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 did dry January a couple of years ago, and I think my FB posts about it made all my friends think I was an alcoholic. Despite them all drinking wine and gin every single day. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Loads of people who dry Jan don't drink every day sparkly

Do any of you nay sayers ever meet any people in RL? Some of you have a really bizarre attitude towards people. Or are you just incredibly naive?

I only drink socially, booze at home just languished in the cupboard.

I have no problem going without booze if I just stay in, or do non alcohol social stuff.

Meeting friends at a bar or similar is the only time I'd struggle.

I don't think most people drink daily no, maybe at weekends, with friends or out to dinner etc. I also don't think you need to be an excessive drinker to do dry JAN, usually it's a health thing following the holiday period.

I never get why so many people on here are judgemental about alcohol. When often those same people are, for example, over weight, and would struggle to cut back their food intake for jan.

What's the saying? People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones...

The last time I ate sweets or chocolate was about a month ago. We had a house filled with chocolate over Christmas and I didn't feel the need to eat any. I just watched other people eating it and felt quizzical about why they were doing it

I never get why so many people on here are judgemental about alcohol. When often those same people are, for example, over weight

This seems like a massive non sequitur!

Yes, similar to the smoking threads. Someone posts for advice on giving up (bloody hard, I did it years ago) and loads of judgemental people start saying things like “ooh, why did you start in the first place, you know it will kill you”. I suspect a lot of those posters are overweight (given that 60% of the population are) and would struggle to give up crisps, never mind tobacco.

I suppose it gives them the opportunity to gloat.

This seems like a massive non sequitur!

Why? It's very clear from my complete sentence I was referring to over indulging in food. How can someone be judgemental about over indulging in alcohol when they themselves consistently over indulge in something else, be it food or whatever. It's just a different poison.

Yep, Betty. I vape now, but apparently on MN that's as bad as smoking. It's just a sounding board to be a sanctimonious dick. I have a glass of wine with dinner probably 3-4 nights a week. 1. Not large. But sweets of any sort, nah. I don't like sweets or chocolate. I'll suck on boiled sweets whilst on long rambles because they give you energy without causing stomach cramps, but that's about it. I understand for some people they have a real sweet tooth or eat too much and struggle with food.

I have had a very, erm, festive December and I want to have a dry January so that it doesn’t become a habit. My DH always has a glass of wine or a beer in the evening and it is very tempting! If I lived alone I would drink less as I wouldn’t buy it!

To put what some PPs are saying in perspective: according to ONS, in 2018 there were 7,551 alcohol specific deaths compared to 77,900 smoking related deaths in 2016.

Obesity as a cause of death is harder to measure because it’s normally a contributing factor, but the WHO estimates that cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally - although smoking will be a contributing cause as well.

I understand the need to reset after the festive period. And each to their own, I don’t judge people either way.

I feel moderation is better in general. And if dry January helps people do that then great.

It doesn’t work like that for me, if I make an issue of something, be it chocolate, a certain food, wine, and deny myself it, I’ll just want it more...

I don’t drink every day and I find I naturally just cut down in January without thinking about it. I do like a glass of wine though, so I’ll have one. When I want.
I eat healthily, I don’t smoke, I exercise regularly. I feel, for me, moderation works better in the long term.

Agree with the above posters that there are too many sanctimonious people on here, who may be overweight, smoke, binge on chocolate yet question people who like a glass of wine or two and can’t understand why they won’t just give it up. How hard can it be? Well we don’t need to give it up and wouldn’t dream of telling you to exercise 4 times a week (how hard can it be?) give up chocolate for a month? Surely that’s easy, what’s wrong with you? Etc.

I share a bottle with DH most notes and we have a bottle each on Fridays and Saturdays. I don't drink on Sunday's. I have a house full of spirits which I don't ever bother with but I love the relaxing rituals of opening a bottle, sitting down with a glass and a book at night. I have done a few Dry January's for charity. Once you get out of the habit of having a drink it's not hard. I give up wine far easier than my saintly non drinking friends give up chocolate!

Fishcakey - me too - I'm sure that's normal but not on here!

Lordy, I don't get all the non drinkers to be honest unless they're religious or I'll but am not arsey about it. In my life and friendship group we all have drinks with dinner, go out for pints, have a wine when cooking etc. I don't socialise with any non drinkers. That's not a conscious choice, just that everyone I want too see socially likes a drink!

I did over Christmas and I do on holiday but the rest of the time it's weekends only. I'm planning on retiring at the end of this year and I know I'll have to be more careful then.
I hate stuff like dry January but if that's what some people are into then fair enough, whatever

Not every day, no, but most weekends I’ll have a drink or 5
Drank more over the last couple of weeks due to more socialising than usual, being off work for 2 weeks and going on holiday.
I enjoy January because it bookmarks the end of a significantly unhealthy (although thoroughly enjoyable) Christmas period and I look forward to effectively cleansing myself!
I always have a dry September for the same reasons - August is holiday month, no work/school, More alcohol than usual and a lot more cake/treats.

I find it as interesting how many of my work colleagues cannot walk past cake or chocolate at work. If it's there, they eat it. Sometimes 2-3 slices, 6-7 Quality Street.

I can easily not eat any. But deny me my 2 glasses of wine a night.... 😂😂

Alcohol excess is bad. Obesity is bad. Smoking is bad. Inactivity is bad.

But luckily Mumsnet to the rescue!

Oh, the virtue.

😂

The only people I know who never drink are religious or in recovery. Every single friend I have other than that would have a glass of wine once in a while (at least)

Who are all these tea drinking teetotallers??

@trewser That's what I want to know!

I think it depends on your work/social life.

I’m doing dry jan/feb... (sponsorship) however I’ve got 9 parties and 6 out of hours functions to attend, as well as catch up with friends.

Normally I’d have a glass of wine at each of these events, then there is the weekend, I love nothing more than sitting on a Friday night/sat night relaxing in the bath with a glass of wine watching Netflix or some other random TV.

Guess we all have our vices. I struggle not to have something sweet after a meal. Never occurs to me to have a drink in the house. The gin I bought in for Christmas hasn’t been opened. Just never fancied it.
I would never do a dry January though as I like to drink socially and would miss it at a meal out. Also I always seem to have a lot of social events in January due to birthdays and things that got postponed due to illness over Christmas. Everyone seems to be ill over Christmas.

I think people tend to go over the recommended limits for drinking in December, hence wanting to give their liver a complete break in January.

I personally think it's a crap time of year to give up alcohol and just go back to normal, moderate drinking instead.

I hardly drink these days, just one or two units a month. I thought of doing dry January but I found I was thinking about alcohol more than I normally would and I didn’t like the pressure of it being forbidden. If I drank a lot I don’t think dry January would help me.

The only people I know who never drink are religious or in recovery

Not religious and certainly not in recovery. Why is it so hard to believe that people don’t need or want to drink alcohol? Just like some don’t smoke.