Brits have a huge problem with alcohol

[SteveLpool]

AIBU to think that this country has a particularly acute problem with boozing, alcohol, drinking (whatever you call it) compared to our peers in Europe and the rest of the world?

I've worked and travelled abroad quite a lot and i never had the issues i am having now being back at home in the UK with regards to being the odd one out at a bar or a pub just because I'm not having alcohol.

Sometimes a few of us will get together after work and I'll have a diet coke or even a soda water and lime.. when my choice of drink is known ("is there vodka in that????") there becomes an aura of uncomfortableness (if that is even a word) like I've committed a crime.. soon afterwards the comments come..

"what's in that?"
"why arnt you drinking"
"are you a lightweight"
"just have a couple"

I have a theory of why this is for Brits in particular.. We as a people are quite emotionally & socially reserved therefore inhibitions MUST be lowered to have any form of good time..

The med countries for example like Italy and Spain have more of a coffee wine bar culture because they are quite outgoing and introverted.

For the record I'm not against alcohol, I'm big on my fitness and gym and I'm not prepared to ruin my gains for a few hours in a dingy British pub.. I save my boozing for when i go away on holiday.

In Germany street drinking beer is very common but what is remarkable is that it is civilised with no trouble or bad behaviour. In England you would avoid a crowd street drinking beer as it would be antisocial.
in England sadly we also have a big problem with foetal alcohol syndrome.
yanbu op.

Yes definitely binge /excessive drinking culture in the U.K. I don’t drink much at all these days, but drank to excess in my teens, 20’s. 30’s and 1st half of my 40’s I rarely drank anything. Now I have a few wines every month or so, but sometimes not for a few months. I have friends who still drink to excess, like 3 bottles in 1 sitting, which is insane. Their whole life revolves around drinking, and they think anyone who doesn’t drink is a bit sad, and boring.

When I was in Italy plenty of waitresses and waitors were rude because I didn't order a drink. I had to explain I was pregnant.

@SteveLpool I agree 100% with what you said. I'm European and in particular from a Mediterranean country. Yep, it looks really odd to me to meet people for example after work and see the amount of drink they are having.
Why do they need all that drink for? I drink alcohol, occasionally. And one alcoholic drink maximum two, but I feel better sticking to just one, a bottle of Heineken or a glass of red wine. That's it, the rest is diet coke or similar. I do sports like you, and I am not happy feeling shit the next day.
What is odd to me is to see grown up people getting hammered. You only see that in my country with people in their early twenties in uni at parties.
Looks so out of place with people in their 30s 40s 50s etc. I'm worried for my children growing up here and normalising it.

This. It's not just a generational thing either. I'm really concerned about the cocaine culture that has overtaken the UK. It's taken as "the norm" and I've seen landlords ridiculed as being "out of touch" for throwing out some dickhead doing a line in the toilets.

I think it's changed a huge amount in the last 20 years and alcohol isn't as much of a problem in the UK as some think. Sure, some social groups and gatherings are alcohol heavy but out of my friendship groups (I'm 45 and in that "mummy needs a gin" demographic) lots don't drink much, some don't drink at all and some like a bit of a blow out once every few months but otherwise don't bother much. Young people aren't bothered about getting pissed these days. Personally I like a drink but often go for alcohol free lager or spirits because it tastes just as good and I can still drive home. I reckon there's a bit of a revolution in alcohol free drinking round the corner. CBD drinks etc as well.

This isn't my experience TBH.

When we go out there's usually half of us not drinking.

Maybe it's age related?

We're in our 40s so we're at dinner rather than specifically out for drinks, quite a few people need to drive home or leave earlier to do their shift with tiny ones...

Yes. Our 20 something and teenager told us this. Also my teenager went to a party on Friday and he said most of them were really drunk. He was looking after friends and told me he would never ask for a house party at ours.

In Germany street drinking beer is very common but what is remarkable is that it is civilised with no trouble or bad behaviour.

What a load of shit.

