To rant about alcohol and the way it's normalised?

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

It's EVERYWHERE and it's poisonous. People normalise it..."Oh...wine o'clock already tra la la!"

And all that shite.

It's responsible for thousands of deaths and injuries and trauma every year and yet it's the first thing people think of when they want to celebrate something.

Get this

3 May 2017: New figures released today show that hospital admissions due to alcohol are at their highest ever levels.

The data, summarised in a release from NHS Digital, shows that alcohol-related hospital admissions in England have increased by 64% over the last decade, with an extra 430,000 people being admitted due to alcohol-related causes in 2015/16 compared with 2005/06.

This takes the total number of alcohol-related hospital admissions to over 1.1 million in 2015/16.

And this

Alcohol is linked to over 60 illnesses and diseases, including heart disease, liver disease and cancer. Figures from the local alcohol profiles for England show that admissions due to liver disease have gone up 57% over the last decade, and that the number of people diagnosed with alcohol-related cancer has increased 8%.

How is this a lovely drink? How is this something that is ok to do in front of children and even to allow children to partake of?

People on MN often say "Oh I let my 12 year old have half a glass of wine...it's a good way to introduce it!"

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO!?

And new research points to the fact that it causes irreversable damage to stem cells, scrambling DNA and eventually causing cancers.

www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jan/03/alcohol-can-cause-irreversible-genetic-damage-to-stem-cells-says-study?CMP=fb_gu

Think about it. Society is not doing itself any favours.

I agree to a certain extent and I do hate the glamorisation of alcohol and how normal it is and how expected that people go out to "get pissed" but that said, I do enjoy the occasional glass of wine and our DC see us drink occasionally.

What would be your suggestion? Complete prohibition?

Well the same could be said about sugar or fat or caffeine. Should we ban everything? What about cars or planes and their omissions.

Alcohol isn't the issue it's the abuse. The overwhelming majority of the population drink responsibly.

I'd calm down if I was you.

Emissions!

The research, using genetically modified mice, provides the most compelling evidence to date that alcohol causes cancer by scrambling the DNA in cells, eventually leading to deadly mutations

Humans are not genetically modified mice. Last time I looked.

I don’t disagree. I have been a problematic drinker for years and the fact drinking is so normalised, especially as part of my work life, has made it much easier to brush it under the carpet.

Totally agree. I hate how it's 'normal'

I assume you don't drink then?

If alcohol was banned then it would be like drugs - driven underground. For reference think of the American prohibition period.

Alcohol is very agreeable and not dangerous when consumed responsibly, which is more than can be said for cigarettes.

It's just sad...I've seen so many lives ruined because of it. My parent's best friend drank himself to death aged 46...my own brother is a mess.

Mine and DH's friends are all starting to suffer health issues as we've hit our late forties and early fifties and I see that they drink heavily.

But "it's normal" "it's fine"

it's really not.

I agree but you and I will be deemed killjoys by many people on here and just society generally. I saw my alcoholic stepfather drink himself to death so I have always been wary of alcohol. Not teetotal but can go weeks even months without alcohol.

It's ingrained and when you think about it, all the countries that have the biggest issues with alcohol all have awful weather.

TBF, though Bluntness those foodstuffs aren't intoxicants and there are extra issues that come with intoxication, not least the tendency to keep drinking.

OP I do notice the booze culture much more since I was obliged to go (almost) teatotal by health issues. It does look different from the outside.

It is the same as anything else - everything in moderation. I wouldn't want it banned. Would you ban all sugar and fat due to all of the obese people in the UK?

If people are drinking more its because they are more stressed. Alcohol isn't any more attractive than it was last decade.
Our society is becoming pretty nasty and stressful. Lets tackle that and see what happens.

I do wonder when and how drinking at home became so normal for people. Thinking back to my childhood, it was only really some sherry and beers consumed at Christmas in our house, or if someone had a party. Even then it wasn’t til they got blotto. Even my more ‘fancy’ cosmopolitan friends parents didn’t drink wine at home. My two Granddads would occasionally go to the pub but again not to excess. So what started it? Was it the wider availability in supermarkets? 24 hour opening hours have certainly contributed I’m sure but it started before that.

It is the same as anything else - everything in moderation. I wouldn't want it banned.

It's not a ban v free for all issue, though, is it?

Policies can be tweaked to "nudge" a society away from excess.

