that chart does not make sense to me unless >10% of
Americans are AA. I can't think of anyone, besides non-drinking Alcoholics, that have less than 1 drink/wk
Yeah, that's an odd statement to me. I don't not drink, but I also don't go out of my way to drink that often. Even considering the mean rather than median, I'm pretty sure that I fall short of 52 drinks/year.
I wouldn't necessarily assume that I'm in the majority, but it's not as though my behavior in this area is particularly abnormal.
I live in a rather special world. I only know one person who voted for Nixon. Where they are I don't know. They're outside my ken. But sometimes when I'm in a theater I can feel them.
Quoted by Israel Shenker, "Critics Here Focus on Films As Language Conference Opens," The New York Times (1972-12-28)
Often quoted as "How could Nixon have won? Nobody I know voted for him"; referring to George McGovern's loss to Richard Nixon in in the 1972 presidential election.
I have many friends (and family) most of whom are in no way an alcoholic in AA, that hardly ever (or never) drink. Some just don't enjoy the effects, some prefer not to for health reasons, some just honestly prefer to smoke a joint. The fact that you can't think of a single person like that is equally surprising to me.
I do pretty demanding sport as a hobby. Even one drink during the week greatly impacts recovery and ability to perform and lessens my enjoyment considerably. It’s rather commons in my circles for people to probably average a handful of drinks per year at most.
If one drink/wk is noticeably affecting you then you're either a professional athlete who's got world class people monitoring their performance or you need to see a doctor.
Edit: Assuming the standard definition of drink that's roughly equivalent to one light beer or one shot
You get used to it (playing a sport hungover, even). If you’re not a competitive athlete on a high level (it’s just a hobby), you’re missing out by not drinking because of your sport. If you enjoy drinking, that is.
I am a drinker. I am very fond of beer, whiskey, and wine. I love the taste of all three. I have a well-stocked liquor cabinet and always have a few beers in the fridge and bottle or wine or two in the kitchen.
Even so, in the past few years, I typically consume less than one drink per week. I used to have a nightcap or a beer with dinner pretty frequently. The dinner beer tapered off because I found it made me too sleepy to be on the ball with the evening routine with the kids. The nightcaps started to feel like pointless calories.
So these days, I might have a beer or whiskey on the weekend when I watch a movie with my wife. But I rarely drink during the week, and often don't on the weekend.
Granted, part of that is from having no ability to socialize the past year. I imagine my consumption will tick up soon. But I still don't expect it to get to more than one or two drinks per week.
Well for starters you've got all the Muslims and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints sometimes know as Mormons. That's two big ole' swathes of people who probably don't drink at all.
Hi! Nice to meet you. There are weeks when I have 0 drinks per week, and then others where I have lots more. It all depends on mood and activities. Specifically if the smoker is running.
My neighbors and I have been doing Friday night happy hours for almost a year, always outside. Many with a fire going and outside movies shown on the side of my RV. The 6 of us look forward to these.
Personally, I couldn't care less what others think of this or how "sustainable" this is.
A lot of people don't like alcoholic beverages at all.
I have member of my family that despise the taste of alcohol.
Then, we have people like myself, and my father, whom self medicate.
(I hate the taste of all alcohol. I only drink it for the effect. To the problem drinkers out there, don't even think about going to hard alcohol. Stick to low alcohol beer, and wine. Box wine can have as little as 9% alcohol. Naltrexone seems to help with the cravings if you need to stop.)
Kratom is a great replacement for alcohol for such use. It has its abuse potential as well, but is zero calorie and hangover-free and doesn't damage your liver. Of course everybody responds differently, but it's been incredibly valuable to me for this need.
I once used to visit my friend in a rehab (he pulled it off and now is sober). There were no people over 55 actually, though some 40-somethings looked seventy on the outside. "Oh, either you get sober or you die way, way earlier than the general population," said the nurse when I asked her where the old-timers are.
To fit the pattern, my grandpa, a functional alcoholic, died at 57. His brother, who was much more careful with his drink, lived to 87.
I drink but don't have one drink a week. The vast majority of weeks I have 0 drinks. Once in a great while I might have a couple of drinks (if I'm in the mood) but it's not a regular thing at all.
I'm not morally opposed to it and I'm certainly not an alcoholic, I just don't care much for or about it. It's kind of a low level toxin and it feels like it.
Is this really that strange? I know a lot of people that very rarely drink and certainly don't habitually, but will have a drink on occasion.
I wouldn't hazard a guess about the general population based on the people I know. I can, though, talk about my experience.
I grew up in what's called the "Bible Belt", so that may have something to do with my not drinking. I had what might be a common experience--as a child expressing curiosity about a beer a relative was drinking, being offered a sip, and spitting it out in disgust, with no interest in a second taste.
