Your thoughts about alcohol.

[thylasos]

It's fine, man. Don't lecture your mates, if you're tempted. If you're not up for it, naturally, don't bother with it. However, you might find you view changing as you get older.

I started roughly the same time, and it's a new thing to your friends, naturally they're kind-of taken with it. Every other weekend sounds fine, really. As far as I remember, I'd be at the pub every friday with the chaps and a couple of lasses. No harm done.

I'd ask where they're drinking, though.

I mean, is this the UK we're talking about? It's better to be in the back room of a small pub, really. I had my cider in the park days, but the pub's safer and the landlord'll pop his head round the door if the rozzers are going to pop in.

 

[Shotgunjack1880]

Dude all that shit come with y'all being 15 and immature as hell. They'll grow out of it (hopefully, some people dont and we call those people losers) As for me I started drinking at 14 years old and i still partake of the barley pop(beer) and distilled spirits. Alcohol isn't bad inherently. Its how you control yourself and your consumption of it that define whether you should partake of it or not. Go have a beer, or dont. Doesn't matter. (Though watching drunk assholes fall down is funny) Don't be worried about it, and don't listen to stupid bullshit propaganda either. Alcohol is like a gun, if your holding it and you die, it was your fault.

 

[Varrdy]

Speaking as someone who first got served in a pub at 15 and was never ID'd anywhere until I went to the USA (aged 25) I have done a fair amount of drinking in my (short) time.

While I agree that getting so shit-faced you can't even see is not social at all, especially if they wind up puking on the floor / in the flowerbed / down the landlord's trousers / etc. "Social" drinking is where you have a few beers (or whatever) in the company of your friends, just enough to lower inhibitions so you can cut loose, forget your stresses and just have a good laugh with each other without things getting out of hand.

I am loathe to use the word "encouraged" by my parents always used to urge me to go out with my friends to the pub (this was before I left for Uni) rather than stay in, faffing around on my PlayStation. Being "social" was the key but when I was younger, I too thought the way to prove my manliness was to drink until I fell over with lager pouring out my ears. Although I look back and think that I really used to over-do it, sometimes you have to in order to learn.

One of these days your friends, if they haven't already, will drink so much that they wake with the Mother and Father of all hangovers and be really ill. It happened to me and it happens to us all - pain / Discomfort is a good teacher!

Simply drinking a lot is not mature.

Drinking so much that your sweat registers 4% ABV is not social.

Not that I am suggesting you are, I would avoid being too sanctimonious or snobby about the issue, especially in front of them as you don't want to be labelled as the grouch. If you really don't want to drink then don't, simple as that. Moderation is the key if you want to and there are many ways to "cheat" if you want to appear that you are keeping up but don't want to get too mullered.

Wardy

 

[__Anarchy__]

Dont be pressured into anything, but my advice is to try it once, if you like it you like it if you dont you dont, im 16 and i personaly love alcohol (no pre mixers only straight from some reason) but just dont get into the straight spirits hard and drink in a safe place, dont wander the streets, jesus you only live once you might as well try.

 

[latenightapplepie]

snip

I'd suggest trying it sometime. You might like it. Sure you might throw up/pass out/grope someone/lose a tooth but that's all part of life's rich tapestry.

If you really don't want to, that's fair enough. Just don't become a moralising, preachy, embittered teetotaller. Those people are lame and won't get invited to parties.

 

[DazZ.]

Oh one last thing, I myself have never gotten wasted or anything like that at all so I would like to hear about who is right in my scenario, Me or my friends?

I've found not judging things harshly until you've tried them is a good idea. Certainly seeing as you're calling them ignorant.

Edit: I probably should have read the thread before typing, oh well just +1 to this view.

 

[Jazzyjazz2323]

I LIKE IT I LOVE IT GIVE ME MORE OF IT!
I enjoy alcohol a lot,I own 3 bottles of wine 2 times older than I am and I got my friend a bottle of 18 year old scotch for his birthday.I can drink vodka like water and if I can get someone to buy me drinks at a bar(underaged!)I'll always get a martini or three.I really enjoy drinking though I never drink more than maybe a glass or two by myself.

 

[Togs]

Its just a phase kids go through, I know I did- you discover how to get hold of booze and go nuts, drinking yourself stupid and thinking your all grown up for doing so, its just learning your limits and experimenting, you soon realise how stupid your being and mellow out only to do it all again when you discover bud or whatnot some years later.

Also this is gonna sound like me being a real arsehole but asking who is "right" is really not the way to go about it and makes you sound a little self superior, they're enjoying themselves and not harming anyone, just because its not for you doesnt mean you can start lording over them and naming yourself their moral superior.

 

[s0p0g]

well, i'd say you said everything that needs to be said yourself, so...
congratulations

as you observed yourself, many aren't capable of accepting things as they are (for example, not mature (not even close)) or maybe even seeing them for what they are;
you are not one of those many
and yes, that might things hard for you one time or another, but in general, that's just the way to go.

keep it up

that's all what's there to say

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I've drunk enough to know that;

A) I don't like the taste of alcohol and,
B) I don't like the sensation of drunkenness.

I dislike the drink and I dislike being around drunk people. It's one of the reasons I have so few friends. Anyway, if you don't like drinking then find some new friends. You said you're 15 right? Not everyone your age is going to spend their weekends drunk.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

it helps confidence, these people clearly have issues, but are dealing with it the easy way.

for example, if u like a girl but dont want to embarrass yourself, go to a party with both of you attending and get mildly drunk, then see what happens.

maybe u should try going to one of these parties and get mildly drunk, it will make u feel better (just dont over do it ).

 

[Jonluw]

They also say that they are very social when they are drunk but I doubt that lying wasted on the floor or barely standing on their own is "social".

