Stop out of control drinking

EoghanIRL

I heard http://www.rolemodels.ie/ radio add earlier today.

Personally i think that Ireland's drinking culture is well established and needs to change. It is especially bad amongst young people , specifically in college students. I'm also of the opinion that alcohol is ok if enjoyed sensibly but the norm in Ireland for a long time now is binge drinking. I don't see why alcohol abuse is seen as being more acceptable than any other type of drug abuse in Ireland. I think that a change in the population's attitude to alcohol could only be a good thing and that the benefits would by far outweigh the disadvantages. Seeing how alcohol links in with many other problems also such as the high rate in male suicide , depression and so on.

I think a campaign that would try and tackle our drink culture and that would change our drinking habits would be very welcome if it could make some well needed changes.

Do we need to change our drink culture?

stimpson

Thanks for the input Buzz Killington

KungPao

What is considered real dangerous binge-drinking by regular people in Ireland?

Is 8 cans of pissy beer better or just as bad as a load of wine or spirits?

Leave our drink culture alone and stop interfering in how people want to live their lives.

EoghanIRL

Michelle Tangy Doorbell wrote: »

Leave our drink culture alone and stop interfering in how people want to live their lives.

Alcohol abuse doesn't just affect the person who is drinking...

conorh91

Is this the lobby group established by Diageo and headed by that utter spoofer Fergus Finlay?

I'm all for measures which encourage sensible drinking, but not in a way that effectively allows the drinks industry both an influence on the debate and to extract insider information about future policy.

gazzamc

Just..One..More..Drink :P

Trebor176

I'm not a big drinker, but like a few when I'm out. However, I don't drink to the point where I stagger out of the place. I may have a slight hangover the next day, but at least I'd be able to come home still feeling quite sober. I know of people, who claim that a night out to them isn't complete, unless they are completely hammered. It's their choice, I guess. I can't tell them it's wrong or for them to cut down on the drink.

To me, it's a complete waste of money buying a load of drinks, getting plastered only to end up vomiting most of the contents back up later on. Sure, it's a laugh to others in a group, if it happens to their friend/friends, but it's just not worth it. And, I can't see how it's considered funny. Though, the others in the groups are most likely drunk as well.

The thing is, many people are aware that the effects of excessive alcohol consumption have on their health, i.e. liver damage. It doesn't faze them at all. If it did, they'd be a lot more sensible with their alcohol intake. It would be a good chunk of money saved weekly as well.

I know there was a young character in Eastenders, Lauren, who had a storyline recently about alcoholism. She was affected enough by the storyline that it did put her off drinking in real life, so if it worked for her, other viewers may have been put off drinking as well. To many others, they'd see it as just a storyline, still blissfully ignorant of the effects it can have and the dangers a drunk person could face.

Mint Aero

Out of control drinking? Sponsored by Diageo?

A marketing ploy by Diageo :rolleyes:

Sure Diageo, I don't have an "out of control" drink problem

MightyMandarin

The biggest issue imo is that people know their limits, and stay within them whenever they drink. A 6'2 90kg lad can (usually) handle a lot more drink than a 5'5 60kg girl can; yet whenever I'm out I can't help but notice that people who clearly can't handle their drink as well as others, try to drink as much as them. This leads to the rotten scenes on the streets on any given night because they either don't know their limits or they do know but don't care. Educating people that falling all over the place, vomiting repeatedly on the ground and generally acting like a tosser is not ok when you drink, should be the main focus of any of these campaigns.

bb1234567

I don't think its so bad. Im a college student, I get drunk once maybe twice a week. I don't go too overboard (as in vomiting) and we never enter into any antisocial behaviour. I don't think that will have any signifiant negative effects on my health either. It makes social events more enjoyable, or bearable in my case as a person with severe social anxiety.
Whats so bad about that? Most college students do the same. Its not like we all get hammered every other night or we would have died of alcohol poisoning long ago.

Atlantic Dawn

Longer drinking hours needed to prevent people binge drinking before the 2.30am shut down.

bb1234567

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Longer drinking hours needed to prevent people binge drinking before the 2.30am shut down.

