It's official..Brits are alcoholics

I will (Hic), agree with that, BUT…………………………………..When they talk about Britian being a country of Alcholics, I BET they will class Scotland as a “SHIRE”.
Wether you know it or not, we up here are made up of COUNTIES, not SHIRES………………….If you were to break up Great Britian into areas, sure as hell most of the problems regards drink, would be down in England…………….

The UK has an entrenched ‘drinking culture’ and this is an increasing trend, especially among young people.

The trend for young people in their twenties and thirties to feel they have a right to ‘get smashed’* is being followed by teenagers who can see the example that is being set by older people.

Getting drunk on a Friday or Saturday night is not new, but there has been a rise in the last decade of ‘binge drinking’ – drinking a lot of alcohol in a short period of time.

This has resulted in an increase in violent crime and fighting as well as cases of people actually drinking themselves into comas and causing themselves harm.

When asked about his drinking habits, Mark from Liverpool, said:

‘There’s always someone suggesting “just one more”, and then we’ll get a taxi. also the fact that public transport in many places stops just before midnight, so if you miss the last bus (costing say £1.50), you’ll have to get a taxi (costing say £10), so the tendency is to think “well, I might as well have another couple, now I’m splashing out on a taxi”‘

As well as the advertising and addictive properties of alcohol obviously playing a part he commented on how a lot of people think they have a ‘right to celebrate, to drown sorrows, to mark any occasion, with a drink.’

Philip, from Kidderminster, commented ‘I like drinking beer because there are many different types of traditional British beer to try and also as it is nice to meet up in a pub with friends.’

Matt a ‘relatively – reformed heavy social drinker’ from Buckinghamshire, said:

‘For me it is part and parcel of the British Social experience. Fifty years ago pub and church were the cornerstones of life. Now church has gone, and there is still a tradition of ‘all’ sorts of get togethers being carried out in public over drinks.’

Binge drinking is a problem the government is trying to tackle by changing the licensing laws – the laws that regulate when alcohol can be served in pubs and bars, which currently mean that they have to stop serving at 11pm.

One of the reasons people often get so drunk is because of the 11-o-clock factor, ie they get a triple round in at 11, with a couple of chasers maybe, and then have to leave out 20 minutes later (drinking up time).

From 2005 pubs and bars will actually be able to apply to stay open later, in practice probably until midnight or 2am. The aim is that as well as people not trying to cram as much drinking into a short space of time, pubs and bars will close at different times which could prevent so many drunk people heading home at the same time.

However, critics have said the government is not doing enough to tackle some of the problems and issues related to the UK’s drinking culture. There is no evidence to suggest that relaxed licensing laws have helped in London’s West End where pubs and bars can already stay open longer.

Source : British Council Japan

Booze in the UK is too cheap and too accessible – It unfortunately also seems socially acceptable to get blind drunk “for a laugh”. Add in all the consequences and it somehow doesn’t seem that funny.

These problems are not endemic to the young people of Britain.. I’m afraid they’re Universal

I suppose that depends on who you are comparing with. Unfortunately alcohol related diseases don’t work on the basis that others are drinking more so it won’t affect me. Anything over 28 units a week (for a man) is dangerous and alcohol is quickly becoming a massive drain on NHS resources. We are seeing 30 year olds coming through with liver disease that wasn’t seen in people under 60 ten years ago. Add in the results of people fighting, mental health problems,causing domestic violence, drink driving etc etc and you are talking billions of pounds cost to the tax payer.

Booze in the UK is too cheap and too accessible – It unfortunately also seems socially acceptable to get blind drunk “for a laugh”. Add in all the consequences and it somehow doesn’t seem that funny.

Indeed. Anyway, I have a pub to get to…

Paul

Believe me, I’m a mild drinker compared to many.
Paul

I suppose that depends on who you are comparing with. Unfortunately alcohol related diseases don’t work on the basis that others are drinking more so it won’t affect me. Anything over 28 units a week (for a man) is dangerous and alcohol is quickly becoming a massive drain on NHS resources. We are seeing 30 year olds coming through with liver disease that wasn’t seen in people under 60 ten years ago. Add in the results of people fighting, mental health problems,causing domestic violence, drink driving etc etc and you are talking billions of pounds cost to the tax payer.

Booze in the UK is too cheap and too accessible – It unfortunately also seems socially acceptable to get blind drunk “for a laugh”. Add in all the consequences and it somehow doesn’t seem that funny.

people that get blind drunk for the sake of it are just feeble minded individuals with low self esteem in my opinion

Spend a few years working in music, Steve. You’ll see that isn’t the case!

fifteen cans of pop and they’d laugh in your face

I’d laugh in your face if you asked me to drink 15 cans of pop, if it’s Coca-Cola it probably does more harm than a few beers. My ultimate, all time favourite drink though is actually simply water with ice, so that I could probably do!

