drunk no more?

What would Sydney be like if nobody got drunk. A much better place! That is to be us as Christians. Getting drunk is not to be part of the life of a Christian. As someone who has been rescued from sin we are not to be part of it again. As the apostle Paul says,

"Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

We particularly need to help young men and women take responsibility for their lives. Alcohol is a culprit in this because in our culture it flies 'below the radar' even though it is the drug which causes the most devastation.

Some interesting statistics are:

1. Each year, around 3,000 people die and 65,000 people are hospitalised as a result of alcohol abuse.
2. Researchers have estimated that 47% of all those who commit violent crimes, and 43% of all victims of these crimes, were drunk prior to the event.
3. 2,500 Australians are treated for alcohol related brain damage every year.
4. The annual cost of alcohol-related social problems to the Australian community was estimated in 1998-99 to total $7.6 billion.

For more information about binge drinking, it's affects and the details of the statistics check out this pdf from the Salvos.