THAT EXTRA BOTTLE...

Guest Writer: Milliscent Maduagwu

Image Credit: International Beer Day

Ask them they'd tell you; ask the drunkard lying in that gutter; ask that club girl who is having a kidney problem or the guy that can't pay his children's school fees today, when only last night he had his pocket filled with his salary just before he entered that bar. Ask them and they'd all tell you the same thing; it's that extra bottle that took everything away.

Today is International Beer Day and though it's a global observance not yet recognized by the United Nations, it is still very important because it affects a vast majority of people on earth today. Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo once said, the average Nigeria Man that drinks, spends more money on beer than fuel, and no matter how funny that might sound, it is actually true to an extent. Or haven't you seen them before? Bankers, businessmen politicians, etc who invest the best part of their evenings in bars with many bottles on their table and spend the remaining part trying to navigate their way back home with dirty eyes. I've also seen youths destroy their fathers cars and get paralyzed after an accident because they were driving under the influence.

DUI(Driving Under the Influence) is a popular acronym in many developed and developing countries today, and it has claimed a lot of lives. Even celebrities and public figures have been linked to this acronym, and all this just gets me thinking; what is it about beer even?

Image Credit: daily bizzare

Despite the pot belly it gives to guys, and the banging headaches that drunkard gets from every hangover, they just keep drinking. Everyday we sing on the media, 'dont drink and drive'--yet people still do it. I just don't understand really. Most music videos these days don't help either, apart from the naked ladies shaking their whatever... The musicians in this generation have painted a picture depicting that it's okay to drink 'straight from the bottle'. In fact, they've made it look like it's a sign of affluence and wealth, and many people are trying to live out what we see in the videos...(it's just sad) I really think we need to revisit our value system.

On the other hand, Psychologists will tell you a couple of these people are suffering from addiction. But do we even value psychology in this part of the world? But the funny thing conflict I see in this issue is; beer isn't sweet, and excess of it can destroy some of your body organs, but why then do we still drink it? Even when we know it's not good for us? Questions, questions, questions... I hope we find the answers soon.

ABOUT OUR GUEST WRITER

Milliscent Maduagwu is an OAP at Nigeria Info Fm, and she shares her thoughts on happenings in the society on her blog Raising the Standard. you can follow her on twitter @millionscents

PARAGRAPHS FOR INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY 2013

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