AIBU to think daytime alcohol demand points to a wider problem?

Surely it’s about what time you’re drinking it, not what time you buy it?

The other thing you’ve pointed out to point to a problem of course, drinking in the foyer of a supermarket?!

People do buy alcohol in their supermarket shopping to drink another time! Why do you think they’ll all be necking it at 9.15am?

It sounds like what you’re talking about though is people who are drunk and disorderly during the day in the shops. That is certainly indicative of wider social problems in many city centres.

That said, I’m a recovering alcoholic. I very rarely was at the shop buying wine at 9am. Unless it was to go into a picnic lunch we were having later that day. I mostly bought alcohol after 3-4pm. It didn’t stop me drinking 200 units a week though.

I think that's the point PP makes. Someone with an alcohol dependency would know they can't buy it before 10am. Someone buying an occasional bottle might not realise or forget..

I try not to judge too much.

Some are buying for later in the day and it happens to be the time they go shopping. Others, they are alcoholics and they go super early to start drinking again.

I have had an alcohol problem before. I was going through a divorce, single mum to SEN child, enduring ongoing emotional and financial abuse from my ex which involved the police (blackmail etc). Admittedly, I turned to alcohol, really to try and turn off my busy brain for a bit. I frequently opened my alcohol as soon as I completed the afternoon school run and this continued until bedtime.

A really horrible stage in my life, and it likely lasted for around a year or so until I got a handle on it. It wrecked my health (blood levels, vitamin deficiencies), put on weight and took away from hobbies, family time etc.

I now only drink about once per week, to unwind.

If someone goes into the supermarket at 7am and buys four lamb chops, a pack of loo rolls, some shower gel and a tub of ice cream do you assume they're going straight home to use them all immediately? Or would you, like any normal person, just think they were buying things they'd run out of and usually keep in the cupboard and/or whatever they were planning to have for their tea that night?

This.

And when my friends and I meet up we do daytime drinking and are tucked up in bed by 10.30pm!

This happens to me at least once a year even though I know the rules.
I just completely forget and want to buy alcohol for an event later that week.

I bought a bottle of wine the other day at 7.30am. I was for a colleague as a thank you for something she’d done for me outside of work, so I picked it up on the way in. Surely the habitual daytime drinkers would know the 10am rule where you are? It’s more likely that those who’ve tried to buy it are those who buy alcohol rarely.

I often do my shopping before work and will buy wine (and even spirits!) long before 10:00. I walk my dog and go to the gym of a morning, along with shopping. I prefer to get all the 'tasks' done so that I have a free evening.

I realise that turning up sozzled to buy alcohol (at any time, I would argue) is an issue but I also think it is a pretty stupid rule to now allow sales of alcohol before 10:00. It isn't going to stop those with problematic drink habits, it may even exacerbate the issue by encouraging them to 'stock up'.

Quite.

I bought 6 bottles of wine yesterday before 10am. I like going to the supermarket at that time because it’s quiet, and I bought 6 bottles of wine because we didn’t have any left and there’s a discount when you buy 6. (I don’t actually approve of the discount, but hypocritically I do take advantage of it).

None of the wine has yet been drunk. I don’t drink at all and my husband will have one bottle over the course of the weekend. Assuming no visitors, those 6 bottles will last us 6 weeks.

I was one of those people who got turned down last week - in M&S in Edinburgh, no less!!
I was on my way to work, and was buying a leaving gift for one of our team. I was to get flowers and a bottle of fizz for her. It was about 08:30, and I was made to feel like I had a drink problem, by the very Morningside shop assistant! (Had to run out again at lunchtime to get it.....)

That's interesting, I didn't know that (England).
I often do the regular Aldi shop right after school drop off so 9am ish, and buy wine for the weekend etc

What is the "wider problem" exactly? As a pp has said, there are lots of actual stats, not 'my friend who works in tesco' that show overall people are drinking less nowadays.

You've heard second hand about 2 instances of people being drunk midday. That's hardly reflective on the other 99.99999% of the population doing the same!

There's no reason why the small amount of people trying to buy alcohol before 10am weren't doing so to drink responsibly, and that was just the time they were doing their weekly shop. I agree with them, it is a stupid rule! If you are an alcoholic starting drinking at 10am rather than 9.59am isn't going to make any difference.

Many/most do have shutters or at least cordon the aisles off. That’s what’s reminded me when I’ve gone to buy not paying attention to the time so not actually made it to the till to be refused

I agree with the person who mentioned about polarising and it is reflected in the number of younger people who do not drink at all.

I think supermarkets could easily help themselves by having shutters down over the alcohol section when not allowed to sell it.

When me and DH worked hospitality we did day drink at random times mid week. With our other hospitality friends most of the time. I do agree there’s a lot of problem drinkers in Scotland (and personally I don’t think the 10-10 rule addresses the real problems) but some people say drink because of shift work, or they’re stocking up with their big shop.

The rules are bloody annoying. The amount of times I’ve been caught out trying to buy a bottle as a gift when the only convenient time I can get to the store is in the morning!

I’m an early riser so I quite often do my weekly shop at a 24 hour supermarket at 5am or 6am. Often that would include some wine or beer. It doesn’t mean I’m going to drink it at 7am with my cornflakes.

I worked permanent nights for three year ,s some times after my last night shift i woukd have a few glasses of wine

I went to Aldi at 8am and bought a bottle of wine along with my shop, doesn't mind I'm going to drink it now!

It’s normally beer for those starting to drink at 9am.

From seeing the men back and forth early on helps when you hear the shop keeper go another 6 already??

I’ve purchased alcohol on the morning school run before as either gifts or to give with dinner later that evening. Just because I purchase it at 9am doesn’t mean I’m about to crack it open.

I used to walk past a Tesco on my way into work. I often used to pop in for snacks or juice and I ALWAYS had a look down the wine aisle to see what offers were on.

My DH worked shifts at the time, so we used to have our weekend nights midweek.

I now work shifts and start at 3am. Whilst I don't drink on my days on, I do on my days off. And because my body clock is now screwed, you will find me having a drink a lot earlier in the day than i used to!