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 think the people who can genuinely enjoy the occasional alcoholic drink wouldn't bother posting on this thread, because they know they don't have a problem.

Those people getting all defensive about drinking alcohol most likely know (very deep down) that their need/choice/decision to drink on a virtually daily basis isn't a healthy or happy one.

"I think the people who can genuinely enjoy the occasional alcoholic drink wouldn't bother posting on this thread, because they know they don't have a problem."

What rubbish. I'm posting on this thread and I'm a very moderate drinker. I probably do go slightly over govt guidelines most week, but can go without quite easily. I'm not drinking this January, for example.
Having an opinion about it doesn't mean you're a disordered drinker.

Drink! Drink! Drink!

Soz, Saturday night, see.

Those people getting all defensive about drinking alcohol most likely know (very deep down) that their need/choice/decision to drink on a virtually daily basis isn't a healthy or happy one

Bullshit. First who says they are defensive, you? You have no idea, you've judged they have something to be defensive about so are assuming they must be. Why defensive when there is nothing to defend, nothing to justify. The arrogance of this statement is ridiculous.

My Dad was an alcoholic. I nursed him when he was so bad he couldn’t even walk because his muscles had wasted. I don’t drink ever. It just doesn’t appeal to me. I think lots of people are in denial about their drinking habits and it is normalised. I stopped drinking when pregnant and didn’t return to it

And there we go. These last few posts have proved my point perfectly.

As for 'not drinking in January' well, wow, well done you. How is this even a thing? Why is this even something that even requires effort or forethought.

If you feel a sense of accomplishment for having a dry January, then that tells a story.

Peppa why are you so angry?

Exactly theothergirl dry Jan makes me laugh. In the same way that "i try not to drink mond and tuesdays" does.

It does not mean you are an alcoholc, it just proves the point that in this culture alcohol is very very important.
Alcohol is associated with fun, relax, stress, socialising etc. In a way that in other cultures is not (they have other issues - it is not a question of who's better).

I think this is all we were saying.

Peppa why are you so angry?

I'm not even slightly angry. Why do you think you can guess peoples emotions from a couple of sentences of text?

And there we go. These last few posts have proved my point perfectly

No they haven't. Your point was stupid.

I drink alcohol myself but I see where you’re coming from totally OP. I won’t be introducing alcohol early to my kids for sure.

Peppa You are coming across as rather aggressive and defensive at the same time. Which is quite an achievement.

An acheivement of you putting your own emotions on to other peoples, words, yes.

"As for 'not drinking in January' well, wow, well done you."

Um, thanks?
I wasn't expecting congratulations, but not criticism either. If you don't like alcohol, it's a bit hypocritical of you to criticise someone for not drinking.

"Why is this even something that even requires effort or forethought."

Just like giving up anything you like. It would take even more effort for me to give up cheese, doesn't mean I have a 'cheese problem'. I just like it. I've given up chocolate for Lent before and it required forethought as well. Doesn't mean I'm a chocoholic.

"Alcohol is associated with fun, relax, stress, socialising etc. In a way that in other cultures is not "

It is in very many cultures (I appreciate, not all). Even those with less of a binge drinking culture will associate parties with alcohol.

I think excess is more of a problem than alcohol itself, we have an obesity crisis as well. I like the odd drink and it would be rare for me to go a week without a drink. I could do dry January without a problem but I would notice that i wasn't drinking - if that makes sense.

My husband is very anti drink having grown up with alcoholic parents. He just doesn't get why people drink and can be quite judgemental about people who do drink to excess by his definition. I get that he feels that way and we just agree to disagree
.
"I think the people who can genuinely enjoy the occasional alcoholic drink wouldn't bother posting on this thread, because they know they don't have a problem."
This of course is just a bit daft but again I recognise that alcohol is something of a trigger for certain posters and make them say things that just come across as judgemental. TOG has posted before in a similar fashion about drink and loves to sweep onto the Reddit site and tell them all that they are all alcoholic losers who are obsessed with her.

I agree @Gwenhwyfar . I like a drink and so would notice if I gave it up. That doesn't mean I have an addiction. To be honest I would find giving up chocolate harder ( for health reasons I am having to do that ) - although arguably that is an addiction 😳

I love chocolate as well, but I think I'd get used to it easier than giving up cheese. That would really be the worst.

@Gwenhwyfar I would struggle to give up any type of food other than quinoa and salad!

“You leave adults who are engaging in legal behaviour alone and if their behaviour doesn't suit you, you walk away.”

But by walking away and not saying anything (and by the way I never would say anything, I’m just debating the questions on here), aren’t you further contributing to the normalisation of excessive drinking?

This all thread speaks for itself. There is sooo much defenssiivnes in all these alcohol threads and very little self awareness. Nobody would admit to bein even even slightly addicted.
And yet, on the "we are adicted to our phone" thread we were all happy to admit it, or that we cannot stop eating cakes, sigarettes etc. Alcohol? Nope. Even if we drink 4 days a week. Even if we need dry january.

It is clearly a sensitive subject not just individually but nationally.

Disclaimer: I am not teetotaller nor against alcohol. I am just observing a cultural phenomenon.

There is so much self righteousness, judgement and downright stupidity. If you disagree with the nonsense spouted you're secretly struggling with alcohol issues...it's as simplistic as it is childish.

Haven't RTFT so sorry if this has been said:

A man goes to his GP and days "doctor I want to live to be 100." The GP says "Ok well let's have a look at your lifestyle. Do you smoke?" The man says no.
"Drink?" "No."
"Engage in promiscuous behaviour?" "No."
"Use drugs?" "No."
"Eat unhealthy food?" "No." And the GP finally says "in that case I only have one more qustion: why on Earth do you want to live to 100?".

This summarises how I feel. Most people would rather live for 50 years enjoying every minute than live 100 years of denial and restraint.

I think Britain as a whole needs to reassess the way that alcohol is viewed and consumed.
My father is a recovering alcoholic, he is 14 years dry, and works within the rehabs now to help others with the same issues, he says that it’s shocking really how many people have the same issue.
I wouldn’t want it banned because I quite enjoy having a drink now and again. It really is an occasion for us to have a drink- luckily the taste has never really appealed to myself or DH.

I do think that they should ban the white lightening, frosty jacks type of drinks though.
My dads organs were in fairly good shape for being an alcoholic whilst he was working, when illness meant he could no longer work and he was on benefits he started drinking the cheapest tins he could get... within 6 months he was literally at deaths door. I know that the damage was done by the amount he was drinking and arguably these drinks aren’t put out there to drink 10+ a day, but I’ve never seen anyone drink these type of drinks unless they had a drinking problem and just needed alcohol. Oh I don’t know. I’m just rambling, but it is scary.

Footnote: the key of course is a healthy balance

Peppa have a drink