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U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

sfchronicle.com

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Re: U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

#171

Post by rendaw »

moi2388 wrote: post #96
gwbas1c wrote: post #90

I recently had a cardiologist wag her finger at me and tell me that recent data pretty much demonstrates that there really isn't any healthy amount of alcohol to consume. 20 years ago, when "1 drink a day is healthiest" was all over the news, I said cheers and picked up the habit. It's kind of hard to break, considering that I really, really enjoy the flavor of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol, as a solvent, allows for f…

Reply to her that this is only true for populations, not individuals. Plenty of people who drink age well and plenty of people who don’t drink don’t age well. Statistics say something about aggregates, not individual data points

Making a statement about "plenty of people" is making a statement about an aggregate. Do you have some sources?

Re: U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

#172

Post by applied_heat »

francisofascii wrote: post #118
OneMorePerson wrote: post #95

This is not a direct response to this article, but related to the topic of not drinking. I'm usually a follower of the latest data and such but I am highly skeptical of all the recent news about how drinking isn't safe in any quantity. The latest data can be wrong. No different than how there was a period of time where UV light was considered this evil to avoid, and now we know it's actually pretty critical to get su…

I hope you are right, but honestly I think alcohol is negative for your health in any quantity. I think there are indirect benefits, like socialization, bonding, etc. But it really is a poison that your body has to metabolize. It majorly disrupts your sleep which causes all sorts of health issues. Your body needs sunlight, but it doesn't need alcohol. I drank two beers a night for years, and I wish I hadn't. I still…

Tell me about your experience and regrets with two beers a night please.

Re: U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

#173

Post by moi2388 »

rendaw wrote: post #171
moi2388 wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reply to her that this is only true for populations, not individuals. Plenty of people who drink age well and plenty of people who don’t drink don’t age well. Statistics say something about aggregates, not individual data points

Making a statement about "plenty of people" is making a statement about an aggregate. Do you have some sources?

Touché. My sources are the fact that some old people did drink alcohol at some point in their life.

Re: U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

#174

Post by moi2388 »

kashunstva wrote: post #129
moi2388 wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reply to her that this is only true for populations, not individuals. Plenty of people who drink age well and plenty of people who don’t drink don’t age well. Statistics say something about aggregates, not individual data points

So how should physicians counsel patients, given that they have neither a megaphone large enough to address entire populations nor the prescience to discern the degree to which population applies to the individual or not?

You can’t just test their liver to see if they have alcohol damage? Generally most patient who come in present no indications of alcohol poisoning whatsoever

Re: U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

#175

Post by syncmaster913n »

Mashimo wrote: post #20

I really like the trend. It is getting more acceptable to not drink. I'm a party drinker, but whenever I see someone who does not drink he gets bombarded with "why not?" "You just did not have the right kind of beer yet" "just one?" and that is incredible sad. Sadly social gatherings such as "meetups with friends" and "attendance at parties" is also dropping :( Kurzgesagt just had a video about alcohol and the social…

When I was in my early 20s, I used to instinctively pressure non-drinkers into drinking as well. I did it because the non-drinkers ruin the fun for me. They don't laugh as much or engage in banter. They're timid and lack the drinker's adventurous spirit.

The pressuring usually worked though.

When I realized that I was hurting those people by pressuring them into drinking, rather than stop pressuring them, I stopped inviting them to social gatherings that involve drinking altogether.

Re: U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

#177

Post by geden »

syncmaster913n wrote: post #175
Mashimo wrote: post #20

I really like the trend. It is getting more acceptable to not drink. I'm a party drinker, but whenever I see someone who does not drink he gets bombarded with "why not?" "You just did not have the right kind of beer yet" "just one?" and that is incredible sad. Sadly social gatherings such as "meetups with friends" and "attendance at parties" is also dropping :( Kurzgesagt just had a video about alcohol and the social…

When I was in my early 20s, I used to instinctively pressure non-drinkers into drinking as well. I did it because the non-drinkers ruin the fun for me. They don't laugh as much or engage in banter. They're timid and lack the drinker's adventurous spirit. The pressuring usually worked though. When I realized that I was hurting those people by pressuring them into drinking, rather than stop pressuring them, I stopped i…

How understanding of you.

Re: U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

#178

Post by xenospn »

OkayPhysicist wrote: post #61
atsushin wrote: post #14

There was a pretty good Kurzgesagt video posted earlier today on alcohol in general: https://youtu.be/aOwmt39L2IQ The shift in perception of alcohol is certainly a good sign. Even outside of the health benefits, a night out at the bar is expensive now (at least on the East Coast) and honestly speaking other drugs are simply more cost-effective. I still have the occasional cocktail when going out with friends but now…

Substance use is dropping precipitously, because partying and socialization writ large are dropping. The people who party are still drinking, they're really not the ones driving these decreases. Alcohol's primary purpose in our society is as a social lubricant. It both lowers inhibitions, and in the expectation of its doing so creates spaces with freer acceptable behavior. Cannabis doesn't currently fill that niche,…

When I smoke weed, the last thing I want to do is be around people, or socialize. It also doesn’t make me horny. The exact opposite of alcohol.

Re: U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

#179

Post by tpm »

OkayPhysicist wrote: post #81
amanaplanacanal wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

if . Other drug use can be just as social as alcohol consumption.

Since opium dens fell out of favor, the only psychoactive substances that have dedicated social spaces are booze (bars, nightclubs) and nicotine (hookah lounges, cigar clubs). This could change, but it hasn't yet. It sure seems like society's just swinging antisocial.

There are also teahouses in some cities.

Re: U.S. alcohol consumption drops to a 90-year low, new poll finds

#180

Post by syncmaster913n »

geden wrote: post #177
syncmaster913n wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was in my early 20s, I used to instinctively pressure non-drinkers into drinking as well. I did it because the non-drinkers ruin the fun for me. They don't laugh as much or engage in banter. They're timid and lack the drinker's adventurous spirit. The pressuring usually worked though. When I realized that I was hurting those people by pressuring them into drinking, rather than stop pressuring them, I stopped i…

How understanding of you.

Is it? I always thought I had low-key ostracized them. But I wasn't able to put their needs ahead of mine on this one.
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