to ask how much alcohol is 'normal'?

[Squashinthepinkcup]

Just read another thread about drinking, and it got me to thinking. What's an acceptable amount of alcohol in your opinion? Not from an NHS perspective, but in your household. Do you have a glass of wine/a beer after work most days? If it's a nice wine, maybe you have two glasses, or more? Is it unusual to finish a bottle once a week, either in one evening or over the course of a few evenings?

I just got the impression the OP in the other thread was basing her opinion on whats normal for her household, but it's not something often talked about, so how would you know if it was an okay level or something to be concerned about?

So, what's normal for you, and your partner if you have one?

YABU for asking that question on here! Alcohol and food threads always bring out the two extremes of position.
Personally I could cheerfully drink a bottle of wine a night. The only reason I don't is the number of calories in it.

Eep oh no really? I'm sorry in advance! I was genuinely just curious.

I think as long as you're not harming anyone then you should be able to decide your own limits for yourself.

Be great if our fave things were calorie free!!

I don't drink as I just don't like how it makes me feel.

DH will have a few beers twice a week or so.

Here it's roughly a bottle of wine a week, a couple of cold beers at the weekend, maybe a G&T on Friday. Given that I drink more of the wine than DH, that's probably about the NHS limit, so I do keep a mild eye on this.

Growing up, my parents split a bottle of wine every night. I don't drink but DH has a few drinks most nights - two or three maybe - but he has a night or two off per week. I think there's a lot more in the news these days about alcohol, and both of those a probably officially considered "a bit too much". But I've no.idea where it fits into what people actually do.

In our twenties we both had stressful jobs and would drink on weeknights and really go for it on weekends. When I totted up the units it was close some weeks to the recommended limits if not over. We both decided once we got out of those jobs to limit it and not allow it to be a crutch. We now both only drink on weekends. I cut back even further before and after having kids. I then had cancer at 33 and am part way through remission, there are some weekends I don't even bother with any alcohol. The last few times I've had more than a couple of glasses of wine or beer I'm actually sick in the night, even if I was stoned cold sober when going to bed. I'd probably say over the month I average 2 or 3 units a week. Whereas DH is probably about 10-15 units a week average.

I don’t drink because of medication.

DH will have a beer once or twice a week, usually when out. Sometimes a glass or two wine or a mixed drink if we are having a nice meal in or out.

Several of our friends don’t drink now, so even social occasions don’t tend to be very boozy for us.

Thinking about our parents (in their mid-late 60s), there is a big disparity between our families.

My parents have always been minimal ‘school night’ drinkers - occasionally a beer after work for my dad, or half a glass of wine with dinner. Weekends maybe a couple of beers or glasses of wine each. Very rarely spirits and even counting being an adult, I’ve never seen my mum tipsy and my dad only a couple of times - Christmases and weddings.

My in-laws drink every night, always wine with dinner, followed by a nightcap of spirits. FiL gets through 2 bottles of brandy a week without trying just on ‘nightcaps’. Probably a bottle of wine a night between them at dinner. Most social occasions include particular drinks in large quantities - if they cook a Mexican meal for example, there are margaritas for hours before and after. I’ve seen them drunk more times than I can remember.

I found it shocking when I first started visiting, but realised it was normal for them and partially was so shocking because my parents were more minimal drinkers, especially for their generation.

DH and I share 1-2 bottles of wine between us over a week. We open a bottle and will have one glass each per night out of it over two nights (sometimes consecutive evenings, sometimes with a night in between) so approx 180ml a glass and 2-4 glasses each every week. That's normal for us. We rarely drink if the other isn't although DH may have a whisky on an in-between night if he fancies one.

If we socialise at friends' we will probably have more (half a bottle for me, sometimes more for DH) but that is probably less than once a month on average.

We are mid 60s and drink about 4 bottles of wine between us a week. A couple of g and t's and martinis perhaps as well.

These threads are a disaster on here. Most of MN seems to be non-drinkers and incredibly judgmental about anyone who drinks.

In our house we would have a glass of wine or beer after work most nights. Would happily drink more than that if it wasn't bad for me. Weekends we would drink more- in the house it would be a glass or two but if we went out or to visit friends we could easily have more than that.

We don't drink at home (unless we're hosting people). It doesn't really occur to me to have a drink of an evening. We both drink when we're out but probably will choose not to drink on about half those occasions. We drink way less than my parents did when I was growing up.

