Do most people drink alcohol every day?

[Fingernail]

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?

I do stoptober and dry January every year.

This year I've already done Oct and I'm probably doing dry January AND February because I still go back to old habits after a month and I think I need to break the cycle a bit.

I can happily drink a bottle of wine in a night, and do so many times a week.

But weirdly I actually really look forward to my dry months as it's like I'm giving myself permission not to drink. The little voice in my head after work that says 'you've had a hard day, have some wine' is snuffed out during dry months. I don't even think about it.

I drink out of habit and boredom rather than dependency I think.

@09:56Wildorchidz have you got a source for the increase in meat and alcohol sales? I googled and couldn't find anything.

Don't understand all the sneering about dry January. While I personally wouldn't announce it on social media, it's s good time to establish new habits. I always cut down a lot on alcohol after December, where I drink far too much (like many people, and no, I don't get crazy wasted, but there is just a lot of booze at a lot of social events I go to). For some people it's easier to cut something out complete rather than cut down. Fair play. How anyone can be so negative about people taking responsibility for their health is beyond me.

I probably have a drink or two 3/4 nights of the week. I'd probably benefit from a dry January but I don't want to.

I rarely drink, will go out every few months and have some so these dry challenges go over my head.

I go months without drinking. Especially now I have DD, I wouldn't ever drink to excess while she was in the house, and my DH doesn't really drink either so a bottle of wine would just be wasted.

I don't drink but I have noticed that most people I know seem to drink pretty much every day and seem to be itching to open a bottle of wine in the evenings. They seem to tolerate it ok and don't seem drunk so I assume they must be fairly used to it. I have one friend who admits that she is an alcoholic and it's causing her serious health problems. I don't know what to say that can help her because now she has an addiction, knowing it's not doing her any good isn't going to solve the problem.

If your drinking isn’t excessive you wouldn’t feel the need for dry January. If you need dry January surely you have a problem, bigger than a months abstinence

This is such a silly attitude. Even if people (like me!) only drink once or twice a week (not a problem), giving up for a month probably won't affect your health much BUT if it makes you feel healthier and that you've achieved something then it's a jolly good thing.

I definitely drink too much over Christmas, which is why I do dry January - to ‘reset’.
I imagine a lot of people do it for the same reason. It goes well with overhauling your duet, hitting the gym etc.

I like a bottle of beer, g&t, glass of wine or a port at 9pm. Sit down, relax. Most nights i do it, but just the one. I don’t go to pubs drinking, and and never get drunk as I dont drink enough.

But dry January? Fuck off! Never!

I wonder if knowing you CAN'T have something makes you want it more. Like being on a diet, suddenly you want all the bad foods.

Not for me. I do dry Jan and sober October and have done for 3 or 4 years now. I look forward to it.

Over the Christmas holidays, I drank every day, some nights opening and finishing a bottle of fizz myself.
Dry Jan for me is to reset my mindset, hopefully shift a few lbs and save £££.

I started my own alcohol free thing in December. I did have a bit of a problem but only on weekends but still. I can honestly see me not having a drink again.

I honestly can't remember the last time I had a drink. Probably over 6 months ago.

I don't drink at all. Well, maybe half a glass of champagne at a wedding or something because generally people seem to perceive it as "being difficult " if I decline. Quite a lot of people judge me for not drinking even though I don't criticise their drinking habits.
That said, I think a lot of people don't realise how much more than the recommended amounts they do drink. The maximum recommended amount is 14 units a week, which is less than a bottle and a half of wine. A couple of drinks every night takes you well over that. If dry January helps some people realise that they need to cut back then that is a good thing.

I hardly drink. Less than 5 times per year I'd say and that would be one drink, not getting drunk. So I suspect I'll do dry January but not because I'm actively trying but because I simply don't see that I'll have an occasion in which I'd drink. Never get the urge to drink indoors, I love tea and can't stand wine at all.

@MAFIL I also get the "being difficult" thing. Sometimes people just can't see that you can be perfectly happy not to drink.

I can't stand it either when you go out for a meal for a friend's birthday for example (their other friends you may not know are there) and you don't want to drink but they still want to split the bill in equal share. I have had a chicken korma, rice and a water before and the group expected me to pay £40 plus tip. Uh no.

Haven't rtft but I think dry January is just a way to sort of detox over what is usually a heavy festive month of drinking. I don't think its meant to be a cure for alcoholism

I drink alcohol, love a glass or two of wine after work or a couple in the pub of a weekend. Cant remember the last time I got drunk though and I don't drink every day either.

Tbh I find people who don't need to drink turn their noses up at people who enjoy a drink, almost like they use it to polish their halo.

I dont normally drink alcohol. I hadn't had any from January 2019-December 2019. Christmas day and boxing day I had a baileys with ice. I will probably not drink again until Christmas 2020! I too cannot believe the amount of facebook posters, struggling to abstain from alcohol merely a week after Christmas?! Crazy.

I have plenty of friends who drink a glass of wine or have a beer with dinner every night. Hardly makes them alcohol dependent, except on MN .

I love a gin or a glass of wine in the evening, never get drunk though and would never say I have a problem. I’m doing dry January to kick start my marathon training. My colleague is also doing it but after a stressful day just text to say he’d got out of the shower and opened a beer. Failure three days in!

I too cannot believe the amount of facebook posters, struggling to abstain from alcohol merely a week after Christmas?! Crazy.

People are aware that alcohol is addictive right? And that it's a massively widely used product. And that people are different from them.

I mean I don't struggle at all with Dry January. But I'm not astounded that some people do. It's not quantum mechanics.

I’m bloody loving Dry January. Well, actually stopped on the 29th. I love getting mildly pissed, it’s fun and I’ve had some fabulous nights out over the past twenty years. I stop in January because I love setting myself a challenge and meeting it. I’ve got strong willpower (lost 5 stone, stopped smoking, ran a half marathon). Nothing more, nothing less.

Already looking forward to a very good glass of wine on the 1st Feb.

This thread is like a load of healthy-weight people queuing up to say that they can’t understand why people go on diets, because they personally don’t like the taste of cake.

Surely if people are acknowledging that they’ve been drinking too much recently and are trying to do something about it, they should be encouraged, not accused of being fully blown alcoholics. The people queuing up to brag that they only have three drinks a year or whatever is bizarre.

Anyone having more than a couple of glasses a week is considered an alcoholic on Mumsnet.

I have a large glass or two of wine with my evening meal nearly every night, I enjoy it, I can afford it.

I do appreciate it’s probably not good for my health/weigh so I will try to cut down to just weekends. (Having said that my dad is 90, in excellent health & drinks every single day ).