Paul

Paul… You sound exactly like I did “when ah wer yoor age!” Now then, just out of curiosity, book yourself an appointment at your local GP for a liver function test, or get a self test kit from Boots…

Not becoming an a-hole on ‘the wine’ is one thing, but that doesn’t mean your vital organs are necessarily in agreement…;)

One or two glasses of wine or even a bottle on special occasions is fine..i drink wine to savour the taste or a couple of beers because i’m thirsty or to relax..people that get blind drunk for the sake of it are just feeble minded individuals with low self esteem in my opinion..ask them to drink ten pints of water or fifteen cans of pop and they’d laugh in your face

Paul… You sound exactly like I did “when ah wer yoor age!”

Believe me, I’m a mild drinker compared to many. I know (or knew) people who’ve literally drunk themselves to death and know several people who arn’t far from doing the same. One particular guy used to start every gig day by drinking several cans of Carling with his cornflakes at breakfast, then drink something in the region of 15 or more further cans throughout the day. His playing days ended 4 years ago when he died of liver problems. I am more than aware of what alcohol can do.

Someone I was doing a gig with last Summer started the day at 8am by opening a bottle of cider. At least I only drink at that time if I haven’t been to bed!

Hmm… And now for the last bit of this bottle of red…

Paul

Paul… You sound exactly like I did “when ah wer yoor age!” Now then, just out of curiosity, book yourself an appointment at your local GP for a liver function test, or get a self test kit from Boots…

Not becoming an a-hole on ‘the wine’ is one thing, but that doesn’t mean your vital organs are necessarily in agreement…;)

What’s sensible about drinking a shed load..that’s highly irresponsible and detrimental to your health..everything in moderation especially alcohol

My point was that if you do want to drink loads, that’s fine but be sensible about it. Whatever your opinions are, Steve, it won’t stop people drinking a lot if they want to (and frankly, why should it?)

I don’t mind people drinking a lot at all if that’s what they want to do. I do have a problem, however, with people who drink and turn into ignorant, aggressive fools who want to start fights with everyone. I also have a problem with people who get so drunk they are no longer able to act like normal, reasonable human beings and do silly things like fall over.

Highly irresponsible or not, people can drink an artic’s worth of alcohol for all I care as long as they don’t bother me and stay reasonably ‘with it’.

Anyway, back to my wine…

Paul

There’s nothing wrong with drinking a shed load as long as people are sensible
Paul

What’s sensible about drinking a shed load..that’s highly irresponsible and detrimental to your health..everything in moderation especially alcohol

Oh the photograph confused me, I didn’t realise it was a 3 gallon bottle 🙂

I only drink those when I’m on one of my regular visits to Portugal, but I’m not there at the moment. 🙂

Paul

Just for the record, by the way, those bottles in the photo arn’t all from tonight although the bottle in the middle is being merrily consumed right now and shall be empty in a couple of hours. 😀

As for the way people drink (and fail), I couldn’t agree more. There’s nothing wrong with drinking a shed load as long as people are sensible, and that seems to be the key thing that’s missing. Drink yourself stupid if you want, but know when to stop before things go wrong!

Paul

Oh the photograph confused me, I didn’t realise it was a 3 gallon bottle 🙂

Wine by the bottle too.

Just for the record, by the way, those bottles in the photo arn’t all from tonight although the bottle in the middle is being merrily consumed right now and shall be empty in a couple of hours. 😀

As for the way people drink (and fail), I couldn’t agree more. There’s nothing wrong with drinking a shed load as long as people are sensible, and that seems to be the key thing that’s missing. Drink yourself stupid if you want, but know when to stop before things go wrong!

Paul

But it’s the Daily Mail.
So, as per any of their splashes, it’s either (a) Wrong (b) Knee jerk/over reaction (c) unimportant and trivial.

The truth is more likely that people are attending the hospitals more often. Todays youth don’t drink any more than when I was 18. In fact maybe less, because I think we had more beer tokens on a like for like basis.
Of course we had fights etc. but never knives and guns. We didn’t end up in stupers so bad that we were incapable of speaking.
So, it must be a combination of drugs and alcohol. I also believe that with the decline of the working environment (99% of us polish our backsides on a chair in an AirCon office these days) there seems to be a propensity to get ill / drunk far easier than say the 70’s. No immunity.
Also, if we got ratar5ed in the pub, the old guys would give us a clip on the ear and send us home. And we’d generally respect that.

We all like to drink our own body weight in booze, I still do now and then but todays drinkers seem to fail the basic rules, don’t mix the grape and the grain etc.
Today, the routine seems to be: –
(1) a shedfull of cheap beer in Wetherspoons.
(2) a further shedful of beer in several better pubs/bars that cater for the yoof. Wine by the bottle too.
(3) into the club, a shedful of alcopops and other spirit based cocktails.
(4) vomit.

They must be too p*ssed Steve ? :rolleyes:

*Hic*

I must say i’m very surprised by the lack of response on this one..i expected some vehement points of view from some of the younger lads

They must be too p*ssed Steve ? :rolleyes:

I must say i’m very surprised by the lack of response on this one..i expected some vehement points of view from some of the younger lads

It’s all symptomatic of the trend for over-consumption generally within the UK. I watched a TV show the other day which compared the sizes of popular snack bars and confections etc, with they size they were 10-15 years ago. Everything was bigger and more sugar coated nowadays…

No comment. 😀

Paul