Liquor has been loved by a lot of people throughout human history. It has been with us when we are happy, sad, or lonely like our friend or spouse. Even in our society, it has been used to congratulate and condole company union members or university students at various parties, festivals, etc. So someone has called it the "kiss of an angel," yet it can also be called the "allure of the devil," because excessive drinking causes a lot of serious problems--physically, mentally, and socially. These days, our wrong drinking culture is raising a problem for individuals and our society.
        Our main problems are to offer liquor to a person who doesn't want to drink and to drink too much. As an extreme example, some innocent students who were forced to drink too much liquor by seniors at orientation died of heavy drinking. No one shouldered the responsibility for these regrettable deaths, because they were thought to be our traditional practice. So far, I have drunk not to destroy the atmosphere and not to be outsider, without my choice or will. Furthermore, it is not only my case. I understand the wish of people who offer drinks to other people because they want to mix with them. However, they have to respect other people's choice about if they want to drink or not and their drinking capacity. To people who have poor liver function, it is dangerous to drink too much liquor. I wish drinkers would understand if non-drinkers drink beverages like Coke or soda instead of liquor. This could prevent incidents like those above.
        Also, generally, Koreans drink too much. There is a large drinking population in Korea, and the amount of consumption of liquor in Korea is very large. Though we sometimes experience drinking liquor in middle school or high school, it is in university that we drink it in earnest. When we go to orientation, professors and seniors offer freshmen drinks in order to get to know and become familiar with each other. That night, they spend a wild time drinking, talking, singing and dancing. Though this time is so important and useful, a problem is that such drinking habits continue at welcoming parties for freshmen, MTs, club meetings, and other meetings.
        Sometimes it seems we meet to drink rather than drink to meet. We usually empty the first glass in one gulp. Then we drink several more glasses quickly one by one in turn. We call this "surfing." Sometimes people don't finish their meeting in one place. They move to another bar and drink more. To some drinkers, three rounds is fundamental, so it makes them drink a lot and to be late coming home. Therefore, their families have to wait for them until late at night. Naturally, the next day, they suffer sickness due to drinking, and their efficiency of work decreases. Sometimes when we drink, we mix different kinds of alcohol. We say it is a liquor "bomb." As you know, because the percentage of alcohol in a drink like that is very high, it is really bad for our health.
        Such drunken people might injure themselves or other people or be injured by other people. If we continue to overdrink ourselves, it causes dangerous diseases like hepatitis, cancer of the esophagus or mouth, and so on. Alcoholism as a result of chronic intemperance makes it impossible to live a normal life.  Drunken people could suffer accidents like traffic accidents, or might be targeted by pickpockets, because they are so drunk that they can't keep themselves steady, so pickpockets can easily pick their pockets. Also, bad taxi drivers have even been known to snatch money from intoxicated people after assaulting them. Drunken driving is another important social issue, and it’s harm is serious. Due to it, the loss of lives and fortune is considerable. According to authorities' investigation, drinking has a deep connection with assaults or other crime. In cases that husbands assault wives, about 50% were after drinking, and most murders occurred after drinking, too. Also the loss of efficiency at work is big.
        Our loss due to our drinking culture is too heavy. However, our consciousness about excessive drinking seems not to be serious. We think people have to be able to drink liquor. We are proud of heavy drinking, so, sometimes, people compete to see who drinks more. They are likely to think it is tough and sociable to drink much liquor, and some people seem to think they can't enjoy life without drinking. They must change their thought, though. Heavy drinking should not be a source of pride.
        If we drink moderately, it is good for the health, but it’s poison to drink too much. It gives us health problems; moreover, there are other losses and dangers associated with heavy drinking. There is a saying that warns about the harm of excessive drinking: "At first, a person drinks liquor, but later, liquor drinks a person." It depends on ourselves whether we drink liquor or are drunk by liquor. We have the key, and it is simply "moderation." Let's lead a desirable drinking culture through moderation.