>Angela Philipps, Gleaner Writer

How many of you feel that you need to have a drink, alcoholic, that is, to relax and loosen you up? How often do you tell your friends, "I'm going to get drunk tonight"? In fact, are you able to get through an evening on the town without sipping a drop of beer, wine, rum, vodka, or the like?

It's true that alcohol lowers one's inhibitions, but to what extent is this fact a good thing? Can too much actually bring on a sequence of bad consequences?

When I was a teenager, I did drink to get tipsy, at the very least. I liked the taste, but most of all I enjoyed the sensation of utter release. I guess peer pressure, even though I didn't see it that way at the time, was a part of why I wanted to guzzle down daiquiris on a weekend road trip with my friends. However, it seemed to me that it was a rite of passage.

Habits

Mostly, these typical teenage habits didn't really get me into trouble. Yes, it induced me to kiss a few boys at parties, but things never got out of hand or went beyond that. And, perhaps, if I had been sober, I would not have had the courage to do all the flirting that I did, which, by the way, was a heck of a lot of fun! Somehow, I managed to always stay in control of my moral grounds.

There were some regrets among my posse of girlfriends, not altogether catastrophic, but the wishing to turn back the clock! For instance, I remember a group of us heading out a few nights after one of my friends had locked lips with this fellow who the rest of us didn't know. As soon as she clapped eyes on him she gave a yelp. Let's just put it this way ... he wasn't exactly a 'looker'! Needless to say, this fate ended up happening to each of us at one point in our young lives.

Which brings me to our 20s, when we believed the world was ours. We were mature women now, we had started careers, and we were in the know about men! Or so we thought. I think this was an age when the taboo of sex was lessened and we were more likely to have a one-night stand. Unfortunately, those who did do this acted under the 'affluence of incohol' ... sorry I got my 'mords wuddled'! Seriously though, receiving that phone call full of tears, from your best gal, is no picnic. It's gutting, as well as frightening, to hear that a sensible and intelligent human being can be affected in such a negative way by a beverage.

Different make-up

I don't mean to leave men out of this, but they don't appear to really care about their actions which are 'caused' by drinking. The following day, rather than beating themselves up over their stupidity, they are more likely to be laughing and patting one another on the back! A different make-up of a person, I suppose. That being said, I have witnessed my male friends jesting about wearing 'beer goggles'. These are not glasses that have brand names of ales written across the top, of course!

It's not my intention to tell all you single lasses out there that you must absolutely never drink alcohol, nor do I want to frighten you about what it can make you do if you consume more than you are able to handle. What I really mean to say is that you should be aware of the feelings it can give you. If you're not used to it, then start by sharing the experience with a small collection of close friends.

When you're ready to be on the party scene, make a pact with them all that each of you will be looking out for one another. Try and be the voice of reason for the one who looks as if she might get into a bit of trouble. Alcohol might be blurring her vision, but don't let it blur yours!

angelaphilippsja@hotmail.com.