Or the ridiculous 10pm off license closures

darkpagandeath

I have an Idea, Maybe stop pubs closing at stupid a clock 24 hr service. Same with offies, Lower the price of drink massively. bring the atmosphere around drink to a European level. We are in the Middle of the EU for consumption, Please tell me how being average makes us all out to be alcoholics. The reason you see all these drunk people around in a short space of time is the licensing laws, places like Germany drink more but have sensible laws so people don't need to fit in 8 hours drinking into 1.5 hours.

conorh91

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Longer drinking hours needed to prevent people binge drinking before the 2.30am shut down.

A lot of people cite that as a problem but is it?

A lot of people don't head out until after 10pm or 11pm. I know we'd often have difficulty flagging an empty taxi into town at 11.30pm (from Ranelagh) and the route into town is very congested at that time.

If we would start drinking a little earlier, we wouldn't have this problem

The only reason a uniform 2.30 closing time is bad, is for reasons of public order.

bb1234567

darkpagandeath wrote: »

I have an Idea, Maybe stop pubs closing at stupid a clock 24 hr service. Same with offies, Lower the price of drink massively bring the atmosphere around drink to a European level. We are in the Middle of the EU for consumption, Please tell me how being average makes us all out to be alcoholics. The reason you see all these drunk people around in a short space of time is the licensing laws, places like Germany drink more but have sensible laws so people don't need to fit in 8 hours drinking into 1.5 hours.

This. Getting drunk or even tipsy in a club/pub in any place in Ireland is simply not affordable unless you're absolutely loaded. Its just stupid and forces people to race to off licenses to find the cheapest **** tasting beer or spirit with the highest percentage alcohol before it closes at 10 and then down it before entering the club an hour later.

gazzamc

conorh91 wrote: »

A lot of people cite that as a problem but is it?

A lot of people don't head out until after 10pm or 11pm. I know we'd often have difficulty flagging an empty taxi into town at 11.30pm (from Ranelagh) and the route into town is very congested at that time.

If we would start drinking a little earlier, we wouldn't have this problem

The only reason a uniform 2.30 closing time is bad, is for reasons of public order.

The main reason for heading out late is due to the high prices of drink in pubs, if they lowered it then people wouldn't need to pre-drink and could go straight to the pub.

conorh91

gazzamc wrote: »

The main reason for heading out late is due to the high prices of drink in pubs, if they lowered it then people wouldn't need to pre-drink and could go straight to the pub.

True. But then if the same people can't afford to drink in the clubs and late bars for a long time, I don't see the point of extending the opening hours.

MightyMandarin

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Longer drinking hours needed to prevent people binge drinking before the 2.30am shut down.

That might work for most people, but for college students who are usually up earlyish the following morning, most would leave by/earlier than 2:30 anyway. In places like Berlin, clubs don't open until around midnight and go on until around 6am, but there's no way most Irish people could last until 6am the way people drink. Binge drinking is, unfortunately, becoming the norm in Ireland, if it hasn't already. Re-education on how to drink appropriate amounts and how to space it out is needed.

bb1234567

MightyMandarin wrote: »

That might work for most people, but for college students who are usually up earlyish the following morning, most would leave by/earlier than 2:30 anyway. In places like Berlin, clubs don't open until around midnight and go on until around 6am, but there's no way most Irish people could last until 6am the way people drink. Binge drinking is, unfortunately, becoming the norm in Ireland, if it hasn't already. Re-education on how to drink appropriate amounts and how to space it out is needed.

I don't know how any sane person could last 6 hours in a club no matter how much/how little they've drank

Schwiiing

gazzamc wrote: »

The main reason for heading out late is due to the high prices of drink in pubs, if they lowered it then people wouldn't need to pre-drink and could go straight to the pub.

The prohibitive price of drink in pubs is connected to the prohibitve cost of running a pub.

Atomic Pineapple

gazzamc wrote: »

The main reason for heading out late is due to the high prices of drink in pubs, if they lowered it then people wouldn't need to pre-drink and could go straight to the pub.

In addition to that most young people tend to work on weekend days in temporary jobs so you have them coming home after work, getting drink from the off licence, drinking it quick in a pre drinking session to get drunk enough for the nightclub then they get to the nightclub and do the same thing over again in an effort to stay drunk before the closing time.

Personally I would lower the drinking age to 16, extend opening hours and provide better education through schools to both students and parents. It would probably lead to short term issues but long term if managed it would help change the binge drinking culture.

darkpagandeath

conorh91 wrote: »

True. But then if the same people can't afford to drink in the clubs and late bars for a long time, I don't see the point of extending the opening hours.