Much later, a friend invited me and other friends over to a very nice dinner with appropriate wine served with each course. It was good, and all seemed well... until I noticed that I was singing Tom Lehrer's "Masochism Tango" at high volume. The next day what freaked me out was that at every stage I thought myself under control, but clearly I had lost it. I did not want a repetition.
Since then I found that there is good tasting beer; I tried a little at a restaurant where they brewed it themselves--but I only tried it the once and didn't finish it. Later I heard that occasional red wine was supposedly good for one's health, and for a while ordered a glass periodically, but I couldn't make myself finish it. Haven't had any for a long time, and now the prescriptions I take preclude further drinking. (Maybe aging baby boomers on prescription drugs bend the curve?)
PragmaticPulp|4 years ago
Most people I associate with don’t drink anything on an average week.
It’s likely that you’re in a bit of a bubble if you can’t think of anyone who doesn’t drink in an average week.
buu700|4 years ago
I wouldn't necessarily assume that I'm in the majority, but it's not as though my behavior in this area is particularly abnormal.
barry-cotter|4 years ago
Often quoted as "How could Nixon have won? Nobody I know voted for him"; referring to George McGovern's loss to Richard Nixon in in the 1972 presidential election.
DeRock|4 years ago
bitexploder|4 years ago
throwaway0a5e|4 years ago
Edit: Assuming the standard definition of drink that's roughly equivalent to one light beer or one shot
bluedino|4 years ago
munificent|4 years ago
Even so, in the past few years, I typically consume less than one drink per week. I used to have a nightcap or a beer with dinner pretty frequently. The dinner beer tapered off because I found it made me too sleepy to be on the ball with the evening routine with the kids. The nightcaps started to feel like pointless calories.
So these days, I might have a beer or whiskey on the weekend when I watch a movie with my wife. But I rarely drink during the week, and often don't on the weekend.
Granted, part of that is from having no ability to socialize the past year. I imagine my consumption will tick up soon. But I still don't expect it to get to more than one or two drinks per week.
hpoe|4 years ago
lazyasciiart|4 years ago
dylan604|4 years ago
sqqqqrly|4 years ago
My neighbors and I have been doing Friday night happy hours for almost a year, always outside. Many with a fire going and outside movies shown on the side of my RV. The 6 of us look forward to these.
Personally, I couldn't care less what others think of this or how "sustainable" this is.
hellbannedguy|4 years ago
I have member of my family that despise the taste of alcohol.
Then, we have people like myself, and my father, whom self medicate.
(I hate the taste of all alcohol. I only drink it for the effect. To the problem drinkers out there, don't even think about going to hard alcohol. Stick to low alcohol beer, and wine. Box wine can have as little as 9% alcohol. Naltrexone seems to help with the cravings if you need to stop.)
pstuart|4 years ago
dcolkitt|4 years ago
inglor_cz|4 years ago
I once used to visit my friend in a rehab (he pulled it off and now is sober). There were no people over 55 actually, though some 40-somethings looked seventy on the outside. "Oh, either you get sober or you die way, way earlier than the general population," said the nurse when I asked her where the old-timers are.
To fit the pattern, my grandpa, a functional alcoholic, died at 57. His brother, who was much more careful with his drink, lived to 87.
bigfudge|4 years ago
mythrwy|4 years ago
I'm not morally opposed to it and I'm certainly not an alcoholic, I just don't care much for or about it. It's kind of a low level toxin and it feels like it.
Is this really that strange? I know a lot of people that very rarely drink and certainly don't habitually, but will have a drink on occasion.
Wohlf|4 years ago
jejones3141|4 years ago
I grew up in what's called the "Bible Belt", so that may have something to do with my not drinking. I had what might be a common experience--as a child expressing curiosity about a beer a relative was drinking, being offered a sip, and spitting it out in disgust, with no interest in a second taste.
Much later, a friend invited me and other friends over to a very nice dinner with appropriate wine served with each course. It was good, and all seemed well... until I noticed that I was singing Tom Lehrer's "Masochism Tango" at high volume. The next day what freaked me out was that at every stage I thought myself under control, but clearly I had lost it. I did not want a repetition.
Since then I found that there is good tasting beer; I tried a little at a restaurant where they brewed it themselves--but I only tried it the once and didn't finish it. Later I heard that occasional red wine was supposedly good for one's health, and for a while ordered a glass periodically, but I couldn't make myself finish it. Haven't had any for a long time, and now the prescriptions I take preclude further drinking. (Maybe aging baby boomers on prescription drugs bend the curve?)
ska|4 years ago
vincent-toups|4 years ago