By Rob Currie

“Drink Responsibly,” is in interesting instruction.  It comes directly from health professionals and government ministers – people who worry about the state of your liver, and how much it will cost to fix it respectively.  They are telling you to drink in moderation and, from a medical perspective, quite rightly too.  But can that instruction be interpreted differently?

Alcohol doesn’t just bother your liver – it also muddles your brain and lowers your inhibitions.  People tend to talk more freely and feel a bit braver than when sober.  A little Dutch courage and maybe you’ll be able to talk to the pretty girl in the corner.  On the other hand, you might find yourself telling your boss what you really think of him, or forgetting that your girlfriend’s coming round and the pretty girl’s still asleep in your bed…

But here’s a thought: does alcohol make us do stupid things, or does it actually allow us to break down the walls of etiquette and be the person we really are?  Are inhibitions a bad thing?  Is being honest with yourself and others a bad thing?  In any other context, the answer would of course be: no.  Perhaps Dutch courage is the proper state of things and sobriety is the actual failing.

Drink responsibly.  Undoubtedly, my philosophy doesn’t go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle but I have to wonder whether a shortened life is a fair price for a life well-lived.  I’m drunk right now, and in my heart I know the answer is Yes.  In my booze-induced state of honesty, I can say without doubt that it’s not only a fair price – it’s a bargain.