The topic for the 30 Day Blogging Challenge is “my views on drugs and alcohol.” (Some of these topics are a little random, but I’m enjoying the writing prompts that get me out of my comfort zone). So. As for drugs. I don’t do drugs, and even prescription drugs make me nervous (since an unpleasant experience with half a Vicodin in 2006, I didn’t even take the postpartum painkillers). But my stance on marijuana is a liberal one (legalize it), as is my stance on drug usage in general (addiction counseling/ rehab before criminalization). Addiction is a disease and in my opinion, prison is not the place for a first time drug offender. Help them get help. When that person is a family member or friend this will be so obvious.
As for alcohol. This image made me laugh. 
A good friend once gave me some great parenting advice. “A sane mommy is better than a perfect mommy.” This was in reference to the occasional glass of wine in the evenings (but applies in many other ways).
I love wine and it is absolutely one of my sanity-savers. It’s partly the substance and partly the ritual or symbol of a glass (or 4) of wine after a long day that makes the stress melt away. Whatever. I’m not ashamed of that. I’m a grown-ass woman. If you a grown up, and you aren’t going to get behind the wheel of a car after partaking, I have zero to say about someone choosing to drink.
I live in Utah and we have the world’s weirdest, most asinine alcohol laws. I think they’ve actually gotten better in recent years, but the UT legislature, with pressure from the LDS Church, continues to try to make it as inconvenient as possible for people to enjoy a legal substance. For instance; grocery stores can only sell beer (not even wine!), and the alcohol percentage is lower than the rest of the country (3.2 vs 5%+). Flavored malt beverages were recently removed from grocery stores after a new law was passed – the reasoning was that it was “tempting to kids” on grocery store shelves. Stronger beer and malt beverages can be sold in liquor stores only. The most ridiculous to me – if you are dining at a restaurant you cannot order a drink without ordering food, and they will not bring you your drink until your food is also coming out. It all seems like a push to make drinking seem inconvenient or shameful when you have every intention of being reasonable about it. No one goes to an Applebees to tear it up like a belligerent frat boy. It would be far too expensive and thus inefficient. 😉 It’s out of touch, and I dislike the moral policing on a legal activity. I love my state for many reasons, but it’s got its embarrassing and eyeroll-inducing quirks. I find that a glass of wine or two helps me feel better about them.
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