Good things are used intelligently and harmful things are not used at all. The goal of temperate living is peak physical, mental and emotional well-being. Temperance does not just involve alcohol, tobacco and drug use. It refers to all aspects of our lifestyle, whether it be overeating, overworking, too much play, or too little/much of anything. Such unbalanced living robs men and women of a rich, healthy and satisfying life.

Alcohol

Millions consume alcoholic beverages. Advertisements portray people who drink alcohol as being happy, congenial and fun loving. They fail to show the millions of people who are alcoholics. They fail to tell about all the auto accidents, assaults, sexual abuse, murders and suicides caused by people who have been under the influence of alcohol. Every drink of alcohol irreparably destroys brain cells. Alcohol promotes high blood pressure and is directly toxic to heart muscle. Alcohol increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, stomach ulcers and cancer. One or two drinks can produce spasm of the coronary arteries, decreasing the oxygen supply to the heart. Liver cirrhosis is common in alcohol users. Alcohol robs the body of vitamins and minerals. Perhaps the saddest statistics are those of damaged babies who are permanently retarded due to their parents’ alcohol use.

Drugs

Despite all the education about illegal drugs, we continue to see an increase in their use and abuse. Many begin using drugs out of curiosity, to please friends, to provide an escape from reality or to avoid dealing with problems. Because drugs don’t solve problems, users often find that instead of escaping from their problems, they end up adding a tough new one – drug addiction.Repeated use of certain drugs can result in drug dependence, physical or psychological. Someone who is dependent on a drug uses it to avoid the illness and discomfort associated with stopping it. The need for the drug often becomes so strong that users will resort to dangerous and illegal activities to obtain a continuing supply. Up to 70% of prison inmates are incarcerated for drug-related crimes. Remember, it is far easier to prevent a drug problem than to cure one. If you or someone you know is addicted to drugs, get help!

Tobacco

One of the most addictive of all substances used by humans, it kills 1200 Americans every day. “Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in America.” (US Surgeon General) Besides lung cancer that everyone knows about, tobacco also is causative in many other cancers. Its mixture of over 20 poisons leads to disease: emphysema, stomach ulcers, heart disease, diabetes, and low birth-weight babies etc. Smoking is expensive – it costs Americans $1 billion a week in extra health care and insurance costs.