I have already covered that, Lower the price massively. We are being gouged here for alcohol. second highest price in the EU, I mean Jesus you can go to another EU state and purchase alcohol that's made here exported and sold at a fraction of the price.

Schwiiing

Atomic Pineapple wrote: »

In addition to that most young people tend to work on weekend days in temporary jobs so you have them coming home after work, getting drink from the off licence, drinking it quick in a pre drinking session to get drunk enough for the nightclub then they get to the nightclub and do the same thing over again in an effort to stay drunk before the closing time.

Personally I would lower the drinking age to 16, extend opening hours and provide better education through schools to both students and parents.

Christ above.

anncoates

To be fair, I'd be the last to be a buzz killer. I love beer, support extended pub hours and oppose the government meddling in the sector. And it's not that I don't ever get drunk.

But, I was out recently with a pretty young group (family occasion) and was pretty surprised at the hardcore nature of the drinking. Not just the amount of shots, but how much it seemed like a dedicated pursuit of high-level alcohol consumption.

Maybe I'm just too old but if defo wasn't like that when I was that age.

LDN_Irish

MightyMandarin wrote: »

The biggest issue imo is that people know their limits, and stay within them whenever they drink. A 6'2 90kg lad can (usually) handle a lot more drink than a 5'5 60kg girl can; yet whenever I'm out I can't help but notice that people who clearly can't handle their drink as well as others, try to drink as much as them. This leads to the rotten scenes on the streets on any given night because they either don't know their limits or they do know but don't care.

Yes, I see this a lot. A woman I know once arrived a couple of hours after us and said "oh I better catch up then" and got 3 double vodkas and a can of red bull and threw them all in together. I think it cost about 18 euro. She was falling down drunk and had to be carried to a taxi a couple of hours later.

I can't drink as much as some of my friends so I don't. Go on to the water if I feel myself getting a bit too wavy. I seem to get drunker more quickly now that I have children, possibly due to not getting out as much. I don't do shots anymore, because I've never gotten home and said "jaysus, I should be done more shots. I just wasn't drunk enough tonight."

MightyMandarin

bb1234567 wrote: »

I don't know how any sane person could last 6 hours in a club no matter how much/how little they've drank

Well you take breaks obviously, but lots of people do last until the morning over there and then crash the next day.

The culture is different in Germany from what I've seen. I've been on 2 exchanges and I must say the young people (in general) much prefer beer to spirits and mixers. They also know their limits a lot better and will stop if they start to go overboard. That's something that most young people here haven't realised yet.

darkpagandeath

anncoates wrote: »

To be fair, I'd be the last to be a buzz killer. I love beer, support extended pub hours and oppose the government meddling in the sector. And it's not that I don't ever get drunk.

But, I was out recently with a pretty young group (family occasion) and was pretty surprised at the hardcore nature of the drinking. Not just the amount of shots, but how much it seemed like a dedicated pursuit of high-level alcohol consumption.

Maybe I'm just too old but if defo wasn't like that when I was that age.

The price dictates this, price per unit and all that. They will see why the hell would I pay €7 for a bottle of beer when I can get shots.

Fudge You

stimpson wrote: »

Thanks for the input Buzz Killington

Thats the kind of attitude that needs to change. I grew up in Ireland and if you didnt drink, you werent cool. If you didnt drink before 18, you were a loser.

Now, if I dont drink the at the weekends, I'm asked what was wrong, no money, ill etc... But sometimes I just dont want to drink. And when I do, I might have a couples of drinks and thats it.

I hate the drinking culture in Ireland.


"Have a drink, don't be a fag"... I'll have a drink if I want ffs.

"If you aren't drinking, you are boring!"
Fcuk the lot of people in Ireland that say that.

Atomic Pineapple

Schwiiing wrote: »

Christ above.

Going drinking is seen as something of a social benchmark by teenagers, or at least it was as I was growing up, there was immense pressure on me to try to get drink, try to get into over 18 venues and if I didn't I was subjected to ridicule for not wanting to partake. Lowering the drinking age to 16 would remove this benchmark in my opinion and along with the other points in my post you chose not to quote lead to a better drinking culture in the long run.

