Read 'N' Seed: 4 Third Quarter of "Smashed: The Story of Drunken Girlhood"

1. This week i covered the section of the Smashed titled "Excess" which spans from page 157 to page 246.
2. The main topics include:

1. Binge drinking
2. The alcohol industry's portrayal of gender roles 
3. Dating while under the influence 
4. Alcohol's physical and emotional effects on the author
5. Pornography's portrayal of women in conjunction with alcohol 
6. Familial struggles of living with a person who abuses alcohol

3. Some of the most significant things I learned dealt with how men view women. Zailckas discusses that the alcohol industry has spent millions of dollars on making consumers believe that alcohol boosts a persons self image. She then goes on to say that if a person believes they are sexier while drinking that they then too believe that they are better in bed. I totally agree with this theory and would challenge anyone to disprove it. That being said it makes sense that there would be a huge portion of pornography devoted to men taking advantage of drunk girls. If both men and women believe that there sexual performance is improved under the influence of alcohol then it would only make sense for men and women who are insecure with the performance to want to drink heavily and be with someone else who is drunk. This way both parties are either satisfied or too drunk to care either way.

However, sex and dating though often thought to be in conjunction with one another are really two separate things. Dating while abusing alcohol, proves to be dangerous and disappointing for Zailckas. She feels that she is incapable of loving, and being loved by, a man. She has become so dependent on here use/ abuse of alcohol to interact with people that she feels like a social cripple when she is sober. Her life takes a downward spiral after more than two solid years of drinking. Her and her friend Elle begin to steal, anything from full glasses of vodka crans, bartenders tips, and wall hangings to pool balls, textbooks and stuffed animals.   

It isn't until Zailckas' mom comes to town that she realizes the bodily harm she is causing herself. After ralfing infront of several high-end department stores in New York City, Zailckas submits to her mother's requests to go home. The chapter ends with her mother cleaning the vomit covered bathroom while Zailckas sleeps.

4. For me the implications are alarming. So much of Koren's story I can relate to, and I know that I am not in the minority here. This is a young woman who is like so many other college aged students who feel alone and turn to booze for comfort. in one chapter Koren states that there is more money spent on anti-drug adds than anti-drinking adds. I think that as a society we need to reevaluate the way we view underage drinking because the younger kids begin to drink the more damaging the effects are. It would be prudent to educate and advocate for reduction of instances of underage drinking.