That is the dilemma.

That’s all it is, just another decision to make, just like millions of others we all face every day in high school. Like most propositions, it’s not a “black and white” issue that can be simplified to an argument of good vs. bad.

However, the dogmatic idea that choosing to abstain from alcohol is undoubtedly better than choosing to indulge, or vice versa, is clearly flawed. It depends on perspective- essentially, what one wants and values- because it really boils down to a personal, private decision.

No one set of moral principles is universally followed by everyone, and that concept applies to this situation as well.

Drinking does have inherent risks. Alcohol can cause death in excess; it has the capacity to be addictive and harmful to the body in a host of ways, and it certainly does increase the risk of someone doing something dumb.

Drinking also has inherent benefits. Alcohol is famous as a “social lubricant,” as its depressive properties can in moderation serve as an excellent relaxant, and, frankly, a bit of ethyl alcohol can allow someone to escape from reality for a while, if the need is present to that individual.

Thus, every time one chooses to drink, an he or she is making a personal decision concerning only their individual person, while weighing what he or she feels the risks are and whether the benefits outweigh the possible consequences.

I personally do not drink. But I have friends who do, and that’s fine by me.

We don’t both have to feel that drinking is overly dangerous, nor do we both have to judge that the benefits outweigh the risks. We can make our own decisions, and neither of our choices is necessarily wrong, they simply each stem from different, equally respectable values, desires, perspectives, and feelings.

In my mind,  if someone’s decision only affects themselves, he or she can’t really be wrong, and can’t really be guilty or at fault- as long as there is no unwillingly injured party.

The only time I would say someone can truly be “wrong” in their choice concerning alcohol is when their decision injures someone else, or puts someone else at risk of real, physical harm. The obvious example here is drinking and driving.

People can rightfully choose to drink; it’s their personal privilege to decide for themselves. But they can’t ethically elect to put someone else’s life and wellbeing in danger, and by driving while inebriated they are wrongfully creating a situation in which there is a high chance they will interfere with someone else’s right to life. And that sort of thing, to me, is what isn’t okay.

So, everyone, feel free to drink as much or as little as you like. Just please make sure you don’t force anybody else to pay for your choice.