Schwiiing

Atomic Pineapple wrote: »

Going drinking is seen as something of a social benchmark by teenagers, or at least it was as I was growing up, there was immense pressure on me to try to get drink, try to get into over 18 venues and if I didn't I was subjected to ridicule for not wanting to partake. Lowering the drinking age to 16 would remove this benchmark in my opinion and a long with the other points in my post you choose not to quote lead to a better drinking culture in the long run.

There are people who are 26,36,46 etc with an immature attitude to alcohol and you want to add in children to the mix because that's what 16 year old people are, children.

IrishTrajan

EoghanIRL wrote: »

I heard http://www.rolemodels.ie/ radio add earlier today.

Personally i think that Ireland's drinking culture is well established and needs to change. It is especially bad amongst young people , specifically in college students. I'm also of the opinion that alcohol is ok if enjoyed sensibly but the norm in Ireland for a long time now is binge drinking. I don't see why alcohol abuse is seen as being more acceptable than any other type of drug abuse in Ireland. I think that a change in the population's attitude to alcohol could only be a good thing and that the benefits would by far outweigh the disadvantages. Seeing how alcohol links in with many other problems also such as the high rate in male suicide , depression and so on.

I think a campaign that would try and tackle our drink culture and that would change our drinking habits would be very welcome if it could make some well needed changes.

Do we need to change our drink culture?

Drinking is too ingrained in Irish culture. If our high duties on alcohol doesn't dissuade people from buying alcohol, I don't think posters and ads on tv will do much either.

Atomic Pineapple

sugarman wrote: »

Again, that is nothing unique to Ireland. Its the same attitude in most other EU countries.

Is it? I recently was on a company outing where I was the only one who chose not to drink, of the German, French, Slovakian, Spanish and Irish people there I only got flak off those who were Irish and the conversation turned to the people of other EU origins wanting to know why I was being slagged. Not saying this showcases drinking cultures in those countries but I just found it interesting.

bb1234567

Schwiiing wrote: »

There are people who are 26,36,46 etc with an immature attitude to alcohol and you want to add in children to the mix because that's what 16 year old people are, children.

15-17 year olds are going to drink regardless of the age limit. Theres no way to really crack down on it and its a not a very major issue, I don't see the harm in lowering the limit to 16. More serious policing with regards anti social behaviour and violent/rowdy public drunken behaviour would be much more beneficial.

Fudge You

sugarman wrote: »

Again, that is nothing unique to Ireland. Its the same attitude in most other EU countries.

Ok. But that doesnt really mean anything to me.
It just means our attitude to drinking needs to be changed here in Ireland, and also in other EU counties that you say.

Schwiiing

bb1234567 wrote: »

15-17 year olds are going to drink regardless of the age limit. Theres no way to really crack down on it and its a not a very major issue, I don't see the harm in lowering the limit to 16. More serious policing with regards anti social behaviour and violent/rowdy public drunken behaviour would be much more beneficial.

Standard Irish response. 'Leave us drinkers alone, make someone else clean up the mess we make'. :rolleyes:

Grays Sports Almanac

Fudge You wrote: »

"If you aren't drinking, you are boring!"
Fcuk the lot of people in Ireland that say that.

The boring people are the ones who constantly need alcohol to enjoy themselves.

Atomic Pineapple

Schwiiing wrote: »

There are people who are 26,36,46 etc with an immature attitude to alcohol and you want to add in children to the mix because that's what 16 year old people are, children.

18 year old people are children too, recent research suggests our brains don't fully mature until around 25 years, meaning we don't achieve mature adult thought processes until then. So if a child aged 18 is legally allowed to drink alcohol why would an educated child aged 16 be such a big difference?

No matter what you do there will always be stupid people in the world, those at the age of 46 etc.. with immature attitudes to alcohol are stupid, you can't let a minority who are stupid drive regulations, if you did then everything would be illegal.

Sunnyisland

I don't live in Ireland and when I am out here and asked do I want a drink and I answer yes please make, it a tea or sparkling water it's not a bother, In Ireland when I answer above I am asked am I sick,what's wrong you,not feeling well etc etc, there is a lot more peer pressure in Ireland for you to drink alcohol then elsewhere imo.

darkpagandeath

Schwiiing wrote: »

Standard Irish response. 'Leave us drinkers alone, make someone else clean up the mess we make'. :rolleyes:

I'm not from Ireland, there would be no problems here with sensible drink regulations, lower price extend pub closing times same with offies. Prohibition has a lot to do with what people see as the problem. Name anything in this country that has worked well with the finger wagers getting their way and saying "Don't do that" "We know what's best for you".

