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Original poster

Do most people drink alcohol every day?

218 replies

Fingernail · 03/01/2020 14:48

My FB is full of dry January; mostly people lamenting how awful/difficult it is

I drink very rarely, so it’s not a thing but made me wonder if most people would struggle with an alcohol free month?

OP posts:
Taddda · 03/01/2020 15:25

I think it's quite a good thing to do if you have a regular drink just to have a bit of a self check on how difficult you actually find it.
For people who drink very rarely I'd say dont bother, what's the point?

ComtesseDeSpair · 03/01/2020 15:25

I drink far “too much” by NHS guidelines and probably a lot more than many people. But it’s normal in my social circle and I generally believe that alcohol is only a problem when it starts to negatively impact upon your day to day life and affect your interpersonal relationships.

ShatnersWig · 03/01/2020 15:26

Finished work on Xmas Eve. Went back to work yesterday. Over that holiday period I had one glass of champagne on Xmas Day, one glass of champagne on New Year's Eve and one pint of cider on New Year's Day.

Never been a drinker, never been pissed once, and don't understand people, especially in their 40s like me, who get pissed every Friday and/or Saturday every single week.

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ParkheadParadise · 03/01/2020 15:27

We usually have a drink at night after dd is in bed. One night a week dd stays with Inlaws. We always go out for dinner that night and have several drinks.
We also have a drink at the weekend. Most people I know do the same.

CrowleysBentley · 03/01/2020 15:27

I know several people that clearly have issues with alcohol who white knuckle and complain their way through dry January, invariably finding some excuse to finish it early like a gig or party. They say if you can manage dry January then you don't have a drink problem, which is clearly total bollocks.

I used to be a big drinker, but I stopped entirely for well over a year because hangovers from even small amounts of alcohol became horrendous. Now I have the odd drink here and there, I had a few over Christmas and new year. Before that I think that the last time I had any alcohol was July. I will be taking DS out for a few nice beers and a curry tomorrow on his 21st (he's out celebrating a day early with friends tonight). After that I probably won't drink for a while, though there are always a few spirits and some wine in the house, I really do prefer a nice cup of tea generally.

instapaints · 03/01/2020 15:27

I drank excessively in my late teens/early twenties. Turned 24 and I don't know why but for some reason the taste of alcohol suddenly started to repulse me. Have not had a drink since!

sugarbum · 03/01/2020 15:29

Over the Christmas holidays - yes I have a drink most days, and that's why I feel the need for a dry January. I like a drink when I'm not working the next day, and it becomes and easy (and expensive) habit especially when both DH and I are in that same mindset.

Most normal weeks I drink on a Friday and Saturday night ( I can put a bottle away myself each night easily but most weekends I have one bottle over two nights)

This is why I've gone dry January. Its not set in stone. Its just a goal to get me out of the habit.

needanewnamechange · 03/01/2020 15:30

I don't get dry January to me it's people who hardly drink anyway or the ones who have been hitting it a bit too much and prove to themselves they don't have a drink problem but as soon as February kicks in will be back to old ways .
I like a glass of wine and will have one most evenings ( lately anyway ) can go without it though as I did before Christmas so will cut down a bit only cause I want to loose a bit of weight . I never drink more than a couple of glasses I don't like getting drunk.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 03/01/2020 15:32

No, I don't.

I don't do Dry January as I only have a couple of drinks at home on a Friday and Saturday night, I enjoy it and I don't have a problem with alcohol.

I do know people that have wine every night with dinner for example, I couldn't drink that often.

2020BetterBeBetter · 03/01/2020 15:32

Over the last year, perhaps even two years, I have had three alcoholic drinks. I wouldn’t describe myself as teetotal but I would imagine most of my friends haven’t ever seen me drink.

PhoneLock · 03/01/2020 15:34

I believe if you drink everyday you have a problem with alcohol.

I don't believe you have a problem with alcohol unless you have to have a drink every day.

A glass of wine with a meal every day is pretty normal in many countries. France, for example.

imamearcat · 03/01/2020 15:34

Well I'm doing dry jan because I drink too much and trying to cut back. Doing it is surely better than not, so why pointless?

