Giving up alcohol

[armaghniac]

(5) A very long drive home

One wonders what the people with a medium or short drive home did.

The host had gone out and filled a cooler with about 5 different types of NA beer: Heineken, Guinness, Athletico IPA etc

Nobody batted an eyelid at the non drinkers and a couple of drinkers actually drank the NA beer without realizing

I know it will take time to change the mindset in Ireland but it doesn't have to be as hard as people are making it.

If you're hosting-cater to your guests

If you're a guest-let your host know.

Before the pandemic we had a milestone Leaving Cert reunion at a GAA Clubhouse. There were plenty of non drinkers in attendance and the bar manager was asked/told well in advance to stock up on the Zeros

There is huge duty on alcohol in Ireland, 0-0 should be cheaper and easier on the host.

Drinking and driving is the norm in the United States

There was a recent high profile murder case in a Boston suburb involving off duty police officers and their wives and girlfriends. Many of them were driving home (in a blizzard) after 10+ drinks

Yet Mass is one of the safer states and the death rate is only about twice the rate here. South Carolina has a similar population to the 26 counties, but 5 times the road fatalities. There is justifiable concern here that the rate is going up, but that is frightening.

Twice by what metric?

Best stat to use is " Deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled"

I can't find that stat for Ireland

I used per 100,000 population. The stats for the US are slightly better on 100 million vehicle miles travelled, as they drive further, but still not good.

[tbrick18]

You said it doesn't have to be as hard as people are making it

Point still stands

Making it-as in how hard drinkers are making it for non drinkers to not drink alcohol

If I have misunderstood your meaning, I apologise. It's a personal subject for me. I happen to be 9 years sober today

Congratulations-that's remarkable

Haven't touched a drop in 5 years myself

It's crazy in Ireland the pressure put on people to drink-I was in a pub in Mayo back in March and a fella I know, (one of the biggest drinkers in town) was drinking Heineken Zero. A fella came in who he'd be friendly with, started with the usual aul Sh1te...."why would you waste your time drinking that p1sswater"type of stuff.

Anyways I found out later that he'd had a heart attack the month before (that wasn't widely known)and was on the strictest doctors orders not to drink. But the pub is the only social life he has ever known

Cheers lad. And well done to yourself also. I think it's a little bit better with younger people. A lot more are not drinking these days.

Well done to both!
Whilst I'd class myself as an occasional drinker, I'm not sure I could/would completely stop.
Maybe that's a motivation thing, but it does slightly worry me that I think like that.
I've an 18 year old, and whilst kids her age and younger are drinking - it doesn't feel like its got the same attraction as it had when I was that age. Most drink more sensibly (more than I would have anyway) and there are quite a few who don't touch it.
The bigger concern these days is drugs - from what I see, it's commonplace to vape, smoke weed, and take cocaine.
Cocaine seems to be as widely used as vapes and no-one tries to hard to hide it.

[imtommygunn]

Is cost prohibitive for ones round 18ish years old for booze these days? I definitely don't see it as as big a thing among younger ones. Not sure if it's money or just life. I know this sounds a bit left field but I wonder do things like tinder impact that as rather than going on the beer to meet someone you're just using apps etc to do it.

[tbrick18]

Is cost prohibitive for ones round 18ish years old for booze these days? I definitely don't see it as as big a thing among younger ones. Not sure if it's money or just life. I know this sounds a bit left field but I wonder do things like tinder impact that as rather than going on the beer to meet someone you're just using apps etc to do it.

Yeah that's a good point actually.
I know loads of the young ones seem to meet via snapchat.

[Milltown Row2]

Be still single if they had those apps back in the day

[JohnDenver]

https://www.irishnews.com/gaa/getting-back-on-track-armaghs-justin-kieran-on-alcohol-battle-and-why-he-doesnt-regret-leaving-the-squad-in-june-VCBLZI5QW5ANPP33QLXPVWAIHQ/

[Would ye whist]

This is a really good piece from this young man, a lot of courage there to face up to his problem

It does raise a question does the football attitude of going off drink for long periods lead to ridiculous binge drinking?

https://www.irishnews.com/gaa/getting-back-on-track-armaghs-justin-kieran-on-alcohol-battle-and-why-he-doesnt-regret-leaving-the-squad-in-june-VCBLZI5QW5ANPP33QLXPVWAIHQ/

[Milltown Row2]

Can't help but admire someone to visible put it out there and talk about his troubles and hopefully making it ok for others to express their own issues with alcohol. Irelands relationship with drink is (for me) the biggest problem, most Europeans must look at us abroad and wonder what the feck is going on, they drink off course they do but we drink to get hammered they drink for enjoyment, to socialise.

