Alcohol and Jews

Al Anon works for the family & friends of Alcoholics. For those who think it can't happen to them... you will get over the shock when it does. But you won't be the same. It can start when they are 13 yrs old or 17 years old. Hopefefully you can try to prevent it. Sometimes you can't. But prayer can help. It is the challenge of challenges. Lots of tears. And you aren't alone.

Aclohol is a drug like it or not.

"Wine" has the same Hebrew Gematria (letters have numerical value) as the word for "secret." This is ambiguous. Have too much and all your secrets come out. Use it for a good purpose, and maybe the Divine Secret is revealed to you

Have you looked at the Jewish newspapers & weekly magazines lately? Wine ads literally start at the front of the newspaper & go through till the last page!
Maybe those ads can take a clue from cigarette ads & become few & far between.
It's a start!

If ever a bad message was sent it was the vote in Colorado and Washington State to make Marijuana legal. Society will long be negatively affected by making it legal and our youth are ill served by the forces that promoted the vote, the Democ-rats. I enjoy a good glass of wine many evenings but that's in no way comparable to marijuana which is both a gateway and addictive drug. Shame!

Seems to me in the Christian world in Europe where the majority of Jews lived heavy drinking was not a serious issue for most Jews. Since the 60's both drug and alcohol abuse have been an issue and in the problem is serious.If heavy drinking was limited to adults on Purim and Simchat Torah with a shot or two for teens that would probably be OK and would be a vast improvement over the status quo. Many people drink regularly and responsibly a couple of glassed of wine Shabbos eve and maybe a lchaim or two at Kiddush. Unfortunately it seems too many take it too far and need to get it under control. that's true here in Israel as well. If one can't drink in moderation and wants help AA is great option for many.

,Rabbi, Alcohol is everywhere. The soccer moms carry vodka in their water bottles. It's clear and who would know? The 'ladies' have a glass of wine with dinner...... except it's an entire bottle. There are people who say a glass of wine is good for you. I don't know anyone who has ONE 4 ounce glass of wine everyday for their health. The men drink way too much, but after all it's OK. He is happy, sad, tired, anxious, or it's an occassion. There is always an excuse. And you can be sure of this........ If anyone has to have alcohol at any of the places you mentioned in your video, then they have a problem.. It is never appropriate to serve alcohol when there are children present. The very idea of it's OK to drink or to get drunk on Purim is disgusting. It's never OK to drink too much.

I was utterly disgusted at a seder I attended a few years ago, as I watched about 8 teens get drunk while their parents looked on. My children were a bit younger and I stopped them from drinking more than 4 small cups of wine.

I disagree with this commenter who says it's never appropriate to serve alcohol when children are present. It's inappropriate to serve it TO children. What we need are adults who are willing to be adults and say "no" to those who are underage, with the exception of a small amount of wine for Kiddush, seders, etc.
I would also add that the day schools should be in the loop on this and include drug & alcohol education in the curriculum, just as public schools are required to do in many places in the U.S.

Teenagers and kids emulate what they see.
Someone brave needs to begin a new campaign, and we'll start small: PWA--Purim Without Alchohol!
Oooohhhhh....wouldn't THAT look different!

Rabbi--Alcoholism in the Jewish community has ALWAYS been a problem. We have traditionally minimized and laughed it off, but it is not a new issue by any means. Sadly, we Jews have traditionally been smug when it comes to the issue of problem drinking. I've heard people say: "We Jews don't drink. We eat instead."