How much do you really drink?

38, three teens here.

I have to be careful due to medication I'm on, but was not a big drinker anyway. I'd say across a fortnight I might have one drink (a G&T or an M&S cocktail in a can).

Once every few months I'll be out and have up to four drinks, but no more.

The empty calories annoy me too.

If it wasn’t for my weight and my health, two large glasses every evening. However, two medium red on a Friday night and a couple of glasses if out socially, probably once a week.

I’ve been teetotal since 18 , my husband effectively became teetotal because I am . Neither of our adult children drink either .

This week has been typical, last night we shared a bottle of wine, I had around 1/3 which would be 3 units approximately. Tonight we are going to the pub, I'll have a couple of beers (5-6 units approximately depending on what's on) and maybe a gin or 2. If we are out on a Sunday for a walk we might pop in for just one but it's not every week, I don't drink during the week typically. So I'm usually comfortably within the government 14 units max but not evenly spread, dh is within the old 21 units for men but not the new 14 units!

Last year I realised in April Ib hadn’t drink since New Year, i probably have about 20 pints a year and go to half a dozen events I’ll drink wine/champagne at. Sometimes drink when entertaining, but almost never when it’s just us.

A lot less than I used to. I'm 52 and it became a normal habit - hard day - have a drink, wine'oclock and all that. Covid seemed to make it worse. Drinking at the weekend nudged into the week. I would also drink to self medicate from my anxiety and thoughts.

Husband's health issues made me re-evaluate my drinking and I was feeling awful health wise. I stopped drinking in the house and I just have a beer when I'm out now.

Fibroscans were being offered in our local city centre and I went and had one on Tuesday. It scared me that I could damage myself. It was all clear and results fine but just the thought that I could inflict damage through being careless and as a release from my anxiety. I have found better ways to cope I think.

I'm 50 and probably drink between 15 and 35 units a week depending on social life. Being honest I have never grown out of binge drinking.

I have 3 or 4 alcohol free days a week and do have periods when I don't drink so much if things are quiet socially.

I ashamed to say that I can easily drink the equivalent of a bottle of prosecco plus a few cocktails or shots if I'm with friends on a weekend evening.

Probably a handful of glasses a year. I don't really like the taste unless it's heavily masked with some kind of sugar or soft drink and I'm a lightweight. I particularly dislike alcohol with a strong taste, like wine or whiskey, and things that are bitter like beer.

I don’t drink often, only socially and nowadays I’m more likely to meet friends for coffee or lunch/ dinner and not to centre meet ups around alcohol. I suppose I probably drink 5-10 times a year, a few work dos and a few celebrations with friends usually. I do tend to binge drink when I’m out though, I find it hard to stop after a few and not to just keep drinking until I’m wasted. Only time I can stop at one is if I’m driving and know I have no choice.

I think the turning point for me was realising what a unit of alcohol actually looks like - smaller than most people realise. So a couple of glasses of wine can vary a lot, anything from 4 to 6+ units, especially if you're pouring your own at home.

The recommendation is no more than 14 units a week, which when you're drinking at home is easy to exceed if you're thinking in terms of drinks rather than units.

Yeah it's really calorific, and expensive too.

We only really drink when we have been invited to an event like a celebration of some sort now. I worked out we'd drank on ten occasions last year.

We have done dry January/February for years but have decided to extend it to end of March this year when my DH turns 40. We are both starting to feel like we'd happily completely stop drinking altogether.

We used to drink every Saturday and would binge drink. Then in Summer 23, we just decided we didn't want to drink as much anymore and just stopped the weekly Saturday drinking. I do prefer not being hungover as often now and when we do drink now, we don't binge and are more productive the next day rather than wasting it hungover, which I definitely don't miss .

I dont drink much at home and can go weeks with nothing and then might have 2 glasses of wine on a weekend night or if we go out for a meal. I throw away so many half drunk bottles.

I do drink much more if I'm out with friends and definitely when I'm with my sisters and lose all sense of sensible drinking once I've had a third glass, however my hangovers really put me off drinking regularly.

Not much compared to many.

I have one pint after my weekly walk with a friend, then if we go out on a weekend I might have 3-4 G&Ts. I tend to feel sick once I've had a few so I know my limits.

DH drinks a lot more than me - he will drink 3 days out of 7 and would have on average 6 pints (way too much imo but he reckons it's way less than his friends so that makes him virtually teetotal)

I always drink under 14 units a week because I'm on medication which can harm the liver if I drink more than the govt guideline amount. Usually a bottle of 10% wine on a Saturday and a couple of beers on a Friday (all checked out with my consultant and monthly liver function tests are always excellent).

However a few times a year I have a break from my meds because the side effects are pretty awful - I don't want to feel ill over my birthday, while on holiday or at Christmas, for example. Then I have a bit more, if I fancy it.

Can't remember the last time I was drunk or had a hangover, though. I never drink enough for either.

I don't really drink, maybe a couple glasses of wine a year but that is it.

Honestly? Too much recently, so I'm doing my annual January cutting down after a very boozy Christmas. I have a faulty off-switch when it comes to wine, so I know I have to watch myself.

Aged 60, grown up DC, DH a moderate drinker.

My OH will have 1-2 cider cans a night to wind down after work and maybe 3-4 on a Friday or Saturday night, however he's broken his collarbone ATM and for some reason hasn't wanted a drink at all! (The broken collarbone wasn't a drunken accident, was playing football lol) Which proves it's definitely a work related relief.
For me I'll have one or two glasses of wine every month or so, so I'm pretty much a non drinker, I have 3 young children and I get such bad hangovers I hate it lol.
If we go out for dinner I'll have one small glass with my dinner and let OH drink so I'm always the designated driver. However, we have a 40th birthday party soon and we intend to have plenty to drink (dreading the hangover already lol). Me and OH are both mid thirties.

Interestingly though, my parents were heavy drinkers but not 'alcoholics' as they never drank in the day but I'd say they were more functional alcoholics meaning they have never gone a day without at least one drink in the evening. My dad died 4 years ago (unrelated to alcohol) but I know not to call my mum after 6pm for a lift/ babysitting as she'll be on her wine by then!

Well done @Flicitytricity - I know you say you've had no problems, but it's still a big deal.

Nothing at the moment (pregnant). In normal times, not very much anymore.

A couple of beers or glasses of wine if I'm out with friends, 4 absolute max.

At home I might have a bottle of beer or a glass of wine in the evening, but not every night (a couple of times a week) and rarely more than one.

I find alcohol makes me feel much worse these days and feeling hungover isn't an option with toddlers.

Wouldn't judge what others drink, unless it makes them a bad drunk.

I drink 4-5days a week and way to much when i do.

I think that's a lot these days, your husband is probably over the guideline amount. I don't know anyone who drinks every day, anymore.

We share a bottle of wine maybe once every few months, and have 1 or 2 in a restaurant occasionally.

Teetotal since 18. Husband might have a cold beer on a summer's evening once or twice a year. Alcohol just doesn't feature in our lives.

I'm doing dry January because my drinking was out of control.
At my worst? Three quarters of a bottle of wine per night, every night. If I had no wine, 3 or 4 vodka and tonics, and I didn't measure anything.
I've had no problem stopping and going forward would like to remain AF, but taking things a day at a time at the moment.

Ideally, I'd like to have a couple of drinks on a night out, or share a bottle of wine with a nice meal. Realistically, unlikely!

Exactly 40 years old, two kids in primary, teetotaller.

DH 42, I'd say 3 or 4 beers across the course of a year, so effectively teetotal.