[~Kizwiz~]

From a young age I was introduced to alcohol. I was allowed a glass of wine with my sunday dinner and always got a bottle of babysham in my stocking at christmas. My parents believe in drinking responsibly and its worked. Yes as a teenager I drank to get drunk but its just a stage that most of us go through. Now I'm older i can say that i have only been really drunk about 3 times in the last year. I dont drink to get drunk now its nice to have a glass of wine when the kids go to bed or a cool beer but thats about it. I know my own limits, and that was learnt through trial and error And after my brother got me drunk on red wine and cider to celebrate the birth of our niece i can safely say my limit was met and went way over what it should have been. I know when to stop because I dont like the feeling of being out of control.

Underage drinking is on the rise and i'm not sure what we can do about it. Come down hard on the shops that sell it without asking for ID?? I think its about money, the more money kids have the more they want. Should we educate them in school?? i doubt thats going to happen. Kids wont listen.

Now as many of you have also said....... some people have addictive personalities. In one form or another this will manifest itself into an addiction. Be it alcohol, drugs, gambling, smoking, shopping or even sex but unfortunately its not until someone wants to help themselves that they can do anything about it.

Oh and yes I have known an alcoholic..... she was a very good friend of mine who I lost contact with when I moved away...... I tried to stop her but she was on a road to self distruction. She joked that she would never make 30.... she didnt. And there isnt a day that goes by that i dont think about her.