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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be very worried about about my siblings alcohol consumption levels

21 replies

beobelle · 22/10/2010 23:45

Just got back in after going out for Friday night drinks with db and dsis. In the space of 3 hours they have got absolutely hammered out of their minds. What started as a nice night out with a bottle of red descended into vodka shots being lined up and downed. Neither of them knew where they were by the end and I had to sort out a taxi for them otherwise I don't think they'd of got home. Db is 19 and dsis 23 so they are young and so maybe I'm being a boring old cow.

OP posts:
SheWillBeLoved · 22/10/2010 23:47

They're young, it's friday night, although getting to that state is fucking stupid at any age and on any day of the week. Feel sick just imagining the hangover tomorrow! Envy

dertitude · 23/10/2010 00:05

YANBU but neither are they. They're still young and I have to confess me and my db have drunk ourselves silly in sibling rivalry in the past. They will pay for it in the morning.

DioneTheDiabolist · 23/10/2010 00:09

What Dertitude said. As a woman of (ahem) somewhat advanced years, what the government term 'binge drinking' is what we would have called Friday night. I guess that we were fortunate in that all we had to worry about was the hangover, now young people have the guilt and worry to deal with too.

baildonwen · 23/10/2010 00:25

I would be very worried that they think this is the way to behave, what would they have done if you weren't there to get them home. They could both have been raped/beaten/robbed. I wouldn't have let my db get that drunk if they were out with me but I admit I am very forceful and my db even at 23yo still doesn't argue with me when he knows I'm serious.

SolidButShamblingUndeadBrass · 23/10/2010 00:30

If they are doing that every night then maybe there's a need to worry. But once in a while, at their age, it really isn't a big deal.

midlandsmumof4 · 23/10/2010 00:40

YABU & boring....lol. Went out last friday for a family meal with my 3 sisters & nieces-6 in total. Three of us stuck to lager-the other 3 drank 3 bottles of wine between them.... [hgrin]. Oldest 67-youngest 24.......

midlandsmumof4 · 23/10/2010 00:44

BTW.......good on you for getting them home safely. They probably wouldn't wouldn't have got into such a state otherwise.

TacticalNameChange · 23/10/2010 01:13

I'm not sure you could do anything even if you feel you should. Telling them off would probably mean they'd just be less likely to go out with big sis again anytime soon.

It's lovely that you care, my brothers would just find me hilarious, but, depending on your relationship, it'd be hard to do anything without alienating them.

byrel · 23/10/2010 09:00

YABU they're very young and didn't we all do things like that when we were their age. Provided they do it every night then its no big deal. Good on you for making sure they got home safely.

popelle · 23/10/2010 10:18

YANBU but they are young and I bet it became a I can drink more than you. They'll probably have a couple of sore heads this morning. Your dsis should be mmaturing beyond stuff like this soon though.

Opinionatedfreak · 23/10/2010 10:20

Errrmmm.... the fact that lots of other people do it doesn't make it right.

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that the amount we are drinking as a nation is harming our health.

The safe drinking advice has been deliberately rewritten to state that woman should drink no more than 3 units (3 single measures of spirit) and men no more than 4 units in any single day.

In addition, there is a huge increase in alcohol fuelled violence and being this incapacitated by alcohol automatically puts you at risk from a number of crimes/ accidents.

I myself would freely admit to not following my own advice at all times. However it has been a very long time since I have been incapable. The lack of serious hangover is also brilliant!

It is difficult to bring the topic up without sounding 'preachy' though so good luck.

arfasleep · 23/10/2010 10:29

Would say don't worry unless it is a regular thing, ok now & again (ie not every weekend or every other weekend). I speak as a (now) old and boring Wink but when younger would def do that now & again with DP. Think occasional blowout ok & resulting hangover, severe embarassment for anything done 'the night before' Grin is enough to not usually make it a regular occurence.

zerominuszero · 23/10/2010 10:38

YABU if it's only once a week, if that's their idea of fun, who are you to judge? Are we all supposed to live like nuns so that we can live to be 100? Personally I'd rather have some fun and live till 70, or whatever.

Though if it's more than once a week then you are being more reasonable.

Chil1234 · 23/10/2010 12:05

YANBU if it's a regular occurrence. Heavy drinking goes on, of course. But drinking to the point of passing out, not knowing where you are or experiencing memory loss the following day is not a good thing - regardless of how young or foolish you might be. Apart from health concerns, it puts young people (men as well as women) in a pretty vulnerable place.

Original poster
beobelle · 23/10/2010 12:30

Just spoken to my mum who says they both threw up last night when they got home and are both in bed nursing hangovers.

OP posts:
peeringintothevoid · 23/10/2010 12:34

"It is difficult to bring the topic up without sounding 'preachy' though so good luck." Yes Opinionatedfreak, and you didn't manage it.... [hgrin]

As someone else said.. YANBU, but neither are they, really. It's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world. Just hope the hangover this morning teaches them a lesson... [hgrin]

baildonwen · 23/10/2010 15:01

I'm not going to say anything but I was just surprised at the speed in which a nice friday drink transformed into I can drink more vodka than you and them both pouring vodka down their throats.

Giddyup · 23/10/2010 15:06

I would be more worried about their alcohol consumption if they had had that much and were not absolutely plastered IYSWIM [hsmile]

Joolyjoolyjoo · 23/10/2010 15:06

I'm trying to remember back to the glorious age of 19....nope, its all gone in an alcoholic fug!

Actually, it isn't. I have some really good memories, but most of the best nights DID involve a lot of drinking. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but it doesn't necessarily mean they won't be boring old fuckers by the age of 35. Ahem. Then, when they are sitting in watching X-factor every Saturday from then until death, they can remember the mad days and smile, like I do!

Chil1234 · 23/10/2010 15:18

The speed-drinking just to get drunk is definitely a new thing. 20-odd years ago when I was a student we certainly went through a lot of drinks and by the end of the evening there would be a few people who had had too much. We'd start with a few in the pub, transfer to a club at closing time and the drinks were plentiful but spread out over many hours. But we didn't 'drink to get drunk', especially... no downing of shots to be macho or sinking a bottle of vodka before even leaving the house.

musicmadness · 23/10/2010 16:02

Speaking as a student and as someone in the, ahem, correct age range for this, people pre drink because it is too expensive to go to the pub for a few then move on to the clubs. It is much cheaper to down some vodka at home then head straight for the club. Same overall effect. It isn't drinking to get drunk as such, its drinking to have a good time and is what the weekly budget can cope with.

OP: your brother and sister were a bit stupid but it isn't anything unusual at their ages and they might not have done it if you weren't there. They new there was someone responsible to keep an eye on them and make sure they are ok IYSWIM. If I go out in a group of friends someone is designated as the person to get anyone who is too drunk home (we take it in turns). I can count on one hand the amount of times it has been needed though and this is in a large group.

Maybe I'm just lucky in that I never seem to get a hangover no matter how much I drink [hwink]

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