I would say we need new approach to alcohol marketing, change the mindset

Look binge drinking is as bad, if you go out and can't remember how you got home or not being able remember parts of your night then its too much.

I've done all of the above many times, weirdly if I'm out with her friends, or the crowd that I've built up friendships from where I live, I'll be rarely drunk, but when I'm out with my friends from the club there is a difference for sure, its rounds of drinks and then more rounds followed by ach sure we'll head into town!

So the environment is a big factor

They are getting less and less as you get older and semi wiser. Not drinking during the week for me works

[Tony Baloney]

The peer pressure to take a few even when clearly not drinking should be on the wane as zero alcohol drinks are more "socially acceptable". There was a time, in rural areas especially, that drink driving was more socially acceptable than taking a shandy or a mineral!

[samuel maguire]

I personally struggle in the off season with drinking. When football ends and there is no training/matches/gym sessions to do it is easy to head to the pub for a few pints 3/4 times a week. Football keeps me honest.
Between training/matches/gym sessions etc i am out of the house at least 4/5 evenings and maybe the odd morning.
There is no real guilt associated with drinking when you have no team mates or managers to answer to.

[Milltown Row2]

I personally struggle in the off season with drinking. When football ends and there is no training/matches/gym sessions to do it is easy to head to the pub for a few pints 3/4 times a week. Football keeps me honest.
Between training/matches/gym sessions etc i am out of the house at least 4/5 evenings and maybe the odd morning.
There is no real guilt associated with drinking when you have no team mates or managers to answer to.

Find targets for those winter months, join a local running club or start a new class in the gym, yoga, pilates. great for the bodies flexibility and meeting new people

[Would ye whist]

great for the bodies flexibility and meeting new people

Do these two aspects go hand in hand or are they intertwined at some point? 

I personally struggle in the off season with drinking. When football ends and there is no training/matches/gym sessions to do it is easy to head to the pub for a few pints 3/4 times a week. Football keeps me honest.
Between training/matches/gym sessions etc i am out of the house at least 4/5 evenings and maybe the odd morning.
There is no real guilt associated with drinking when you have no team mates or managers to answer to.

Find targets for those winter months, join a local running club or start a new class in the gym, yoga, pilates. great for the bodies flexibility and meeting new people

[Milltown Row2]

I havent been at the yoga classes that do the intertwining, still looking out for those

But yeah the flexibility of meeting new people might not go down to well with her indoors, but defo keeps ya young 

[whitey]

I personally struggle in the off season with drinking. When football ends and there is no training/matches/gym sessions to do it is easy to head to the pub for a few pints 3/4 times a week. Football keeps me honest.
Between training/matches/gym sessions etc i am out of the house at least 4/5 evenings and maybe the odd morning.
There is no real guilt associated with drinking when you have no team mates or managers to answer to.

Get an envelope, and put what you used to spend on drink into it every week for 12 weeks

So let's say €50 X 12= €600

Have a plan for the money ahead of time

A weekend away

A nice dinner out (X 3)

Something you've always wanted but never got around to getting-a new bike etc)

[toby47]

I personally struggle in the off season with drinking. When football ends and there is no training/matches/gym sessions to do it is easy to head to the pub for a few pints 3/4 times a week. Football keeps me honest.
Between training/matches/gym sessions etc i am out of the house at least 4/5 evenings and maybe the odd morning.
There is no real guilt associated with drinking when you have no team mates or managers to answer to.

Get an envelope, and put what you used to spend on drink into it every week for 12 weeks

So let's say €50 X 12= €600

Have a plan for the money ahead of time

A weekend away

A nice dinner out (X 3)

Something you've always wanted but never got around to getting-a new bike etc)

Or 12 nights out