Things You Will Never Hear from a Baptist Pulpit

Father Chad Ripperger, FSSP, talks about smoking and drinking:

Despite the fact that there's been a systematic projection of tobacco products as evil by the media, there are in fact health benefits to smoking. A review of 61 studies suggests that smokers have a 60% lower risk of Parkinson's Disease. Research suggests that nicotine is a surprisingly potent drug for a variety of diseases that afflict the brain, including Alzheimer's and Tourette's Syndrome.... Nicotine can help focus attention and improves memory. Nicotine can relieve some symptoms of schizophrenia.... Tobacco is used to make the malaria vaccine.

On the drink, he says:

When one loses the use of reason by consumption of alcohol, it is mortally sinful, because you can never put aside the use of reason without a grave reason. If it only slightly affects one's judgment, it is only venially sinful; but if it has no effect on one's judgment, then it's not sinful at all, and may even be commendable. In fact, you may even be able to get grace from drinking alcohol if you're doing it for a legitimate reason and you do it with a supernatural motive.... If one does not drink because he thinks it is evil, then that person is in error, and to persist in that error is a sin.

You can hear all of it here (scroll down and click on the title "Smoking and Drinking")