From the author: The article was published in 2010 in the Mariupol newspaper “Illichivets-Health”. The article proposes a cultural alternative to drinking alcohol. Reprinted with minor additions. Sklyarenko V.R., Asaulyuk V.A. Healthy alternative to alcohol A few words about the mechanism of alcohol addiction Most anti-alcohol activities are based on stories about the harm alcohol brings to the body. However, intimidation technology often has the opposite effect. Many people turn on a “coping mechanism”, like “I can overcome this”, “my body is strong, I can handle it”, etc. Therefore, we have chosen a different approach; we do not scare, but explain the mechanism of dependence. The fact is that the body itself produces alcohol - internal ethanol. In terms of pure alcohol, the body of a healthy person produces about 60-80 ml of ethanol per day (i.e., about 120-150 ml of vodka). In response to the amount of ethanol produced, the body produces the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which decomposes ethanol into glucose and water. Glucose, entering the blood, gives energy, a person feels a surge of strength and good mood. That is why, when taking vodka in an amount of 100-150 ml, a healthy person simply gets in a better mood, and if the vodka is good, then the next day you won’t have a headache. If a person drinks more alcohol, the body is unable to produce the required amount of alcohol dehydrogenase and then the alcohol decomposes into acetone and ketones, poisoning occurs, and the person may vomit and have a headache the next day. It would seem - just drink “in moderation”. But not everything is so simple. It turns out that the body produces psychoactive substances for a reason, but as a reaction to human actions, a kind of encouragement. Simplified, this mechanism looks like this. When a person has performed a successful action that meets the needs of the body, he experiences feelings of joy and happiness. And vice versa, if a person made a mistake, something turned out “wrong” - he feels sadness, annoyance, possibly shame, etc. That is. the body reacts by decreasing the production of psychoactive substances, including internal ethanol. It must be said that in addition to ethanol, the body produces a lot of things. These are nicotine-like, morphine-like, LSD-like, and cannabiol-like substances. Those. the body has a kind of “its own plan for producing pleasure.” And if this plan is violated, then the body tries to regulate it - to restore the required amount. It reduces the production of substances that come from outside in excess. And if a person drinks, for example, ethanol regularly, then the body can completely stop producing it. And the longer ethanol is not produced, the more difficult it is to restore this function later. Thus, a person becomes dependent on alcohol. Even if ethanol production is partially functioning, its quantity may not be sufficient for chemical self-regulation. Therefore, such people often have abnormal blood pressure “due to the weather” and they want to drink. This is a chemical dependence, which also entails psychological dependence, when a person, instead of searching for the “right action,” begins to receive surrogate happiness through the use of psychoactive substances. The mechanism of drug addiction works similarly. It’s just that the rate of addiction formation is different for different substances and different organisms. Peculiarities of beer alcoholism The problem of beer alcoholism in our country has begun to be discussed in the last few years. It involves introducing mainly teenagers and women to low-alcohol drinks. With regular consumption of beer or other low-alcohol drinks, addiction develops within six years (statistically on average). This happens quite unnoticed by the person himself and his environment. A person can be considered a non-drinker, since no one sees him drunk, and he leads a quite decent lifestyle. Therefore, when health problems begin (sleep is disturbed, general vitality decreases)and immunity, mood deteriorates, irritability increases, etc.) a person is inclined to associate these disorders with anything but beer. Such a person usually turns to a narcologist very late, or does not turn at all. A number of beer myths also contribute to this state of affairs. For example, “beer is delicious,” “beer is healthy,” “beer is an attribute of intelligent relaxation,” “beer does not cause alcohol addiction,” etc. According to many authors, these myths are deliberately spread by beer companies. And the famous promoter of a sober lifestyle V.G. Zhdanov generally believes that beer culture is part of a conspiracy of Western intelligence services aimed at destroying our people, and gives a number of serious arguments in favor of this opinion. Beer alcoholism develops when drinking low-alcohol drinks and following the ideas of our culture that “you can drink in moderation " Before the advent of a large number of advertised low-alcohol drinks, compliance with this cultural norm did not lead to alcohol dependence. And in the context of the existing supply of cheap, tasty and fashionable drinks, this norm has become a condition for the alcoholization of the population. Thus, there was a need to change existing cultural norms related to alcohol consumption. Arshan is a cultural alternative to drinking alcohol Since bans on alcohol advertising and the production of alcoholic products are ineffective, we propose to stop drinking alcohol altogether. But for the refusal to be effective, the traditions of drinking alcohol must be replaced by other, non-alcoholic traditions. After all, drinking alcohol, in addition to chemical doping, has the significance of a cultural ritual. Therefore, it is necessary not only to abandon chemical doping, but also to replace the destructive ritual with a constructive one. In order to replace the destructive ritual with a constructive one, we offer the “Preparing Arshan” exercise. The peoples of Siberia call Arshan healing water. The name Arshan is sometimes given to some natural healing springs. However, there is also a ritual of consecrating water and turning it into Arshan. This ritual is described in detail by the Buryat shaman and writer Sarangerel in the book “Call of the Shaman.” To prepare arshan, sit comfortably facing south, straight, but not tense. Place your hands loosely on your knees. Observe the sensations of the body, the sensations of the breath, the rhythm of breathing, the thoughts that spontaneously appear. Imagine that you inhale sunlight along with the air, and as you exhale it spreads throughout your body. Direct it into your palms. Place your palms one against the other at a distance of 25 - 30 centimeters and imagine that you are filling the space between your palms with sunlight. When sensations of warmth or elasticity appear in your palms, bring your hands to your face at a distance of several centimeters and move them in any direction, observing your sensations. Now take a container of water in your hands and imagine that you are filling it with sunlight with the power of wishes for health and joy and happiness or other good wishes (as when making a toast). Expect a feeling of enough action. Now Arshan is ready. To prepare Arshan, you can also use other drinks, for example, tea or juice. The tradition of drinking alcoholic beverages and making toasts in connection with important life events has its roots in the tradition of preparing Arshan. This action is similar in meaning, only its original meaning has been forgotten. In Siberia, Arshan is often prepared from alcoholic beverages. But since the main meaning is precisely to charge the liquid with the energy of desire, and Arshan can be prepared without alcohol, then it is the restoration of its original meaning that can be an alternative to alcohol culture. In this way, a person can participate in a feast, maintaining accepted forms of behavior, make toasts and drink non-alcoholic Arshan. A person who has mastered the skill of preparing Arshan can, without opposing himself to the team, lead a sober lifestyle,.