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America has a drinking problem

theatlantic.com

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Re: America has a drinking problem

#421

Post by monkeynotes »

azinman2 wrote: post #207

Having lived in the UK and the US, I firmly disagree. I had never seen drinking at the extreme levels until I went to the UK. I seriously doubt the entire articles premise that somehow alcohol binging is unique to the US. There are a lot of counties with a lot of forms of alcohol out there…

As a Brit I was pretty shocked to arrive in Australia and see that binge drinking there is next level. The Melbourne Cup horse races is like a national drinking day, my employer took everyone out to get wasted (this was in Sydney, didn't even watch the races) and then it was understood that you'd probably take the next day off.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#422

Post by spodek »

leifg wrote: post #56
trts wrote: post #29

I decided to give up alcohol for a year. That was three years ago and doubt I will ever go back. Aside from having better sleep than at any other point as an adult, I truly enjoy the activities I partake in just as much, if not more, than when I still paired them with alcohol. It took about 6 months to stop feeling like I was missing out, and now I feel like everyone else is. Anxiety in general is noticeably lower (t…

Genuine question: what do you drink instead? Do you stick to water or do you order any kind of soda/lemonade (or something I’m not thinking about)

For reference, humans drank only water after weaning for several hundred thousand years. Today we act like only water is deprivation.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#423

Post by Sophistifunk »

People have the cause and effect backwards in my opinion. You know why "binge drinking" isn't a problem in Germany, except for when the Australians turn up for Oktoberfest? It's because you can just buy a beer on the side of the road with your currywurst, and drink it without being hassled. If you act up, you get arrested for acting up. Try openly having a few beers in the park in Australia or the US, you'll be run out by the constabulary, or at the least they'll make you empty it in the trash. When you treat people like naughty children and bake into your culture the idea that drinking is itself an anti-social behaviour that always leads to fighting and dickheaddery, then that's how they act.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#424

Post by tolbish »

the_doctah wrote: post #395
tolbish wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently 18% of Americans are binge drinkers: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/americans-are-dri...

You've posted the same thing multiple times in this thread.

Yes, as did the person I responded to.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#425

Post by jnathsf »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #153

It's hard to reduce the US to a single culture. Alcohol consumption habits vary greatly from region to region, or even city to city depending on where you live. I've noticed that heavy drinkers tend to cluster with other heavy drinkers. The more you see your friends and coworkers binge drinking regularly, the more you feel it's an acceptable and even common behavior. Likewise, non-drinkers tend to cluster with each o…

Many have gone California sober [0] - moving away from alcohol to cannabis and psychedlics as a way to be more healthy and sustainable

[0] https://www.addictionresource.net/blog/california-sober/

Re: America has a drinking problem

#426

Post by [deleted] »

root_axis wrote: post #191
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #153

It's hard to reduce the US to a single culture. Alcohol consumption habits vary greatly from region to region, or even city to city depending on where you live. I've noticed that heavy drinkers tend to cluster with other heavy drinkers. The more you see your friends and coworkers binge drinking regularly, the more you feel it's an acceptable and even common behavior. Likewise, non-drinkers tend to cluster with each o…

Nice comment. I also want to emphasize that your point about regional variance is true in Europe as well, this without even mentioning several well known European drinker stereotypes.

[deleted]

Re: America has a drinking problem

#427

Post by vt240 »

throwaway0a5e wrote: post #320
bitexploder wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do pretty demanding sport as a hobby. Even one drink during the week greatly impacts recovery and ability to perform and lessens my enjoyment considerably. It’s rather commons in my circles for people to probably average a handful of drinks per year at most.

If one drink/wk is noticeably affecting you then you're either a professional athlete who's got world class people monitoring their performance or you need to see a doctor. Edit: Assuming the standard definition of drink that's roughly equivalent to one light beer or one shot

I feel hung over whether I drink one beer or six, it doesn't really change. I don't even feel any 'buzz' if I drink one beer, mixed drink or glass of wine, but will just feel bad for the next 12-hours.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#429

Post by dcolkitt »

notdeadofdrink wrote: post #384
bradleyjg wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a great (surprising) reference. Intellectually I know functional alcoholics exist but it’s still tough to come to grips with that many people drinking that much alcohol. I’m curious what it looks by age, geography, and household income.

I'm in the top decile of that posted chart. Some weeks I'll be higher, some weeks I'll be lower. Usually lower, but always above the ninth. Posting on a throwaway for what should be pretty obvious reasons. In the past week I've had about three bottles of gin in various cocktails, assorted craft beers of the IPA or imperial stout variety, a couple of whiskeys, and an aperitif most days. I've been drinking mostly while…

It seems like calories would add up pretty quick, especially when you throw beer into the mix. Do you have any trouble with weight? Or is that you eat a lot less food to compensate? I suppose to some extent a cocktail in hand on the couch substitutes for snacks.

Re: America has a drinking problem

#430

Post by dcolkitt »

quadyeast wrote: post #249
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #153

It's hard to reduce the US to a single culture. Alcohol consumption habits vary greatly from region to region, or even city to city depending on where you live. I've noticed that heavy drinkers tend to cluster with other heavy drinkers. The more you see your friends and coworkers binge drinking regularly, the more you feel it's an acceptable and even common behavior. Likewise, non-drinkers tend to cluster with each o…

that chart does not make sense to me unless >10% of Americans are AA. I can't think of anyone, besides non-drinking Alcoholics, that have less than 1 drink/wk

Older people drink significantly less than the young. By age 65, more than half Americans are teetotalers.
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