To be able to drink beer in a healthy way, you need joy and self-control. If you lack the feeling of self-control, if you can’t say no when friends insist, you run the risk for trouble with alcohol later in life. That’s why European experts, like Prof. Jan Snel (University of Amsterdam), believe that it’s important for young people to learn at an early age to handle alcohol. Beer in a family environment is the ideal tool to teach young people this control of oneself in relation to other stuff like drugs, cigarettes, music, sex, gambling, extreme sports, … Find the force within yourself to be able to say NO at one point. If your kids are responsible with beer, there is a far greater chance they will be responsible with the other dangerous stuff in life. This is proven in many studies all around the world, that people who are able to deal with beer in a moderate fashion, are the same people with the greatest self-control towards all aspects of life.

One who has learned to make independent decisions has competence and has self-discipline. This is also called self-regulation and it is a source of pride and joy. Self-regulation during beer consumption means that you go after the positive effects: joy, a feeling of emotional connection, better relations with others, maintaining a good mood, open conversations, laughter, good health … These results are only attainable with ‘normal’ beer consumption, which means moderate consumption. This style of dealing with beer is very functional. The knowledge and feeling that one is able to handle beer in a responsible matter is a source of joy, which reinforces the joy brought by the beer itself. These positive effects will again stimulate the ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’ attitude towards beer.
Newsletter june / July 2003