There is ultra puritanic abstitential strain on HN.
Not a sarcasm, last week there was a person fully seriously that alcohol is as addictive as heroin. I am not exaggerating and it did not seemed as wink wink trolling either.
From a European perspective, America has a strange attitude to drinking, not just HN.
On one hand, America has counties where you can't buy alcohol at all, laws banning 20-year-old adults from buying alcohol, planning laws keeping pubs away from where people live, and even had a national alcohol ban at one time.
On the other hand, apparently the age laws are widely flouted? And everyone knows it but turns a blind eye? And drink-driving is so common that even if you kill someone, it's barely punished?
> On the other hand, apparently the age laws are widely flouted? And everyone knows it but turns a blind eye? And drink-driving is so common that even if you kill someone, it's barely punished?
In my experience, it perfectly describes Europe too. Maybe not drink-driving being common in all countries, but age laws being ignored is something I find normal.
If anything, in USA they make much much bigger deal over age laws then in Europe.
I would say given the age range on here (informally feels like majority ~35-45) there are also probably a lot of reformed alcoholics on HN. I wouldn’t say it’s as addictive as heroin, but is more dangerous in some ways (heroin withdrawal sucks but won’t kill you; alcohol withdrawal will.)
Personally, alcohol is related to some traumatic experiences so I don’t like feeling remotely drunk. I definitely had a problem when I quit.
Not a sarcasm, last week there was a person fully seriously that alcohol is as addictive as heroin. I am not exaggerating and it did not seemed as wink wink trolling either.