Ted_YNWA

Hollis Hurlbut wrote: »

The boring people are the ones who constantly need alcohol to enjoy themselves.

The majority of them do not come out & have a sober night. EVER

Macavity.

I think if we had a more open minded attitude towards other drugs, binge drinking would not be such a problem.

Renegade Mechanic

Why do I drink? Because everything else is illegal. The place is getting harder and harder to enjoy each year. People have less time and less money. A few drinks of the evening is about all they can do. Dropping Irelands drinking culture btw will never happen for the same reason fags will never be banned. Revenue.
If binge drinking is to be easily curtailed, other outlets are needed. Legalising marijuana would be a start. Tax it like fags but treat it like alcohol. No driving, no working etc, etc..

Ted_YNWA

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

The majority of them do not come out & have a sober night. EVER

Damn right, I gave up going out sober about 10 years ago after trying it a handful of times. It's basically watching other people have fun and missing out on all the craic. If for some very rare reason I can't drink I just stay at home.

I don't get people problem with the drinking culture. Those of us who want to be part of it week in week out enjoy it and don't want it curtailed. Those who complain and don't partake are not involved so why not just leave the rest to enjoy it.

Tarzana2

MightyMandarin wrote: »

The biggest issue imo is that people know their limits, and stay within them whenever they drink. A 6'2 90kg lad can (usually) handle a lot more drink than a 5'5 60kg girl can; yet whenever I'm out I can't help but notice that people who clearly can't handle their drink as well as others, try to drink as much as them. This leads to the rotten scenes on the streets on any given night because they either don't know their limits or they do know but don't care. Educating people that falling all over the place, vomiting repeatedly on the ground and generally acting like a tosser is not ok when you drink, should be the main focus of any of these campaigns.

Rounds are what encourage people to drink at a rate they shouldn't. That's a big problem, IMO.

Schwiiing

Michelle Tangy Doorbell wrote: »

Damn right, I gave up going out sober about 10 years ago after trying it a handful of times. It's basically watching other people have fun and missing out on all the craic. If for some very rare reason I can't drink I just stay at home.

Why can't you have the craic sober? I can do it on the rare occasion it's necessary, weddings etc. I can sing and head out dancing. But there is always some twat who will give me abuse for being sober.

bodhrandude

Let their livers decide for them they have to learn the hard way. Leaving Las Vegas with Nicholas Cage, every alcohol dabbler should see this movie, its a wake up call to when you have gone so far over the line as regards drinking alcohol.

sweetie

paddy's day in Dublin city centre is a scary sight

Ted_YNWA

Michelle Tangy Doorbell wrote: »

Damn right, I gave up going out sober about 10 years ago after trying it a handful of times. It's basically watching other people have fun and missing out on all the craic. If for some very rare reason I can't drink I just stay at home.

I don't get people problem with the drinking culture. Those of us who want to be part of it week in week out enjoy it and don't want it curtailed. Those who complain and don't partake are not involved so why not just leave the rest to enjoy it.

You can have fun & partake in the craic while not drinking as well.

Schwiiing

Schwiiing wrote: »

Why can't you have the craic sober? I can do it on the rare occasion it's necessary, weddings etc. I can sing and head out dancing. But there is always some twat who will give me abuse for being sober.

Because not drinking takes away a major part of going out and it's just not enjoyable without it or the feeling given by the alcohol.

conorh91

darkpagandeath wrote: »

I have already covered that, Lower the price massively. We are being gouged here for alcohol. second highest price in the EU, I mean Jesus you can go to another EU state and purchase alcohol that's made here exported and sold at a fraction of the price.

I'm guessing alcohol doesn't cause the same drain on their health services and their criminal justice systems as it does here. We're a tiny country, and alcohol abuse costs us over 3 billion euro per annum.

Part of the reason alcohol is so expensive in Ireland is because of excise duty. I'm not in favour of lower excise duty, because I believe if alcohol abuse is costing the State that much money, then it is we the consumers of alcohol who should pay. It's a blunt instrument, but it's the fairest one available.