Originally Posted by
tandempower
What if someone told you that recreational drugs are a normal part of having fun in the 21st century and you are a prudish teetotaler for resisting? Wouldn't that feel like a cultish peer-pressuring line to push you into using drugs? Calling things 'normal' and 'legitimate' as a way of herding people into cultural participation is a form of social-pressure to the extent that 'normal' and 'legitimate' reference social popularity.
This is in widespread occurrence with the recreational drug alcohol. That it is often omitted from the category of recreational drugs is testament to the power of the social pressure. Drinking alcohol is perfectly normal in this society and we are bombarded by ads cajoling us to join in. And yet the use of this drug has tremendous negative social and economic costs and no discernible benefits.
But I wouldn't call consumption of alcohol a cult behavior.