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The Three Greatest Dangers in Beer Commercials
by Dr. Dennis Neufeld, as told to Laurie Wang
When it comes to the most common causes of death for people under 40, most people would think of cancer, heart attacks or strokes. But that is a misconception. I’d like to introduce you to what we family physicians call “the beer commercial syndrome.” Society drifts into it without knowing, and it’s definitely best to get over this phase before it’s too late.
The dangers in a beer commercial
1. Accidents
Well, we don’t see accidents in beer commercials, but we do see fast cars, hot cars and expensive cars. Motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s) are one of the leading causes of death for people under 40. I lost two of my college friends in MVA’s. Remember, it’s not a bad thing to have a nice car, but it’s important to drive safely. If you think it’s OK to drive fast and you’re not careful, you can run into trouble.
2. Drugs
We usually see alcohol in the commercials, but other drugs are also factors in many deaths among people under 40—cocaine, methamphetamine, anabolic steroids, etc. Usually, people don’t have a plan for what they want in life and don’t think about the consequences. I’ve seen a great number of patients who suffer from liver damage because of alcohol abuse. People develop addictions or overdose and later find themselves with an intravenous drip in the hospital. It can be deadly.
3. Casual sex
You know the attractive men and women in beer commercials? That’s the message of sex that the commercials seem to convey. Sex is a great thing, but when it becomes a casual fling, we run into some health troubles. Easy, casual sex runs a high risk for infections, HPV, Chlamydia, genital warts, HIV and other STD’s. This is one of the largest health concerns for people under 40.
The mix
The worst thing you can do with the three elements of a beer commercial is mix them. Being intoxicated and having casual sex or getting drunk and driving fast can lead to horrible repercussions. It is vital to get over the beer commercial phase in the first half of your life. If you make a determined effort to avoid it and keep yourself from slipping into it, then you’ve succeeded in preventing the top three health issues for people under 40.
Making stupid decisions can be deadly. Life is worth living so live it as long as you can.
My story
I can say I always knew life was worth living, but there was a time when I didn’t know where to go in life.
I was the “overchurched” kid who took religion casually, never questioned anything and never rebelled.
I went to Bible college, worked in the military and was a Bible camp counselor. But I didn’t know where I belonged and had no idea what I was going to do in life.
I remember back when my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He was getting worse and worse and always had to be in the hospital. I prayed and prayed for years for him but nothing happened. The best choice for him was to find a nursing home, but nursing homes were very tough to find at that time. The closest nursing home available was too far from our own home. My family kept praying and praying but nothing happened. Where are you God?
Finally, I called our MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) and told him our situation. His staff member came and found a nice nursing home for my father, one of the best nursing homes in the area in fact. It was at that time that I realized: God cares.
A different perception
You see, I always thought I had to earn my way to heaven. I think that’s why I went to Bible college, counseled Bible camp and worked in the military. But after doing all those things, I came to realize I could never be good enough. OR: Now I know that good deeds alone mean nothing. God is the one who makes it possible for me to have a good life and to get to heaven and to live a good life. He sacrificed his son Jesus who died on the cross for my sins—all the times I lied, stole, hated, was greedy and selfish…the list goes on Jesus Christ took the punishment for all of my sins, and now they are forgotten!
With my new trust in Jesus, I knew I belonged somewhere and I knew God knew what I was supposed to do in life. I just had to let go and let him show me.
A friend of mine came to me and told me he had been accepted into medical school. I realized I was interested in the things he talked about and decided to pursue medicine myself. Now I am a family doctor. I own and run my own walk-in clinic and have a huge interest in helping patients who have medication addictions. I’m working in the inner city and helping people who don’t get medical help easily. I love what I’m doing. I know I belong here because God has put me here.
Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?
Living with hope
If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ.
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here's a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.
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~Laurie Wang is the Editor for Men Today Online. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.A. in English and is an aspiring journalist. She's a big fan of hockey, sleep and rare steak. Laurie takes pride in kicking butt and taking names.