A return to the old licensing laws would be good.

Scandi-style (I forget which countries specifically ) state off licences seem a good idea too, though I'm sure that proposal would be controversial.

You're right OP.

I had no idea how much damage it could do to a person until i met DH and his family.

Despite one of her DCs being a registered alcoholic MIL still pushes alcohol on everyone at every bloody social occasion as if we can't enjoy anything without it. It's the first thing she suggests when you're ill and it's her first question on ringing anyone to say happy birthday or whatever. ''Are you going to have a 'drinky tonight?/Have you managed to have a few?'' No actually. We're fine without it thanks. I don't think she knows she's doing it.

My mum died of an alcoholic cardiomyopathy after being a serious alcoholic for years. So I’ve seen first hand the terrible damage alcohol can do.

However, I agree with what @bluntness says. Alcohol is just one of the killers in our diet. Fatty, sugary food is another. Salt, caffeine, smoking etc. You can’t ban everything that kills and I personally wouldn’t want to. I enjoy a glass of wine with friends and it would be sad if I couldn’t do that because there is a minority who abuse alcohol.

Abuse and addiction is the problem. In my mum’s case, I think she was self medicating for her MH issues. I wonder how common it is for those who die from alcoholism to have MH issues too. Maybe you’re concentrating too much on the symptom when the cause is something else?

I’m also teetotal at the moment, as I’m 36 weeks pregnant.

Judashascomeintosomemone - I do wonder when and how drinking at home became so normal for people.

I think the price of it in pubs and clubs and the crack down on drink driving is the main cause. Both good things to be fair.

Was it the wider availability in supermarkets? 24 hour opening hours have certainly contributed I’m sure but it started before that.

YY, both of those.

I totally get you OP and it makes me sad too.
I got flamed few times when I said that I find binge drinking disgusting. I was told that the best cure for any life worries and troubles is to get pissed so I should let people "relax" the way they find best.
I got flamed when I said that looking at half naked young people stumbling on the street, vomiting and pissing is awful. Apparently I have no sense of fun.
I also got flamed for my opinions on your children seeing you hungover. I think it's bad but apparently it teaches the children the reality of life and responsibility for others when they need to fetch a bucket or a glass of water to their drunk Mum or Dad. And what other way to unwind from the stress than having a glass of wine. Or two. Or three, preferably full and preferably those jumbo glasses (originally thought to make the wine bouquet to develop but now used to fill it to the brim).
And no, I don't want to a medal for me or DH because our DD never saw us drinking too much, drunk or hungover. I think it's normal and it should be what any respectful parent is doing.

I think it's very unfortunate you know people who are alcoholics. I don't know any. In addition you say your friends ar suffering health issues, are you sure this is becaus of alcohol?

For me and my social circle, alcohol is enjoyable, none of us have health issues due to it and we would not wish to see it banned.

Your sphere of reference is different because you know so many abusers, but those abusers are a small part of the drinking population.

Coming across a bit pious op

IMO the Robles is not alcohol it’s the things that drive people to over drink and stop them spending time on more healthy pursuits.
If we worked shorter hours and had less stressful/precarious work lives and more positive family activities more sport and clubs and outdoor time then we wouldn’t need to drink so much.
Alcohol is not the root of the problem it’s an unhealthy coping mechanism, the problems are wider.

What the op is saying and paperdoll is giving an example is how the let's drink always mentality leads to it being totally normal and expected all the time.

I have read many threads on here where women are newly pg but don't want to share the information but they have a big night out soon. So because they know people will ask, cajole, berate them for no alcohol and try and make them drink they often lie and say they are on antibiotics. That's the issue just nice regular folk out for a do with work, old school friends getting together, Mums from school having a drink. They will question and you stand out as a non drinker. But because these people aren't sat on a park bench drinking special brew it's all nice and normal.

Adults often share their drinking stories. The UK when I was young appeared very straightlaced in some respects alcohol loosens those laces it alwqys has it means people with hidden unhappiness can lose themselves for a while and bring on what is really a not genuine happiness and freedom they can't feel when sober. For some with alcohol addiction issues it's really a coping mechanism and keeps them alive while also slowly killing them.

If you don't drink you stand out as different, I have always felt different so I'm perfectly happy to not give in to societal expectations. If people think less of me because I'm not drinking I don't care but many worry about what people think of them.

Is it wine o'clock yet?