What's your relationship with alcohol?

[snoopdog]

I'm late 40s and I find the hangovers are dreadful. I'm not a big drinker most of the time, maybe a few cans. But if I'm on a lads weekend I tend to take way too much. Hangovers last 3 days at this stage. It's not worth it to be honest.

[An Watcher]

Same as that.  Probably average one session per month with absolutely no alcohol in between.  The one session can be heavy enough eg 8 or 9 pints, and then i suffer for 2 or 3 days.  Not sure it us worth it any more

[PadraicHenryPearse]

I was never a big drinker, or maybe more accurately could never drink very much but drank often in my 20s/30s. Late 30s got into drinking gin but no interest these days.

Now (early 40s) I rarely drink and don't miss it very much. Had 6 pints in total over Xmas 2 around the 20th and 4 the 26th.

Only time I really enjoy a drink is in a pub with my good mates (which doesn't hadn't often as all spread across the country now). No interest in having 1/2 pints or glass of wine etc. when out for dinner. Would rarely have a drink at home, Having young kids imo definitely makes you think twice before having a few.

[An Watcher]

Yep, not worth waking up and them looking to do something.  Also, wouldn't want to walk in all merry and them looking at me wondering, who is this guy?

[Itchy]

What ever happened to nightclubs in this country? Seems to me that the nightclubs I frequented when I was younger are all shutdown now. Where do the youngsters go these days?

It's the same across the UK too.

Rates, insurance and casual staffing issues are being put forward as the red flags. Pretty much the same as the rest of the hospitality industry. It's probably worse for nightclubs though as unless there's students about, they're leaving a warehouse size building vacant for 4-5 days a week.

Other theories surround changing habits - horny people can meet on Tindr etc, drink driving and availability of transport when there's 1000 people exiting a building at once, obviously an issue.

Plus people got wise to paying 20 quid in to hang out with a packed house of drunk f**kers, listening to shit music and drinking slops. People stopped paying, thats the main reason they closed.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

I've had my share of hangovers over the years, but this notion of 2 and 3 day hangovers is alien to me.  What sort of symptoms are we talking about on days 2 and 3?

[ThomasMullan]

I've had my share of hangovers over the years, but this notion of 2 and 3 day hangovers is alien to me.  What sort of symptoms are we talking about on days 2 and 3?

I think it's generally more a malaise that lasts for 2 or 3 days rather than severe hangover. Plus everyone I know says they always feel worse on a Monday morning cause they haven't fully recovered and now also have to deal with work etc.

[Milltown Row2]

I'm an early enough riser, and out with the dogs before 8am at the weekend, they wouldn't understand that you have had too much and are looking their walk!

As said earlier, hangovers would be rare enough, so struggle to have sympathy for those that do

Always imagined hangovers are down to whatever you are drinking, I certainly notice the difference when I have whiskey, Burns night at a friends every year would be my only noticeable difference in how I wake!

[Look-Up!]

If I really tear the arse out of it I'd have the typical bad hangover the next day and then maybe poor sleep for a couple of nights after and general lethargy and negative mood. Maybe that's the 2/3 day hangover people are referring to. I'm not one for hair of the dog.

One huge killer of hangover for me is hard physical work or exercise. Not easy to motivate yourself to do it but when you do, maybe something on that you can't put off, and you work off a real sweat early in the day and then good meal, even the worst hangover disappears almost immediately. I find a good long hike with plenty of climbing particularly good.

Still enjoy a good drink but what's really putting me off it is driving the next day. It's not safe to risk driving so you're pretty much writing off the next day for a lot of things, just for a nights drinking.

[trailer]

A lot of negativity around drink and drinking on here.

But you cannot bate
An airport beer
The beer when she is still getting ready
A beer at a hotel bar when she is still getting ready
Straight to the pub Friday evening beer
The BBQ beer

There's something about someone saying we'll go for a beer. I never want to stop drinking. I love when I get the chance to meet friends for a beer.

[Milltown Row2]

Yeah, be more concerned about the next day and driving, more so now than when I was young, was probably well over the limit and thinking I was grand.

A friend of mine was done the morning after, she'd been out the night before and got up to drive around 11.30 for some hangover cure and the cops just stopped her (there was other cars being stopped on the road) and she was over the limit, lost her licence for 9 months (did a course to reduce it)

I thought I was going to get done one New Years day, we'd everyone at ours for New Years Eve and think we finished up around one, I got up in the morning, took the dogs out (in the car) for a walk up Cavehill, turned onto the O'Neill road at they were just there stopping!!

Did the breath test and was below the mark, not sure how but that put the frighteners up me

[GTP]

Beer in the airport is good but it is better on an early morning ferry.
I'd have a couple of bottles of wine and a few beers on a Friday and Saturday night and have been drinking every weekend since I was 16. Haven't put on any weight and don't drink Sunday to Thursday when it would affect work.
I don't think there has been any real negativity, most comments seem to show people know their limits, know the problems booze can cause and keep themselves right based on their own lifestyle and circumstances. My drinking would probably be classed as binge drinking which I accept. My biggest problem is forgetting things that went on the night before, so I do try to stop myself tipping over the point of pleasant drunkenness.
If you enjoy a drink enjoy it and if you don't stay of it.   

[Tony Baloney]

Aye I'd be very wary with next day drinking and won't drive til at least noon if have been on it the night before (which is only a few times a year). Remember driving through Lisburn after a big session a few years ago and being totally paranoid as I had no idea where I was going, so was probably driving more slowly and in and out of lanes than a local would.

Was also a passenger in a car that got rear ended in Belfast City centre. The driver of the car I was in was out on the tear the night before and when he got out to chat to the other driver it was clear he had too! They agreed to just get into the cars and drive away!

[armaghniac]

Yeah, be more concerned about the next day and driving, more so now than when I was young, was probably well over the limit and thinking I was grand.

A friend of mine was done the morning after, she'd been out the night before and got up to drive around 11.30 for some hangover cure and the cops just stopped her (there was other cars being stopped on the road) and she was over the limit, lost her licence for 9 months (did a course to reduce it)

I thought I was going to get done one New Years day, we'd everyone at ours for New Years Eve and think we finished up around one, I got up in the morning, took the dogs out (in the car) for a walk up Cavehill, turned onto the O'Neill road at they were just there stopping!!

Did the breath test and was below the mark, not sure how but that put the frighteners up me

A friend of mine has his own breathalyser and doesn't venture out if it is marginal. From his view, if it is low then no need to worry at all and if it above 45Mg/100Ml or so then he doesn't chance it.

[Tony Baloney]

Those top end breathalysers definitely a good investment for those who need it. Some mates went on a Highlands and Islands whiskey tour in a minibus last year and they took turns driving via the aid of the breathalyser the next (late) morning.