AIBU to think daytime alcohol demand points to a wider problem?

[trainboundfornowhere]

I will preempt this by saying I live in Scotland and am basing this on what I’ve seen. I cannot answer for the rest of the uk. 9.15am and I’m in my local supermarket this morning picking up a few bits. I spot my friend who works there putting a bottle of wine back on the shelf and she says that is the third bottle she has had to put back since the shop opened at 7am (Shops can only sell alcohol between 10am-10pm). The customer is complaining about stupid Scottish rules. Monday they refused to sell alcohol to two people mid afternoon who were heavily intoxicated and Tuesday they had to ask someone who was drinking in the foyer to leave. This is sadly something I have noticed not just in that supermarket but others across the city and that this is a snapshot of a wider problem.

Licensing laws don’t apply in airports in Scotland . But ferries..you have to wait till you have passed the 3 mile limit to international waters …or at least that was the case when I travelled to Arran.

Difficult not to be judgy in some parts of Scotland where alcoholism is a serious issue. So much so, doctors assume you’re lying about your alcohol consumption and triple whatever you say. The West of Scotland was always noted for alcohol abuse. I don’t know if that’s changed…most of those I knew have died and I don’t go out any more. Even the boat crews on coasters that collected our seaweed could not do a job without being taken to the pub for a couple of hours first. Their boat was unable to land them so they commandeered our ;cutter’ as they called it. And they could drink. I had 9 whiskies in the optics and 4 in front of me they had ordered for me, while still sipping my first, when they said they were ready to go after half pints with whisky chasers. But they weren’t in supermarkets buying.

Thinking back, my doctor was an alcoholic who chain smoked through my visits when I was pregnant. I only went to see him twice, at 5 months to get booked in to a hospital and once at 7 months, but he was plastered both times

I live in England so can buy alcohol when I want, I have bought alcohol at 8am because I was doing the shopping for that night/weekend no because I was drinking it that day even

@chubley I can’t even face coffee at 5am, last time I took a 6am flight it was delayed 2 hours, I just about drunk my green tea I bought with the voucher we were given (genuinely beyond their control yet treated us well) other were several lagers down, was a lively flight!

I love a drink but I have been known to run in at 8am ( England) because I need a birthday present/ thank you gift/ school raffle prize.
I buy my wine after work when I know what I fancy or buy a case on offer.
The morning alcohol is never for me

If people get angry about not being able to buy alcohol along with their regular groceries, they probably have a drinking problem.

Kindly I think you need to examine your relationship with alcohol 2 pints with breakfast is a concern.

I get my shopping delivered at 8am in the morning and often include alcohol. Anything from cider for my roast pork to a bottle of prosecco for a weekend party.

Im not drinking it at 8am

Once in a while when travelling to watch Bristol Rovers play away. It's so I could enjoy a pint with food after being awake at least 3 hours.
My wife and I love exploring towns like Chester, Exeter, Shrewsbury so we get there early. Large breakfast couple of beers then explore. Come 5 o'clock I'm safe to drive. Great day out.

I’ve been caught out by this when visiting relatives in Scotland. Went to buy a thank you bottle of wine and couldn’t as too early. There’s a big alcohol problem in Scotland, I’m not sure how much difference this rule has made.

Ive been in my local English coop early on way to work and seeing guys buying 12 packs of beer, regulars by their interactions with the staff…

for years i judged someone because i saw her buying vodka at 9 in the morning.
i was perhaps wrong about her!

Yup not healthy at all. Could you not enjoy your day out without alcohol if you are driving ?

The saying goes It’s never too early for a fusilier. Unfortunately Scotland does have a drinking culture. I know several men whose attitude was work hard drink hard. All the men earned good money in finance during the week and they would go to the football at the weekend. 6 pints before the game, 1 at half time and another 6 after the game. They could all still stand up after that. They are now mostly in their late 60s and early 70s and have calmed the drinking down a bit but that would be described as binge drinking.

Smiled at this. So British. Disagree with the morality of the discounting alcohol to purchase more….but cannot say no to a good bargain more so! Absolutely love a bargain me. Haha.

Well they wouldn't catch me out - I'm the other way round. I buy beer and spirits at the corner shop late evening as it's convenient. But I drink it with my breakfast. I did actually have a severe alcohol problem forty-five years ago (and a decade of abstinence twice since). But now I only have one or two drinks on only three or four days a week, often first thing in the morning.

I have my Tesco shop delivered at 8am, once a week. I always order wine, and they deliver it quite cheerfully.

Strange that shop rules are different. 🤷‍♀️

This is interesting, reading about other country’s rules.

In the part of Australia I live in (Far North Queensland), alcohol also cannot be sold before 10am and low price cask wine (under $15) cannot be sold before 4pm. Supermarkets cannot sell alcohol, although other Australian states allow this, My area is fairly mild though- check out these restrictions for Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory!

“Tennant creek

• Monday to Saturday: 4pm to 7pm.
• Sunday and public holidays: Closed

You can buy one of the following products per day:

• 30 cans or stubbies of mid-strength or light beer
• 24 cans or stubbies of full-strength beer
• 12 cans or bottles of ready to drink mixes
• one 2L cask of wine
• one bottle of fortified wine
• one bottle of green ginger wine
• 2 x 750mL bottles of wine
• one bottle of 750mL spirits.

Bush orders If you live outside of Tennant Creek and have a liquor permit, you can make a bush order to buy up to 7 days worth of alcohol. You will need to provide proof that you reside outside of the Tennant Creek township. Orders must be placed with a liquor store over the phone or by email at least one day in advance.”

I live in Scotland and I just find the 10am thing inconvenient. We live quite far rurally so it’s a fair drive into town and to the supermarket. If I’m there before 10am for whatever reason and I want to buy alcohol then I either have to hang about until 10 or come back another time. I’m not planning on drinking it that morning!

I was driving down to England for a friends birthday weekend early on Saturday morning and stopped to buy her a gift. Realised it was too early to get the fizz and ended up having to stop again at Carlisle.

I can’t see how it stops alcoholism personally. Surely the alcoholics just wait til after 10am!

I buy wine regularly. Usually just goes in the trolley with the big shop. I deliberately avoid doing the shopping before 10am for this reason but don't remember a time I cracked a bottle open there and then! We usually have a glass in the evening on a weekend. I'd love to be able to get the shopping a bit earlier though.

Where were you sailing from to be in international waters on the way to Arran?

I think people will always get annoyed by pointless endeavours that make life more difficult. I shop in a supermarket because I value convenience. In all honesty I probably wouldn’t go to an off licence ( what alchohol shops used to be called where I lived) instead I’d order a case of wine online every once in a while.

I bought a bottle of champagne at 7:30am last week, I was in my way to a meeting and after I was dropping in to see a friend who's just passed some really difficult professional exams. I wasn't planning to down it in the carpark

It's a ridiculous rule. If you want to drink first thing in the morning, you'll find a way. Most people just want to be able to shop when it's quieter, not to get blazing at 8am.

There used to be a law in Scotland that forbade selling alcohol in shops on a Sunday, glad that went. Though you could often find a corner shop willing to sell you a bottle of plonk on the Sabbath.

That is strict, bit tricky if you were contemplating a party! I’d be sending explicit instructions on who brings the port. When I was in Queensland I remember being told that a lot of alcohol restrictions were brought in to curb alcohol consumption and the resultant violence and they were pretty successful.

Do you think they have the balance right where you live? Do people who have alcohol problems find it easy to get around by buying online/ home brew / getting others to purchase for them.