iDA – Job (FR) from iDA on Vimeo.

When the lama contacted me about spreading the word on a campaign, I was cautious. Not to want to sound contrary, but I’m not going to put advertising in the content of my blog.

Well, I’m willing to sell out on this one: it’s a campaign to highlights the effects of too much alcohol – a subject i feel strongly about.

I’m not completely against drinking: i like good beer, good wine with a meal, i can enjoy a cocktail. It’s a social drug, if used with measure. But there’s the catch. Not everyone can keep it in check.

Turns out I have had a few casualties of drink in the family. So I’ve seen the effects of a lifetime of hard drinking up close. Not pretty.

Then I’ve spent a few years in Scotland. Where it’s a sign of manhood to get rats-arsed (their term) at least once a week. And don’t get me wrong, women have to prove they’re real men too, we are now equal, after all.

In Belgium, there’s still some stigma attached to being extremely drunk in public – which is clearly what this campaign is counting on, the feelings of shame. In Scotland, not so much.

I’ve seen intelligent, grown men talk with the voice of a 10-year old, leaning against a wall because they couldn’t stand up. Or lying in a pool of vomit. Or fighting. Heard many stories about waking up in some random person’s bed.

And you know what ? They don’t remember. Their warped brain rationalizes anything they do remember (“i just had a drink with some friends”, “we just had a little fun”, “you should let your hair down sometimes”). They don’t get hurt as much as the people who care for them.

Because when you see someone in that state, it’s heartbreaking. It’s hard to retain any form of respect. And of course, the next day, there’s promises. Yes, i went overboard. Won’t happen again.

And then, next time, bam. It takes only a nudge, if that, to get the ball rolling. The hours go by, and you can only guess when you’ll see them again, or in what state.

So fuck binge drinkers (pardon my french). They’re wrecking their nervous systems, by 35 their hands have a tremor, their speech is not what it used to be, their faces are red. But they’re not paying the price, at least not until it’s too late.

You can support the campaign by using their videos in your blog or becoming fan of the Facebook group.

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