It is rather interesting, I’ve often thought, the various views that exist (at least in the USA) on whether drunkenness itself is a sin. Or to what degree.
You have on the far-conservative end of the spectrum the fundamentalist Protestant, the Mormon, the Muslim, and others who don’t believe alcohol consumption is morally acceptable under any circumstances.
Then you have some cultures (within ethnic communities - or in other countries) that treat wine and beer as an everyday beverage and learn from childhood to deal with it sensibly for the most part. Though that may not protect everyone in those cultures, from what I’ve heard they do at least have lower rates of alcoholism.
We Catholics are rather unique - in the USA anyhow - in that we don’t consider alcohol consumption sinful; it’s morally neutral. Overconsumption, however, we do recognize as sinful - tipsy would be a venial sin, drunk (wasted, hammered, plastered, whatever slang term people use) as a mortal sin.
I think our view is just one that people aren’t used to - and even Catholic kids don’t always get the moral aspect of it unless they get really good catechesis. Since you really know your stuff (good for you
and your parents and teachers) maybe somehow you could capture your friends’ interest by a casual conversation about these varying views.
The drug and alcohol education kids get in school may be focused on the health aspects and the risks of addiction and its consequences - good place to start - but it should also include the moral dimension. It’s kind of like the sex education - is it about avoiding STDs and pregnancy, or is it about chastity? Which, of course, they can’t really do in public schools and maybe still don’t do enough of in Catholic schools - I don’t know if there’s consistency. I went to public school myself, and am old enough to be your mom and never had kids, so I’m not current on what they do for sure.
So by the same token, is the substance abuse education simply about the physical and mental risks, or is it about respecting the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit? About using God’s gifts responsibly and knowing one’s own reactions - like if you are diabetic or come from a family where several people are alcoholics, you would have to be more careful with it. And charity toward one’s neighbor demands that one not lose control of one’s will and ability to make good choices by becoming intoxicated and judgment-impaired. So it’s about more than not getting arrested by the cops.
So, to get back to your original question of how to discuss it - maybe you could just say to your friends “Did you know . . . ?” in a way that engages their interest, and even if they laugh, just laugh back and say, “No, seriously, it’s true!” At least you will plant a seed in their minds. They may also be wanting to engage in sexual excess and see the booze as a way to be uninhibited - in which case that has to be addressed.
Before, during, and after any conversation - pray for God to use you as His instrument, and pray for the best for them!
