ALcohol in Chuuk

Alcohol is one of the most pervasive drugs in the world. Almost every country in the world consumes this liquid intoxicant and it is generally accepted as “ok” in most cultures. It has been around for thousands of years and taken a myriad of different forms. Beer, wine and liquor are the most familiar beverages, however there are dozens of other drinks that can be made from just about anything. Jesus drank wine from the grail. Zeus sipped on golden goblets of ambrosia. King Arthur chugged mugs of mead. Hemingway practically lived on whiskey and gin. Ron Burgundy pounded a glass of scotch before each broadcast. Throughout the annals of time, a large majority of the world population has enjoyed the effects of alcohol. This left over by-product of a sugary chemical reaction has been a staple in society for centuries.

I like to drink alcohol. I like the effects and think it is great way to relax and have a fun time. It allows people to overcome their inhibitions & fears to freely express their desires, thoughts and needs. It acts a social lubricant to loosen the societal restraints that often restrict us and it also opens up new avenues of thought and excitement. However, there are many downsides to this potent substance. It causes lots of problems.

In my personal definition, I believe that a drug is any external substance that alters the normal functioning our bodily systems. And all of our bodily systems are controlled by the brain. Most drugs that we ingest; whether they are Tylenol, marijuana, cough syrup, cocaine, or Prozac all act on only one aspect of our brain. They either inhibit or excite certain parts of neurons that control the release of neurotransmitters. Each of these drugs/medicines only interacts with a single section of our brain. Alcohol is different. Alcohol has an effect upon five different neurotransmitters in our brain. That is why it has such an all-encompassing effect upon our well-being. Our vision is blurred, our balance is swayed, our speech is slurred, our pain receptors are dulled and a number of other functions of our body are temporarily changed.

My point is that alcohol is a very powerful drug. Its deleterious effects are often overlooked because it is so deeply engrained in the fabric of our civilization. It is an expected mainstay at most social occasions and is kosher for any adult to drink. People often ignore the terrible ramifications that can result from alcohol. People fight. People yell. People fall. People crash. People kill. People punch. People scream. People cry. People embarrass. People pee. People make a lot of mistakes and do a lot of ridiculous things that they would not do when sober. Alcohol strips away our conscience and sometimes leads to terrible consequences.

Experiencing four years of college fraternity life has given me a pretty good picture of the pros and cons of alcohol consumption. I have seen the range of good and bad effects. Although I recognize the harmful outcomes of drinking in many situations, I still believe that its positives outweigh its negatives. During my time in Chuuk, my opinions have begun to change.

Alcohol is not drunk in the same way over here. People don’t drink casually just to let off some steam and relax. The idea of just having a few beers to hang out with your friends doesn’t really exist. When people drink, they DRINK. The most popular drink in Chuuk is “Grand Award 151 Rum”. The 151 in the name means that it is one hundred fifty one proof, which means that it is 75.5% pure alcohol. Most standard liquors are 80 proof or 40% pure alcohol. Grand Award is twice as strong.

You might think that since this type of booze is so strong that they would heavily mix it with other drinks. No. They only drink it with water. I have tried to explain to people the advantages of mixing the 151 with other drinks like juice or soda, but they don’t seem to understand. They like their alcohol hard and fast. Plenty of other types of liquor are sold in the stores, but I haven’t seen a single Chuukese person drink any other type besides “Grand Award 151 Rum”. Like I said before, they aren’t drinking for the experience of sipping on a cocktail. They are drinking with the intention of getting plastered.

Alcohol is illegal in Chuuk. Officially, it is banned by the government. But just like every other law in Chuuk, rules are made to broken. It can still be found in most stores and seen on most street corners. However, there is a 50% tax on alcohol. I don’t quite understand how the situation makes sense thought. Alcohol is deemed illegal by the government, but they still collect a 50% luxury tax on its sale.

The most curious thing about drunks in Chuuk is their uniform behavior. Its as if someone mandated that every time a person gets wasted in Chuuk, they need to follow a certain set of behavioral guidelines. Here are the standard rules. 1. The alcohol needs to consumed in a secretive manner. Sipped in water bottles in dark corners behind trees is most ideal. 2. After consumption is complete, there is no need to be secretive. 3. Go into a public area. Walking down paths and roads is most ideal. 4. As you walk, it is necessary to scream at the top of your lungs. Not just any scream. It must be a particular type of scream. It sounds like “waaaheeeee”. 5. When people notice your screams, it is now time to yell profanities. It must always be the same obscene phrase (I don’t really know what it means, but Ive been told that its bad). 6. You must continue the screaming and cursing until one of two things happens. Either you fall on your face and pass out. Or you get in a fight. 7. You must fight someone for no apparent reason. (Number seven is optional, but is fairly regular).

It amazes me how people seem to adhere to these guidelines. It happens on Weno, Fefan, Tonoas and probably all the other islands. I don’t know how this style of drunkenness spread to all of the islands, but it did. The stumbling screams on the road are usually only done by one person at a time. I assume that it is after that person has been separated from their drinking circle. Maybe they got booted out because they are the drunkest, and they want to go show the world that they are drunk. Now I may be exaggerating that every single drunk person follows these rules. This identical behavior can be observed most of the time, but other people do get drunk and restrain themselves a little bit.

Some people can handle their alcoholism in a more controlled manner. I already described the production of yeast and its slightly milder effects. Sometimes people drink beer. And sometimes people make a local drink called “tupa?” from palm trees. There are no bars and no clubs. Drinking is always done secretively. Also, drinking is almost exclusively done by men. It is very rare for a woman to drink. I am sure that it happens, but it is probably a lonely affair behind closed doors.

The worst part of alcohol in Chuuk is the fights. Chuukese are usually very peaceful and reserved. They are a quaint island folk that spend most of their time relaxing in the shade of coconut trees. They are overwhelmingly generous and exhibit unparalleled hospitality. Strangers are treated as friends, and friends are treated as family. However, deep beneath this happy and relaxed exterior is a raging pit bull ready to bite. When the men drink booze, this angry dog comes to the surface and often results in fights.

These fights are sometimes minor and just involve sloppy punches and drunken grappling on the round. However, they can be much more serious. Machetes and knives are omnipresent in Chuuk and often find their way into drunkards’ hands. Knife fights are common. Death by knife fights is also common. I am relatively confident that around half of the adult males that I have met in Chuuk have been in a knife fight sometime in their lives (they have the scars to prove it). In addition, every single person knows someone personally that was killed in a knife fight. These fights almost exclusively happen between two drunk guys, but sometimes are the result of revenge. Most of the time, the fights take place on Weno between men from different islands with rivalries. I have seen fights in my time here, but luckily none of them involved knifes. I am just happy that Chuukese haven’t discovered the destructive power of guns.

Booze is looked down upon by most of society because of its propensity to cause problems within the community. All of this drunken debauchery is countered by a fervent faith in religion. Almost everybody, even the drunk fighters are extremely religious. Some attend church every day of the week, and pretty much everybody goes on Sundays. A man might perform his tirade of drunken screams on the road on Saturday night, but he sure as hell will be at church on Sunday. Drinking is considered a sin by the church. As a result, it is looked upon with disdain by most of the community. That’s why it is usually done in secret. However, it is hypocritical how they hide the act but publicly display the behavior that ensues. It is a twisted system of piety and sin mixed up with alcohol, death, praying and forgiveness.

As Homer Simpson eloquently put it, “Alcohol, the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems”