Drink Responsibly-- What Does That Really Mean?

Advertisements for alcohol products invariably manage to sneak in the disclaimer, "Drink Responsibly." Recently, I lectured to a group of high schoolers and we began to analyze exactly what that means. Bless their pointed little heads, one of them said, "It means that if you get drunk and hurt someone, you are responsible."

Irresponsible drinking is nothing new. I suppose Bacchus himself found a way to do wine keg stands or shotgun a cheap Chianti. The electronic age, however, has taken this to a new level. All you have to do is search YouTube and you will find all kinds of irresponsible ways to use alcohol, including vodka enemas, snorting vodka, drinking flaming shots, etc.

This video I found very interesting. It is well made and particularly clear with its step-by-step approach to shotgunning beer. It is interesting that they give their own disclaimers:

1. Drinking beer quickly can get you intoxicated faster. Drink Responsibly

2. Drinking beer this way can be extremely dangerous. The beer will be forced into the throat under pressure. If the beer isn't swallowed fast enough it will be aspirated into the lungs resulting in extreme choking or possibly death due to what is known as a dry drowning.

3. Be careful when putting your mouth on the opening you cut in the can. It can be very sharp and cut you if you're not careful.

Kinda makes me want to run right out and buy a six-pack of diet coke and give it a try!

Remeber, don't try this at home, kids. You could get hurt!