Did anybody see the Panaroma about binge drinking last night?

[Orangelight23]

Real eye opener for me. Women in their 30s being diagnosed with liver disease. I must admit I have myself been drawn into wine culture and drinking wine to relax.

It's made me have a real think about my alcohol intake to be honest.

Same with all the glam smoking ads back in the day, it's disgusting.. I've lost all my family to smoking.
It's so grim isn't it.. we're constantly talked at about health and looking after it yet all these things that are bad for us are all around us, bigger than ever, and everything apart from smoking is marketed and advertised to lure us in. Its madness how alcohol is glamorised like smoking used to be

Maybe they should look at legalising THC so we can all become "cali-sober".

Over- eating is much more accepted than over drinking in general

My dad is an alcoholic, he drank heavily all his life but upped the ante about 20 years ago when he discovered drinking at home (before that he would go to the pub). For the last 20 years he has drank about 5-7 bottles of red wine a week plus about 2-3 bottles of whiskey. He is only slowing down now as he has advanced COPD and has bad stomach issues. He has no issues with his liver!

Better to smoke weed in a pipe and get a clean high than drink cleaning fluid/alcohol.

I worked in a bail and probation hostel. Give me a drug user over an alcoholic any day of any week.

Alcohol would not be legalised these days if newly discovered

Does your liver recover from partying days in early 20s? If you haven't really drank since?

@Rumors1 That's lucky he has no issues, though I'm sure his overall health is affected by it.
I guess like how all smokers don't get lung cancer bit it still affects them.
I too thought that all heavy drinkers would get cirrhosis.. my friend is a heavy drinker and no cirrhosis but for years has had liver pain, shits himself, lots of things aching etc

I very rarely drink anymore, last year I found myself having a couple of double gins on a Friday night, then a Saturday night. I just thought why am I drinking it, I'm sat watching Friday night tv it's not like I'm out or I'm with anyone. So I did dry January which turned into sober spring and now I have had 4 drinks all year.

I used to get absolutely shit faced when I was younger, I remember we used to go to the pub at lunchtime have a couple of drinks then go back to work, then at 5pm we'd all pile out and go to the pub until the last train home. Thursdays were cocktail nights, Fridays were the pub across the road then off into town until god knows what time.

@something2say

Give me a drug user over an alcoholic any day of any week.

I sort of agree although unfortunately people with addiction issues tend to misuse multiple substances. You are often talking about the same people.

I am no expert but my understanding is that a lot of people with opioid or cocaine problems will also use alcohol and switch in and out of various substances depending on availability etc.

We understand very little about the psychological science of addiction but a lot of people with addiction have underlying mental health problems.

But while you have to go out of your way to find heroin or crystal meth, alcohol is available freely without restrictions.

And their marketing was so successful that it had pervaded our entire culture.

Every gift shop is full of cushions with a picture of a cocktail glass, Christmas baubles are now martini glasses and gin bottles, motivational wall carvings about Prosecco, every third greetings card aimed at women is a jokey reference to our apparently insatiable need for wine or looking to Prosecco for the only way to celebrate.

In fact Prosecco, largely unknown here 15 years ago, seems to have been invented for the female market, our giggly need for bubbles (however cheap, low quality and revolting most of it is). The Bottomless Brunch… ugh.

We need to know this: the drinks market did this deliberately. To make money. At massive cost to our health and the NHS.

I don’t think anyone is arguing that heavy drinking is not bad for your health. I think the disagreement is where the grey area is.

It comes down to individual choice and making an informed choice. The argument for discussion is - you drink moderately (within the limits) with plenty of days off. You eat well, you exercise, you are a healthy weight.

Or you demonise even one glass of wine, force your opinions on everyone else. Whilst sat there eating chocolate on your sofa, overweight with high cholesterol and god knows what other health issues - because we know being overweight is very bad for your health. But because a drop of alcohol never passes your lips you’re healthier than the moderate drinker who exercises and eats well?

I think that is what some posters are having an issue with.

No. Posters are not doing this. We are all learning a few facts together but some are in denial because they like a drink.

Yes! In the panorama the lady abstained for only 10 months and the damage was basically repaired. The Dr said she could drink again but he'd advise her not to obviously. The liver is pretty magical in that in repairs itself and delays with everything thats thrown at it(not just alcohol). Thats how many people get away with drinking quite heavily for years.

