Is alcohol going out of fashion?

[Shepherdspiemix]

Many of my close circle have cut right back & a few have gone teetotal. I understand to a point. They don't have time for hangovers etc. Just wondering is this a rising trend or just in my circle. I'm not a big drinker, I enjoy a few glasses of wine over the weekend but thinking of gradually phasing it out..

I never think Mumsnet posts about alcohol reflect real life at all.

The way people talk about alcohol on these threads, I find odd. I can't relate to most. All this talk of getting pissed. I don't get pissed. All this talk of menopausal anxiety because of alcohol, I can't relate to, even though I'm nearly post menopausal. Talk of hangovers and feeling shit - I don't get hangovers and I don't feel shit. Nothing wrong with my sleep. I do DJ, but I don't really get any benefits, I don't lose weight, I don't feel any better health wise. The only reason I do it, DJ, is because it's habit, and I don't find it particularly hard.

Hopefully by the time my dc are older alcohol will be seen as completely old fashioned!

My daughter (27) rarely drinks, her bf doesn't drink much and nor do their friends. We've cut back a lot ourselves - we've still got wine in the cupboard we bought for Christmas.

I think how we socialise is changing. My Dads generation seemed to all focus on the pub - popping in for a pint almost every day. Its how they maintained and made friendships. This eventually caught up with my dad and he died of liver failure age 59. The ward was filled with me his age. What I called recreational alcoholics.

Pubs closing down, price of alcohol rising, increase in social media to maintain friendships and more options are available to us now.

I'm 44 and have stopped entirely now. Since turning 40 it's become less appealing and I hate any sort of hangover and wasting my precious weekends. I've also had some health issues one of which alcohol makes way worse. Last time I drank it flared up badly for 2 weeks.

My friends are a mixed bag. Some have cut way down but a few drink like they always have but those are the ones who have a problem with alcohol tbh.

I did stop drinking for 2 years, but now drink again - in moderation and I monitor my units weekly. I really love the taste of red wine and frankly there are no AF alternatives remotely like it. But I do love Gordon's 0% gin and tonic.

If I feel my drinking becomes more than moderate I may give it up again.

I don't get pissed, don't get hangovers. Having been dry for 2 years the most noticeable benefit was that my skin improved but otherwise not much difference (except my bank balance).

Me and my friends , all recently retired , late 50s to early 60s have gone the other way . Like to go out for a few drinks if an afternoon just because we can . Only about once a month mind!

i I do love Gordon's 0% gin and tonic.

Gin and tonic itself is only about 8%. May as well have the real thing if you drink anyway. I haven't found any benefit between moderate drinking and being teetotal*, though there is definitely a difference between drinking too much and being teetotal/drinking moderately.

*Other than I definitely prefer having the odd drink.

I don’t really drink, I used to as a teen but only to fit in, and the older I got the less I cared about what other people think. Now I drink socially when out, not often at all, and if I don’t want to I just don’t. I think people care less these days, whereas there used to be a lot of peer pressure. Maybe it’s a age thing.

in my city and group, there’s still a lot of solely going out to get pissed. It doesn’t appeal to me but then it never has. Also I begrudge spending so much money on it.

DH likes a drink (bottle of wine once or twice a week) but he’s just done dry January, and he continued through February because he feels like the fog has lifted and he feels much better.

@Oblomov23 i agree that these threads are strange way to look at alcohol. The option seem to be: drink loads, get bloated, get hungover/hangxiety/act silly OR never drink/have a small sherry at Christmas, be “dry”, never felt better etc.

Where are all the many people like me who enjoy alcohol, rarely get drunk (I have about one hangover a year, which is plenty), know how to drink responsibly (I always have a glass of water on the go with my drinks), don’t make twats of themselves, don’t feel like shit all the time, and do genuinely enjoy the taste of alcoholic drinks? I know we’re out there! Not all drinkers are binging on the regular, unable to sleep, fat and hungover!

My DH gave up alcohol 13 years ago and back then people would constantly question why, try to push drinks on him etc. He says now, even when he meets new people, no one even comments any more. He also says the young people he works with don’t drink much as they’re all up at 6am gym classes!

I don’t know that many young people but the ones I do know I must say don’t drink much but they are much more likely to take recreational drugs at the weekend than my social circle was growing up where drugs weren’t a thing at all, apart from weed.

Unlikely

Fog, that's an excellent description!

As a young person I was never really bothered about drinking. I would drink 1 or 2 but just to fit in really. When i left Uni and got a job in the city drinking became much more of a daily occurrence. All social events involved alcohol. When we met a deadline we would spend all day afterward in the pub drinking with minimal food. I saw so many people's lives damaged just by behavior caused by heavy drinking - it was horrible. Everyone in my social circle did the same - it was very depressing. This was the 90s and I think now we understand just how bad alcohol can be for our health. I try to have a maximum of 1 drink that I really like (cocktail etc..) a couple of times a week and that's it. To be honest I find people who sit in pubs/bars just drinking and drinking really boring. Alcohol brings out the absolute worst in people. I like the feeling of the first drink - feeling a bit lightheaded and becoming more chatty and socialable - but I try to stick just to 1 in social settings. My life is all about health now - exercise, being outside, spending time with friends and family.

A pint and a gnt out this week was £17 so I think money plays a big role.
I am drinking less, for all sorts of reasons. The more I read about alcohol, the less I was to use it.

@RoseThornside
Very intriguing insight with your post

personally I am glad some people well its becoming more the trend to prefer drinking low alchol drinks/ and Botanical /cocktail Alchol free drinks

I think you're insightful intelligent comment is a good valid point one, to Consirder especially the link with cancer too...

I also think is having a quiet drinks with your families / friends at home with a take away meals or whilst outside at resturant/cafe is more popular ,
As its expensive having drinking binge sessions

I prefer cafe/restaurants culture good food and good company gets thumbs up thrown in good company around creavitive projects too

@Bchagall I agree. Total self-selection bias of low/no drinkers here!

I hear the young people are into doing 'prinks' (pre-drinks) and then it's Coke and Ket later in the evening. Very depressing.

Big drinker in 20s and 30s, but now... almost nothing. Partly because of responsibility, also do not like drinking at home. Socially I still like the pub but it is expensive. It's harder for the principle of rounds for young people. Drinks for six and in London that could easily be 60 to 70 quid.

I was a big boozer, but my hangovers started getting worse in my late 30s and I’d get horrific anxiety. I also noticed once I hit 40 that even a drink or two made me look haggard and tired the next day. It started to feel like a poison rather than a pleasure, so I went tee total 3 years ago and have never looked back.

three of my five closest friends gave also stopped drinking in recent years, for similar reasons.

No judgement to those who like a drink, though. Each to their own.

We are approaching 60. About half of our friends are now drinking hardly anything and doing the healthy eating thing and the other half are more or less functioning alcoholics.

I think most humans have vices . I can’t drink much as I can’t sleep then and sleep is everything to me as we are so busy at this time of our lives. However all those saying how incredibly unhealthy it is (in excess absolutely) and that it’ll be phased out like smoking might well be those who are very overweight. Apparently the average women’s clothes size now is 14!!!!
Im in Ireland and every second woman I see is overweight. So they might kick the alcohol but then there’s too much food , sugar. Alcohol and processed food body damage livers.