Football Fans, Thieves, Rapists, And Drinking Alcohol

If I ever needed a stiff drink it's now, watching my Louisville Cardinals being disemboweled on TV by Clemson. I'm kidding about the drink but, unfortunately, not about the game.

When you watch football and consider a drink because of heartbreak or celebration, don't do it. I found something else to consider. Everyone is familiar with the crime of driving under the influence. According to Alcohol Rehab Guide (https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/crimes/) drinking to excess can lead to other criminal acts:

• About 15% of all robberies are traced to alcohol use. "Alcohol can intensify a robber's feeling of desperation and cause them to steal someone's money or property."
• Some 37% of sexual assaults can be traced to drinking. "For perpetrators, drinking may intensify their aggressive behavior. This can make them become more forceful when someone tries to resist them."
• Approximately 27% of aggravated assaults are committed by people who have been drinking too much. "Poor decisions and impaired judgment, combined with aggression and hostility, can become dangerous. If violent thoughts and feelings are acted on, it can lead to an aggravated assault charge."
• "An estimated two-thirds of victims suffering from violence by a current or former spouse or partner report that the perpetrator had been drinking, compared to less than one-third of stranger victimizations."
• Four in 10 child abusers have admitted to being under the influence at the time of offenses. And remember, "Children who are victimized at a young age have an increased risk of developing behavioral and physical problems as they get older."
• Alcohol is involved in more  homicides than other substances, like heroin and cocaine. "In fact, about 40% of convicted murderers had used alcohol before or during the crime."

I think of illegal drugs as being at the root of many -- no, most -- crimes. But don't ignore the role alcohol plays when in the bloodstreams of otherwise good people.

Clemson leads Louisville 35-3 at halftime. It's not time to drink; it's time to change channels.