Not at all. I don't like alcohol and DH is on medication. I'd open a bottle of wine and have a sip when we have guests. Most of the bottle ends up down the drain.

I have the occasional glass of wine or one beer in the house, if it’s a nice day and usually with a meal. By occasional I mean a couple of times per month. Otherwise, my drinking is entirely confined to events and nights-out. I’d say those “sessions” (for want of a better word) are bi-monthly.

We used to drink a lot more, at one point, in stressful jobs, we were probably getting through a bottle of wine between us at night and more at weekends.

DH has almost completely cut it out, he'll have the odd beer now or a glass of wine with dinner or a couple if out with friends. We are in our 50s and starting to think we are too old for that.

I'm more likely to have a random drink than he is, but a bottle now will last us a week, and I'm trying not to drink unless I've got a good reason to - like out with friends

I've lost weight!

The usual in my friendship group is probably a couple of bottles of wine with partner over the weekend and maybe some beers (probably a couple each). I try not to drink in the week but occasionally I meet with friends on a Thursday and we have a couple of glasses of Prosecco while the kids play. DH has the occasional beer in the week.

I don't drink at all (grew up with an alcoholic stepfather). Husband has one or two beers a year - on a summer's evening after a long walk.

The less I drink each week, the more I think I drink too much. Generally 5 - 10 units a week. I used to drink far more. 40s now.

But if you really think about it, a bottle of wine a week is a lot, regardless of the fact it is under the 14 recommended units. I think my perspective is changing, as is my tolerance.

We don't drink at all at home, we might have one if we're out.
I spent a lot of my 20s and 30s binge drinking every weekend but got to a point where it was not enjoyable. I find now that more than one drink makes me feel a bit sick, just getting older I think.

@cherryassam

I get where you are coming from with in-laws. Mine are older than my parents (70's Vs late 50's/early 60's) and will quite happily have a drink to celebrate something. This can be as simple as some gardening or a long walk with the dog and any time of the week. I find similar behaviour with my husband sometimes on a weekend with "it's the weekend why not?". I find myself saying but why do you need to link a drink with a particular time of the week for habits sake? Whereas my parents were a lot more minimal, my dad sometimes had one of the small french beers on a night or weekend and my mum occasionally a glass of white wine.

DH and I probably have a couple of beers each on a Thursday night, have a bottle of wine between us with dinner over the weekend and then might have a g+t or a beer either before or after that as well.

There is a glass of wine left in the fridge after the weekend and I will have that this evening. Other than that, we don't tend to drink Mon - Weds unless out.

I would say that is probably average - although I do have friends who don't drink at home at all but will have a glass if they go out. We usually have drink if we go out, but that is mainly because we're in London so rarely driving. I rarely drink at lunch/ in the afternoon now though as I find I am good for nothing and very tired for the rest of the day!

DP tends to have one or two glasses of wine or bottles of beer at home on maybe two midweek nights, and a bit more on Friday and the weekend. I drink much less, but that's only because I need to watch my weight. I do enjoy a drink and if calorie intake wasn't an issue, I'd happily drink more than I do.

I grew up in a household where the booze flowed pretty freely. My dad wasn't a man who went to the pub or drank beers with mates, and nobody is/was an alcoholic, but my whole family are very much people who love food and drink in general.

Mine are older than my parents (70's Vs late 50's/early 60's) and will quite happily have a drink to celebrate something. This can be as simple as some gardening or a long walk with the dog and any time of the week

They sound great!

Alcohol’s a problem when it becomes a problem. As long as you can afford it, and it isn’t affecting your health and ability to function both with friends and family, and at work, then you’re fine! There’s no set “normal” amount - it depends on circumstances. If you find that you are unable to keep your drinking within those parameters, then you have a problem.

But if you really think about it, a bottle of wine a week is a lot

Objectively, it really isn't a lot at all.

Harm caused by alcohol costs the country £27.4 billion per year yet alcohol taxation raises only £12 billion, meaning it is a net cost to the country.

uk.news.yahoo.com/harm-caused-alcohol-costs-27-065640934.html

Personally I would be in favour of raising alcohol taxes for alcohol sold in supermarkets etc and lowering alcohol taxes sold in pubs so that the prices are the same.

Not only would it keep pubs alive it would also reduce excessive alcohol consumption - the pub can stop serving you if you are too drunk plus each time you want a drink you have to go up to the bar and order it rather than just go to the fridge, plus pubs are a sociable activity rather than sitting on your sofa with a bottle of red.