Who's drinking my share of alcohol?

[He3]

I do wonder if some of these are the same people who claim they can't take any more austerity.

Or maybe some of those who voted for the bank guarantee, to cap off their political careers?

[conservative green]

Dr Tony Holohan, head of the reporting group was on the 6One news, VERY impressive guy!

Said that alcohol consumption was the equivalent of one bottle of vodka per person over 15, per week!!!!

That is seriously bad folks.

Actually, that quantity is within the guidelines. The problem is the high % that drink more.

[Astral Peaks]

Actually, that quantity is within the guidelines. The problem is the high % that drink more.

How on earth can a bottle of vodka per week be within guidelines?

If it is, then the guidelines are rubbish.

[johnnypockets]

The state of the economy will kill off excess drinking by itself as people find they don't have the money...

I wouldn't be so sure. Have people here ever heard of 'the monday club'? Its a practice that I was only recently made aware of. I'm still amazed...

[gerhard dengler]

I think it's a "yoouf" versus slightly older thing really.

The younger wans go out on a Friday, Saturday etc. and the first thing on minds is to get locked as quickly as possible. The "older" group might go for a meal (but have a bottle or two of wine), a couple of drinks to finish off, and home.

The alcohol consumption is probably near enough the same. But the behavioural consequences are less with the slightly more mature.

Anyway, the oldies are probably sucked in to mortgages, kids, school, college, bills and all the rest of it. The younger wans just have disposable income and didn't we all do it when younger? Maybe not all, but YKWIM.

Anyhow, I would love to know what the yoouf in Spain, Italy, France do of a weekend. Do they not go out and get blathered? I was in a back of beyond place called Mirepoix in France last year, and there was a music thing on. My God, there was so much drinking going on I couldn't believe it. Bottles of Ricard on the table amongst four twenty somethings, chased by a 1664 every now and again.

But the difference was the flics were everywhere. Unobtrusive, but everywhere. They were in the main car park breathalysing and frisking for drugs, but that was away from the centre of the fun, so it was done quietly but efficiently.

Believe me, in France, the yoouf are as much into their drink as here. The difference is, bad behaviour is NOT tolerated, for one minute, and these kids know it. They will have a ball, but there is no messing.

All this talk about us drinking here is a smokescreen for the latent acceptance and tolerance of bad behaviour and crime as a result of alcohol. I do feel for the emergency services and hospitals dealing with them. But they are treated the same as I would be with a heart attack or something. So they don't care. The police seem to look on with blase acceptance via the cctv. No presence at all to stop this.

I am fed up being cast as a numbskull for having a few glasses of wine at the weekend. I do NOT want to be compared to puking idiots in the streets. But I now have to pay more because those idiots are not chastised, or policed or whatever. That is what it boils down to... acceptance of cr ap behaviour at the expense of the majority who enjoy a few drinks in peace.

Comparing alcohol consumption with other countries is pointless.

I've never heard of the "drunken French/Spanish/Italians".
Unfortunately the drunken Irish stereotype didn't just fall out of thin air.

We're a nation that consumes far too much alcohol.
The fact that behaviour as a result of too much alcohol consumption is tolerated compounds the problem.

Less alcohol consumption will lead to the population being healthier.

[mr_anderson]

Who's drinking my share of alcohol ?

It's hard to say it, I hate to say it ...

[asset test]

Comparing alcohol consumption with other countries is pointless.

I've never heard of the "drunken French/Spanish/Italians".
Unfortunately the drunken Irish stereotype didn't just fall out of thin air.

We're a nation that consumes far too much alcohol.
The fact that behaviour as a result of too much alcohol consumption is tolerated compounds the problem.

Less alcohol consumption will lead to the population being healthier.

In my humble view, alcohol is consumed to excess in many countries/jurisdictions. Difference is, bad behaviour is NOT tolerated in many countries at all. That is the culture.

Now if we engendered a similar culture here, well we wouldn't have to worry about the Nanny State dictating to those of us who enjoy a drink sensibly.

I also pose the question about the alcohol consumption in the UK. My God the shows on tv about that would make your hair curl. Now admittedly they "seem" to have a police presence there, a bit better than our own. But until nutters who puke in the street, undress, fight, and make a mess are totally vilified, nothing will change.

I think that is the difference between here, the UK, and Mediterranean Europe (and probably elsewhere).

Alcoholics will always be with us, and they are to be cared for. Those who drink to excess and make eejits out of themselves and destroy the peace and quiet of our lives should be in a zero tolerance zone.

[gerhard dengler]

In my humble view, alcohol is consumed to excess in many countries/jurisdictions. Difference is, bad behaviour is NOT tolerated in Med countries at all. That is the culture.

Now if we engendered a similar culture here, well we wouldn't have to worry about the Nanny State telling those of us who enjoy a drink without falling into the gutter (but looking at the stars) at all.

I also pose the question about the alcohol consumption in the UK. My God the show on tv about that would make your hair curl. Now admittedly they "seem" to have a police presence there, a bit better than our own. But until nutters who puke in the street, undress, fight, and make a mess are totally vilified, nothing will change.

I think that is the difference between here and UK, and Mediterranean Europe (and probably elsewhere).

Alcoholics will always be with us, and they are to be cared for. Those who drink to excess and make eejits out of themselves and destroy the peace and quiet of our lives should be in a zero tolerance zone.

Again comparisons with other countries is pointless.
If there was a "drunken Spanish/Italian/French" stereotype, then you might have a point.
The drunken Irish stereotype is not without foundation.

The social and economic cost of alcohol consumption in this society is huge. From the cost of Gardai time having to deal with fights/rows, to the cost imposed on the health services dealing with people who have health problems as a result of excessive consumption, to the cost of "sick days" for businesses when employee are too hung over to turn up for work.

If alcohol consumption was reduced, the savings realised to our nations health services, savings in Gardai resources and the sense of wellbeing throughout a healthier population would be positive.

[iago1709]

I'm intrigued - what's the Monday Club?

[d7bohs]

HHmm....

I don't drink at all - do you think there's an opening for a scheme whereby I and others TTs could sell our allocation of the national thirst? Like what happens with the milk quota or something?