds like a good idea on paper, but fundamentalist Muslims intent of martyrdom are not above having a drink to throw the authorities off their scent.

none-ya:
"Drink responsibly?" That's an oxymoronic slogan brought to you the alcohol companies. If people drank only until their blood alcohol level was .08 or less, Those companies would go out of business.  And if someone drinks every day, the body grows dependent on it. That's the definition of addiction. Culture has nothing to do with it. Simply biology.  Tell me Psy, have you ever tried to learn something while drunk? Beer served in high school? Only the devil's advocate can defend that position. Just because a culture is older,doesn't make it better.

ps. This doesn't mean that I support Janice's kidnapping and incarceration.  Between  her parents and her boyfriend, she didn't have a chance.

blombrowski:
In a culture where the companies making the alcohol (i.e. local wine and beer distributors) don't have enough of a market share to benefit from mass-consumption, and the advertisement of alcohol (and probably just about everything else) is regulated more than in the United States, parents have far more control in setting up the mores that drive alcohol consumption than they do in the States.

Anheiser-Busch and Miller Brewing Company are not in their marketing efforts disimilar to the tobacco companies.  It's in their business strategy to target youth to become loyal binge-users of their brand.  In America alcohol companies can have an impact alcohol drinking culture.  I imagine it's far different in Denmark.

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