Drinking Games Website Launches Despite Criticism

NORTHPORT, Maine December 26, 2011 - Drinking Games - a new website about drinking entertainment launched this week by former US Navy Chief Jack O'Reilly, Ret., and former US Navy Fireman RJ Anayjuan, has already come under fire. The website owners say some have expressed doubt that anyone should be playing "drinking games" at all.
 
"I served 23 years in the Navy, and you can bet we did a lot of drinking," says O'Reilly, a boisterous Irishman from New York. "And we played our share of drinking games too. No one ever got hurt; we had a lot of fun – but we could handle it."
 
And that's what the criticism is all about. Some have argued that not everyone can handle playing a drinking game, and that binge drinking of any sort should be banned altogether. Herbert Rupe, Executive Director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, was quoted as saying the following as he pursued legislation to ban drinking games in early 2011:
 
"The problem with a lot of these games is if you're drinking a lot of alcohol rapidly, in a short amount of time, you're not going to realize you're at that state until it's too late."
 
However, the argument made by DrinkingGames.ME – the official name of the site – is that they've done nothing more than compile information about games that have long been in existence and long been played in many different social settings. This includes games like Beer Pong, Kings, Quarters, and many others where some players may become intoxicated rapidly.
 
But RJ Anayjuan says these games aren't any different than most types of entertainment offered to the drinking public.
 
"If you're not able to moderate your drinking, then you shouldn't drink. It doesn't matter whether you're playing pool, dancing at the club, or whether you're playing Kings. For instance, I'm not much of a drinker at all, but I've played my share of drinking games. I might only take a sip instead of a swill, or I might have nothing but water in my glass. Plenty of adults get together and have a great time with alcoholic beverages and never get rowdy or drive drunk or anything stupid."
 
The website also features a number of different games, books, recipes and other products related to drinking. The site also has a disclaimer that reads in part:
 
"All of the games listed here are commonly known games and should only be played by responsible adults who are able to successfully and safely manage their alcohol intake."