In terms of the NHS I do believe that obesity is the biggest drain, then smoking, other things and excessive drinking somewhere further down the list.
However I totally get your point.
I've seen first hand how destructive it can be when someone drinks to excess. I've seen it tear a family apart. My family actually.
And yes, if someone is going to start a fight at midnight it's not usually the person who has smoked 12 fags but the person who has drunk 12 pints of lager.
But let's get back to the "weakness" issue, which in my mind is another way of saying "no willpower".
For example if two people opt to do dry January and one person sticks it out but the other caves in after a week then I'd say that one person is weaker, (or has less willpower) than the other.
I like a drink or two, (that's why we've built a pub at the bottom of the garden
) and I' did dry January for 3 years running. I hated it, but I did it. I'm not doing it again.
I've decided instead to not drink in the week, only weekends. It's not going well.
I went to a friends house who said.
"I'm having a glass of wine, do you want one"
Me, "well as you know I'm trying not to drink on a school night, but, oh go on then"
She burst out laughing and said "You are SO weak"
Now then, and here's the thing.
I didn't go all uppity, or offended or defensive, because she was right.
I just said "too right sister, I'm weak, now get pouring and make it a large one"