Pieceofpurplesky · 03/01/2020 15:34

Over the Christmas holidays I have probably had a drink everyday. In a normal week I won't have any at all. Maybe a glass on Friday. If I go out I will drink a bit lots.
Friends, however, have a drink every night and think I am 'good' to not.

PrincessSarene · 03/01/2020 15:37

I’ve done it once (before it was a “thing”) because I realised one Christmas that due to one event or another I had had at least one drink every day since about mid November! So I gave up for a month in order to break the pattern before it became a problem habit. It was easy in that I didn’t crave a drink per se, but it was difficult in that I would have liked a drink when out for dinner or at a party or meeting up with friends or... well, any occasion! So it was definitely good to have a kind of reset on my habits.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 03/01/2020 15:38

I dont really drink (1 drink a month if that) but I have friends who would drink 2/3 times a week just with wine with their dinner. In fact one friends idea of dry January was just not to drink Sunday-Wednesday.... apparently if you are middle class you can get away with drinking copious amounts of wine without raising an eyebrow

Gate14 · 03/01/2020 15:38

Exh used to have a drink every night. Not drunk drinking but he always wanted wine with his dinner. Funnily enough he got diagnosed with pre diabetes and high blood pressure after we split up and his new gf put him on a diet and no alcohol Grinand the diabetes never developed!

I know loads and loads of people who drink every day. It's not for me but there are so many people who get home from work, put their feet up and have a glass of wine

MrsTerryPratchett · 03/01/2020 15:42

I do dry January and sober 'tober every year. Studies show it reduces your alcohol intake all year and is a good discipline. I don't eat sugar in January either. Or processed carbs.

I find the po-faced attitude to it on here odd. So what if it doesn't cure all the worlds ills? So what if some people should be better year-round?People are trying to be a little healthier, why not support that?

I run all year round. I salute the people that manage to do it for a few weeks in January. Better than nothing. I do have a bit of a giggle at the shiny new trainers and clothes Grin when mine look like utter crap.

WorldsOnFire · 03/01/2020 15:43

The U.K. has a serious drinking problem.
It seems so very common to drink every night at home.

My feed is constantly full of photos of alcohol- with some caption about their shit day!

I don’t drink, amongst my parents and siblings this is normal. Everyone else asks if we’re ‘religious’ and then look disappointed when I say no.

As though they’d rather not acknowledge that not drinking through choice is a lifestyle option 👍🏻

MarshaBradyo · 03/01/2020 15:43

I don’t drink much so I agree it’s a bit pointless to do dry January.

Gate14 · 03/01/2020 15:46

It's great for your liver to have a month off the booze MrsTerryP (I am also a year round runner though I'm still as rubbish as when I first started running years ago!)

I'm doing dry January too - I just enjoy doing it as much as anything else!

instapaints · 03/01/2020 15:47

I don’t drink, amongst my parents and siblings this is normal. Everyone else asks if we’re ‘religious’ and then look disappointed when I say no.

The question I primarily get is 'how can you have fun if you don't drink'. My personal view is that if you can ONLY have fun when drinking, then that's a potential problem. I have nothing against drinking, not in the slightest. It just irks me when some people see it as a necessity and think that not drinking is 'weird' instead of it being a valid PERSONAL CHOICE on its own.

MrsTerryPratchett · 03/01/2020 15:47

I'm still as rubbish as when I first started running years ago!)

Me too. Pour encourager les autres.

lynsey91 · 03/01/2020 15:48

I don't drink very often and could easily go a month without drinking. I could probably do a year if I wanted to.

I couldn't go without tea though. Would struggle even for a couple of days!

VivaLeBeaver · 03/01/2020 15:48

Some friends of mine tried to do a dry November and failed miserably. They couldn’t cope with nights/meals out with no wine and also struggled with no Friday night wine at home.

Personally I already go months without a drink so a dry Jan would be easy for me.

Snog · 03/01/2020 15:50

British women now drinking on average 3 drinks per day according to this article

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/24/british-women-now-among-top-drinkers-world/amp/

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