Both excessive eating and excessive drinking are bad for us and a strain on the nhs, but the latter is much more demonised on these threads

Define ‘like a drink’?

I don’t think anyone is in denial about the impact of heavy drinking. For some it is a risk they are prepared to take.

Yes many people enjoy wine or whatever their tipple of choice is as part of an otherwise healthy lifestyle. It’s all about choosing what level of risk you are happy with.

Now if you are a healthy weight, eat a very pure diet with zero crap and exercise at least 4 times a week then maybe you can preach about banning alcohol and the evils of just one or two glasses. But I suspect everyone has their vices..

It also very much depends on the strength of the wine, a light white (9%) can be nearly half the strength of a strong red (16%).You can calculate the respective units for a bottle as 9 x 700/1000 and 16 x 700/1000, giving 6.3 units or 11.2 units (if my sums are right). So 2 bottles a week could be a respectable 12.6 units or a less respectable 22.4 units, a huge difference. Unfortunately the strength of wine seems to have gone up over the years so drinking wine is probably more hazardous now than it was in my youth.

I've seen people defending excessive eating saying that people can't help it which is hard for me to understand as I eat healthy and don't really think about food between meals and I wouldn't want to be overweight. I'm not a heavy drinker but I do enjoy wine in moderation.

The difference is that nobody needs to drink alcohol whereas you can't survive without food. It's

We are not discussing any of those other things, that’s just deflection from what is being discussed, which is the damage ALCOHOL does to humans. When any of the moderate drinkers come onto these threads with their ‘well I don’t have a problem attitude’, it’s hurtful to those who have had issues with alcohol, and that comes in many forms, it seems impossible to have a discussion about how dangerous alcohol is without the ‘I’m alright jack’ drinkers coming on to defend their alcohol consumption. Bear in mind also that many of us were once those people, until life screwed us over.

There are many threads where drinkers defend alcohol consumption and pat each other on the back for it, strangely most of them are in the alcohol support section. Go join one of those or start your own, but please let the debate about the dangers of alcohol continue.

I know a younger lady, mid 30's who had to have a liver transplant due to cirrhosis caused by alcohol. It basically failed close to her due to give birth and she got lucky, top of the transplant list (she'd been alcohol free due to the pregnancy so she was considered a good candidate) and a match was found within 48 hours. She's done very well since but still avoids situations with lots of alcohol and the anti rejection drugs have side effects

Very true. I suppose if you are addicted to alcohol it affects your ability to work and function etc whereas overeating doesn't unless you are very obese and ill.

Just a thought. I lost five stone over two years when I gave up alcohol. I didn't really change my diet but by not having the cheese or crisps that went with it the weight fell off me. I drank heavily for twenty years.

I can knock ten years of my age if I wanted to. My adult DC are not drinkers. The DD teetotal.

Ozzy Osborne says if you drink like a teenager in your 50s you'll be dead by 60.
I've seen that happen three times now.

What really pisses me off is the use of women in ads to sell booze. Think Jack and the gorgeous lady in the brown suit. Ditto Bailys. Vodka s now being targeted at funky late teens. All dancing, all happy.
It is very easy to become dependant. You'll have no idea but your family will.
If you can't see it you've already got a problem.

Yes I do think those that have had issues with alcohol are the most vocal about the dangers. And that is understandable.

But you have to understand not everyone who drinks has a drink problem. There’s no patting on the back, there’s no denial. Some people can genuinely stop at one…

And it’s insulting to claim that people who drink a few glasses of wine as part of an otherwise healthy lifestyle need to go join an alcohol support thread.

Not everyone who drinks decends in to mass alcoholism. There’s a lot of projection on this thread.

It is relevant to discuss other risks to health. If you are overweight and eat a poor diet with zero exercise you are no healthier (and probably less) than a moderate drinker who eats well and exercises. Therefore making claims about that person’s health is not really appropriate when your own health isn’t great..

Somebody who enjoys a few glasses of wine a week can still work and function as can people who eat a lot. I'm amazed at how much some people can eat and then moan how they have put weight on.

You’ve completely missed the point, on threads discussing alcohol consumption and its dangers, we don’t need the smug moderate drinkers telling us ‘well I’m alright’, which is what you are doing. You seem to be offended that the dangers of alcohol are being debated, there’s no need to hear from drinkers about how fine they are and they shouldn’t be chastised, you don’t need to stop by and comment, that’s what is so insulting and smug, let us talk about the dangers of ALCOHOL! Leave us alone!