Social lubricants

Every minute when making decisions, we aim to make the 'right' decision. What happens when the thought processes used to achieve this 'right' decision are so drastically influenced that the 'right' decision is very much out of kilter with reality?

I draft this note after attending a music festival at Bondi Beach over New Years Eve just gone.

Traditionally people chosing to have a big night out with the aim of having a good time have chosen alcohol as their chosen poison. Luckily alcoholic drinks come in a variety of different flavours and strengths to facilitate many tastes and situations. Since yeast was found to turn sugar into alcohol people have enjoyed fogging their minds in pursuit of enjoyment. The side effects of alcohol consumption range from relaxed happiness to collapsing in a puddle of your own spew and urine completely incompasitated. Worse than that drastic state is when that person effects others whether that be verbal abuse, physical abuse or using a car to ruin someones life. Alcohol would have to be one of the most regulated foods to ensure that people stay nearer the former state of happiness. Its probably one reason we must always line up and wait our turn to exchange money for that beautiful liquid. Also, alcohol being a valuable commodity, a big night out can really cost a lot of money.

In more recent times, those chosing to have a good time are chosing to use drugs of a variety of flavours and strengths to achieve that relaxed happiness. One pill, cheap, easy to source and administer, can provide that period of 'good times'. The side effects can be as drastic as those described for alcohol however the tendancy of drug users is to be far less aggressive. I pity the paramedics who constantly have to mop up the mess from irresponsible users of alcohol and drugs.

So the point i'm getting at without rattling on:

- There is little economical sense in chosing the 'right' choice of socially acceptable acohol use compared with using drugs.

- Drug users are generally far less aggressive compared with alcohol users

- Ease of use, although i'm not a user of drugs, seems to be easier with pills.

- All things are equal with respect to the clean up.

So, what is the right decision now? Do we consider these economical and practicle viewpoints or continue to encourage the 'wrong' decision by making the 'right' decision less attractive?