Did anybody see the Panaroma about binge drinking last night?

‘Not by much’ by whose gauge of risk though? It’s 45% in excess, so quite a bit statistically.

Not as a one off, but if you regularly drink a few units over the recommended amount, it soon adds up.

The fact that those talking in support of this bill are largely those who are not in this situation shows how devalued disabled and chronically ill people are in our society. Instead it is full of healthy people saying I would not want to live those lives.

It was a very interesting watch and quite thought-provoking.
There was a lot that was not explained, genetics, for example.
This subject was not covered at all.
The other interesting point was cultural.
Also there was no mention of any other country apart from the UK.
Nanny state again?
Having said all that, wine with a meal to enhance or underpin the delicious food?

Yet or that you know of.

@Didimum @coffeesaveslives but not by much.

I'm similar to you. Except I always have 2-3 days off a week, especially mid week as I got to the point where I'd drink for the sake of it, because it's routine.

You're increasing your risk the more you have.
I'd try 1.5 bottles, or 1 a week, and stay at that. You don't need to quit alcohol all together.

But two bottles a week is more than 14 units...

But a couple of bottles a week does exceed the limit of 14. So you can’t also say it’s not excessive.

Interestingly the Drink Aware test has just told me I'm 'low risk' but I probably drink a couple of bottles a week.

The only time I drink is with my evening meal - have no desire to any other time. But I do like a decent glass of wine with my dinner (yes I know - habit). I wouldn't drink more than 1/3 of a bottle and I try and have a couple of nights off a week but it's a conscious effort and I don't always manage it (though not had anything since Saturday). So I reckon 15-20 units a week for me.

Well 2 bottles is circa 20 units, so yes it’s beyond the recommended limit of 14 and to spread those units out evenly across 3 days so that you are not reaching 6 units in one day.

I'm always a bit on the fence with things like this.

Surely you're very unlikely to get liver disease in your thirties unless you're extremely unlucky or you drink excessive amounts.
A couple of bottles a week isn't excessive amounts. 4-5 bottles a week is. People who crack open a bottle of something as soon as they wake up, walk down the street sipping a can.

They key is keeping within the limits, and you'll most likely be fine.
Stuff like this makes out that any drop of wine is likely to result in your hideous death in a matter of months. It's scaremongering.

Anyone with any common sense and a decent IQ knows that the limit is 14 units, not 0 units.
So keep within that!

I’d try to aim for 1.5 bottles if you can. Thereafter 1.

How old are your dad and uncles? And have they had liver function testing and/or CT scan of liver? Stats on the BBC article linked to the Panorama doc say that 7 out of 10 cases of liver disease show symptoms until they are at late stage.

My dad was one of 5 drinking buddies (beer down the pub for years, never spirits or wine). Three of them were diagnosed with cirrhosis in early-mid 60s with no prior signs or symptoms. The other two, now late 60s have severe liver scarring. My dad died 3yrs after cirrhosis diagnosis. Blood tests alone cannot detect liver scarring, only LFT tests can.

Genine question: can 2 bottles of wine a week actually damage your health? I would have thought that is quite temperate drinking: two small glasses a night with one night a week off.

Tbh, I drink fairly close to that. One or two glasses (small ones - 125 ml) most nights. The occasional night off, Plus Dry Jan off and none when I feel ill - so probably about 2 months off in total per year, and 10 months of 1-2 glasses a night. Is that terrible? I am a bit overweight. But I never lose weight in Dry Jan, so I can't blame the wine for that.

Obviously I am speaking only for myself (I am not round at your place funneling Merlot down your neck am I?) but I don't want to live to 100 if I can't have /do things I enjoy which happens to be socialising with a drink (lucky me, most of my friends are the same). Do I stick within the guidelines, no absolutely not, do I worry about it, absolutely not!

The glasses are small as well. Some wine glasses we have here almost hold half a bottle.

Yeah I can see this in my friends, too. I was very much the bottle of wine on the sofa with a bag of maltesers type, most of my friends are slowly sip a glass of wine while chatting and leave half of it in the glass types. I could never do that! If the bottle is open, it gets drunk, end of.

That was the other documentary yesterday on BBC2 at 9pm about snacking and UPF.

An uncle of mine died a few years ago of Cirrhosis of the liver, he had no idea he had anything wrong with his liver until it was too late to do anything about it. His death dragged out for months with terrible ascites and dementia like symptoms. It's a horrible, horrible way to die.

Having said that, it’s never too late to cut down your drinking. The liver has capacity to repair.

British culture has a very odd relationship with alcohol. You are seen as a weirdo and party pooper if you don’t drink. Luckily for me I developed some sort of intolerance to alcohol when I was 30. Two glasses of wine will leave my skin swollen, itchy and warm to the touch. Too unpleasant so I rarely drink now. Get plenty of peer pressure though. Middle class mums are among the worst at pushing a “cheeky glass”. I picked up my nephew from a play date and couldn’t believe that an entire bottle was polished off whilst we waited for the kids to get ready.

Agreed with you. I did my binge drinking in my teens, 20s and 30s and when I got to 40 though I still got occasionally drunk I had and still have very good best friends who don’t drink to excess (but still like a drink). I’m relieved to be honest that I’m not expected to drink until I got drunk as other friends had me do (we all did it). These were friends who could “handle their drink”. They couldn’t.

When an older (by about 10 years) ex colleague of mine would joke about getting so drunk, she broke her glasses, lost things or did and said stupid things all when drunk, I vowed I wouldn’t be like her.

I know! My Mum was a terrible cook so I was basically brought up on findus
crispy pancakes, Smash etc. At least we know the dangers now.