You don't have to get wasted whenever you drink though. It's all about moderation. I, for example, normally have a really hard time being social. Before I started drinking, I would normally only sit there, observing, when I was at a party. It got really depressing to see all the other people having fun while I was sitting there in the couch all by myself, not being able to reach out to anyone.
However, after a few drinks, I am somehow magically relieved of most all my social problems. I can easily talk to people, I get less of a problem with physical contact, and silences don't feel awkward.

However, I do think 15 is too early to start drinking. Most 15 year olds aren't mature enough to handle drinking responsibly. They will normally drink past their comfort zone in order to brag about it to their friends. This type of person, incidentally, is a kind I hate.

Edit: As for what you can do about it... There's nothing you can do. Morons will be morons. If they try to pressure you into drinking, you should just decline; but in case you can't bring yourself to refuse: If you do not want to get drunk, but still feel you have to drink something because of pressure; try to stand up and move around while you're drinking. I had the strangest experience a while back, you see. I was drinking while standing/walking around the house of a friend. It came to the point where I had drunk an amount that I knew should have made me rather inebreated. Enough so that I should have a bit of trouble standing on one foot. However, I was completely sober. I tried testing it by balancing on one foot, touching my nose and doing pirouettes up a staircase. Everything went swimmingly.
So, try to move about and drink water if you are pressured into drinking.

Tl;Dr: You shouldn't drink because "it's cool", or to feel like an adult. You should drink because you enjoy it, and you should do it in an environment where you are comfortable. A good idea might be finding someone who can actually enjoy drinking in moderation, and drink with them. Perhaps have some cheese and wine. (Stay off the blue cheese though. That stuff tastes horrible.)

 

[GeorgW]

To drink just to get drunk is pretty stupid. I've only done it once when me and my friends had a fighting game tournament, and wanted to lower our reflexes for fun. We didn't drink much, I could barely feel it and I drank the most. We just lowered the reflexes of the better players to give the others a chance.

 

[Edorf]

While I know I'm still a minor (16-17) I dont care much for beer or other forms of alcohol. It's not an issue with availability... I know atleast 5 ways I could get my hands on some beer within two hours. I just dont think beer tastes good at all, I have tried different brands, but you know... They're all beer.

I guess I'm more of a wine person, but I would never drink it for the sole reason of getting pissed.

and for this reason, I dont see a point to go out drinking.

 

[the rye]

I'm 19 and i drink mostly in moderation and usually wine, it can become a rather destructive device if a level of control isn't maintained (obviously).

I do tend to drink more when i get an anxiety attack, but i've never drunk as much to make me pass out.

I do drink with friends but its usually in moderation and whilst eating cheese, most people i know are iregular drinkers so alchol has never been pushed on me by peer pressure.

 

[Red Right Hand]

There's a difference between getting drunk and getting wasted. In my experience alcohol can be very fun until you hit the "wasted" mark. Where sypmtoms include vomit, falling and hurting yourself(though you don't realise it at the time, it's an absolute ***** the next morning.) and potentially acting like a total twat. I've experienced all of those and it's not fun. I would seriously suggest though that you try it before judging them. Hell for all you know you might love it. You can't really say what you like and don't like before you've tried it.

 

[smithy_2045]

Alcohol is good as long as you're not stupid about it.

 

[LornMind]

Drinking is fine as long as you're being responsible.

 

[Blitzwarp]

Okay here's the deal: I'm 15 and I have an "issue". My friends have now started to drink alcohol, and i mean quite alot, they go out almost every weekend and hangs out at some buddy's house and drinks. I don't really care about them wasting their bodies, but what i Do care about is that they are living a lie saying that they are very mature drinking loads of beer and whatnot. They also say that they are very social when they are drunk but I doubt that lying wasted on the floor or barely standing on their own is "social". I'd rather be staying at home rather than getting wasted and pretend to be someone else.

MTE. I also think excessive alcoholism is just a waste of money and brain cells. :/ I know you feel a bit like the odd one out right now (I know I did at that age at school) but you're doing the right thing standing your ground and not going with the mob mentality.
Don't hang out with these people any more. You clearly don't like them, and they don't sound like they care about you, so don't hang around them. Period.

 

[Blitzwarp]

Maybe you should get them some kind of help, or tell their parents what's going on.

I felt like crap throughout my high schooling years and I never knew why, I'd suddenly feel reckless, I'd do really stupid things, I'd spend my money on absolute garbage on a whim. I'd feel like crap, then I'd feel awesome and energetic and angry at the same time.

I did drugs for reasons I never even knew, I drank, I got into fights and I stole things I didn't even need or want. All my friends thought I was just a rebellious teen doing it to be cool.

Then I was diagnosed as bipolar, apparently in many mental illnesses it's quite common to act this way.

It's not just mental illnesses, they could have some problems at home or be generally depressed about something.

This is why you shouldn't write it off as *They are just being idiots* because you could be wrong and there might be a serious problem at hand.

You should definitely tell either your parents or your friends parents that your friends are doing this. From your post it doesn't seem like you like them at all, yet you still refer to them as your friends, so there's something. Even if there isn't anything wrong with them and they are just doing it to be cool, there's the chance they are legitimately having problems and don't know how to ask for help (or think they don't need to).

Or, you could find yourself new friends and ignore them.

The choice is yours I suppose.

EDIT: I'm kind of shocked that nobody has posted something along these lines yet, considering my story and experience is DEFINITELY not unique on this website.

To be honest, this kind of behaviour is run of the mill in the UK at the moment. I'd say 90% of the people I knew at university behaved like this, and had done since they were 15-16. At school there were those who used to turn up drunk in class at the age of 13 - not isolated cases, sometimes whole groups. You could blame peer pressure I suppose - most of them thought (and still think) that they look cool doing it.