Do you think it sad how in the UK / West we have a dependency on alcohol to have a good time ?

[????]

Absolutely - lager louts or Cirrossis...I know where I stand (fall...hic)

[tomchance]

There was an excellent item on Horizon about the biochemistry of alcohol, and how it affects different people in different ways. Of course it sounds a bit obvious, but it's amazing how it makes some people feel giddy and happy very quickly, whilst others barely notice. Only a minority of people really, really get off on having a drink, which probably explains why some cultures get by without it just fine.

Also interesting is that only a small minority drink over the limit (21 units for men, 14 for women). The massive public health problem, and the bills for the NHS + police, are caused by a really small minority. But the way it's sometime celebrated, you'd think it was mainstream behaviour!

Anyway, as someone whose biochemistry seems to respond well to a few drinks but unhappily to lots, I'll answer the original question: Yes! The idea of drinking something that doesn't even taste very good to get drunk as a regular habit, or prelude to a good time, seems pretty weird to me.

[Cassius]

"The idea of drinking something that doesn't even taste very good to get drunk as a regular habit, or prelude to a good time, seems pretty weird to me."

Doesn't TASTE good!!! - a good glass of wine or ale is absolutely delicious and I would drink them even if there was no alcohol content - just for the taste. Riesling, Pinot Noir, Doombar...............

[tomchance]

Cassius Wrote:

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> Doesn't TASTE good!!! - a good glass of wine or

> ale is absolutely delicious and I would drink them

> even if there was no alcohol content - just for

> the taste. Riesling, Pinot Noir,

> Doombar...............

Which is precisely why I love a good pint of ale, a decent Islay malt and pretty much anything from Green & Blue!

[Cassius]

And at sporting events where I am offered a choice of Fosters or Fosters will drink water.

[KidKruger]

Cassius:

"I would drink them even if there was no alcohol content "

Fair point, and likewise, I get frustrated the other way round ie. why can't all bars serve one draught beer that is alcohol-free ? I would have thought if Govt was genuine about 'concerns' over alcohol consumption rates they would (and easily could) enforce it. Few people like to drink coke after coke or orange and lemonade all night, the sugar hit is gross. There are many such AF beers available and it would ease any peer pressure since they look same as alcoholic beers.

[Magpie]

I don't think its sad - the French have wine, brandy, pastis etc drunk in bars and resturants, the brits have ale, whisky, cider, and gin drunk in pubs, it is one of the defining points of our culture.

Mind I also think that mass produced lager drunk is the work of the devil (although I am partial to a proper German pilsner on a hot day)

I worked in Saudi last summer, non-alcholic beer was the only thing I could drink with meals - otherwise the choice was all sweet fruit juice or soft drinks.

[????]

Really? Most people I know drink more than this... you can argue about how these limits are scientifically 'got to' ie they differ considerably between different countries but I think most drinkers exceed these in reality. Apparently Doctor's double what their patients tell them they drink as a matter of course.

21 units is 10 pints of average strenght beer (ie cooking lager or traditional bitters)

[HAL9000]

Magpie Wrote:

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> I worked in Saudi last summer, non-alcholic beer

> was the only thing I could drink with meals -

> otherwise the choice was all sweet fruit juice or

> soft drinks.

I was out there during the eighties - fond memories of drinking "Jeddah Champaign" (a mixture of Perrier and Orange Juice) in public and neat pernod-flavoured Gripe Water (an OTC calmative for babies containing 3.6% alcohol) along with some pretty powerful home-brewed "flash" at private parties.