There's plenty of drunken bad behaviour in some German streets. Just because you've never witnessed it, that doesn't make it so.

@PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog It was noticeable in Denmark in the supermarkets when we lived in Copenhagen how cheap alcohol was- spirits especially, it's very pricey drinking out- seems they drink like fishes at home instead- I was told sweden is the same - in the southern European countries the weather is more conducive to sitting out and chatting and sipping drinks -not necking pints whilst watching box sets

I don't drink much these days a couple of wines at events or to use in cooking. I have never really had a liking for alcohol. And for medical reasons I just don't bother much, but feel pressured by ppl who refuse to drink unless I do.

laughs in Australian

It's rife here too. Deeply ingrained in the culture.

I live in Belgium. If I go out specifically to drink with friends, it's very rare that one of us would be drinking soft drinks. In fact, I'd say that was MORE common in the UK because public transport at night is worse so more people have to drive to the pub. People here drink quite a lot.
Binge drink culture i.e. drinking till you puke in the street is much worse in the UK, but drinking with food and also drinking to get merry/tipsy is extremely common here.

I think these days unless you're young most people go to the pub for a meal rather than a drinking session. I've no idea of the real value but I wouldn't be surprised to find that the meals side was what made pubs profitable these days rather than just drinking.

"It's now a hobby and a legitimate interest to go to the local craft beer pub or bottle shop and drink strong 6.3% beer because it comes in a pretty can and has a funny name"

And why the hell shouldn't it be?

Def more coke than alcohol at teen parties.

If you spend your time socialising in pubs you can't be surprised that people focus on the alcohol. People who don't drink tend to socialise elsewhere. I used to love going to the pub and having a drink when I was younger. Not so interested now, so my social life tends to be elsewhere: restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports clubs, cafes etc.

"We're in our 40s so we're at dinner rather than specifically out for drinks, quite a few people need to drive home or leave earlier to do their shift with tiny ones..."

Like I said I'm in Belgium and we also tend to go out for dinner more than just drinking, but everybody drinks. We are also your age group so we usually go home by the last metro and if not a taxi.

As someone who has always been teetotal, as they’ve aged over the last thirty years my peers have gone from being totally confused by me to realising I might be onto something. Alcohol is a depressive and causes sleep problems.

People reach for it to make themselves feel better but does it really.

I’ve never really been interested in drinking friends where the main thing in common is just drinking. All the stories are about who drank what when, what drunken antics went on and who had the biggest hangover. Unbelievably dull.

I’m always impressed by people who can have one drink (two tops) and leave.

I’m glad young people aren’t pressurised the way I was. When I was young all activities seemed to include drinking.

I have seen heavy drinking in Lithuania....bus stop queues often had men slugging vodka at 8am etc...not seen that here, also airport for return flight was awful...many drunk fights in the check in queues, men and women....they heard our british accents and turned on us so we had to take refuge in the ryanair office !!

wealthy middle class friend visits a mutual friend often in barcelona, she gets horribly drunk, falls of chairs etc, she is obese so friend cannot lift her up without help of strangers, often throws food around in restaurants if she doesnt like it...she just happens to be a privately educated rich chav and I dodge meeting up with her as turns ugly !

So we have a 'cocaine culture' as well? Is this statistically true? That's quite a bold statement, everyone doing lines up and down the country!!

I think the weed thing for teenagers is probably accurate as unlike when I was younger, you can't get in to pubs/bars underage with fake ID and it is expensive.

I think I would be as equally worried about bringing a teen up where smoking is normalised.

"To add to my previous post... the "few pints after work" everyday is a massive part of Japanese/South Korean work culture. So again, not a uniquely British problem."

Seems to be dying out in the UK too with people having longer commutes now and more likely to be driving to work.

I mean you may have a point but you just seem unbearably smug

It's just different. In France there is a massive problem with alcoholism, but it's an old person thing. People are never rolling about in the streets drunk at the weekend though. Just because it is so very visible in the UK doesn't mean there isn't a problem elsewhere.

But you were ordering a soft drink, right?