First off, this isn't purely scotch related but Scotchit is the only alcohol related sub I subscribe to so I wanted to post here. Anyway.

I was looking at a thread earlier about a redditor whose roommate has liver failure and had a ton of empty vodka bottles, which got me curious about liver failure and alcohol consumption etc.

What I found was several different sites quoting that 14 drinks a week (for men) is the moderate level of drinking and any more than that puts you "at risk".

I thought about it and I'm pretty sure most people I know are in the "at risk" category. I'm 30, most of my friends and coworkers are roughly the same age.

Anyone else feel like this is the case? A beer or glass of wine with dinner during the week, that's 4 or 5 drinks. A drink at the end of the day after a hard day of work (a neat scotch or a glass of red wine after you put the kids to bed and you snuggle up on the couch with your spouse), maybe 2 or 3 days a week. That's up to 6-8 so far. Then on the weekend, Friday night you go out to dinner with your spouse and split a bottle of wine. That's 2 or 3 glasses depending on who drinks more between the two of you (we'll say you did the 2). We're up to 8-10 drinks so far. Maybe after dinner you and your spouse grab a few drinks at a cocktail lounge. That's 2 more drinks (4 for the night) and up to 10-12 drinks for the week. Then Saturday night you throw a party or go to the bar with friends. If you drink more than 2-4 drinks at this point, you are "at risk". And in all that time, the most you drank at any o

Health experts used to consider 2 to 3 standard drinks as not harmful to your health but modern advice is that there is no safe limit.

The world is full of people that drink at dangerous levels.   It's actually  coincidental that a mate of mine actually  just shared a story with me.  He said he was out drinking with a group  that had recently  returned  to Thailand,  and that he thought he drank a lot, but last night his mates were drinking three to each of his alcoholic drinks.  My mate drinks daily, and he just couldn't  believe how much others that have returned are drinking.  Another friend coincidently also the same day told me a similar story.  He had said he met up with friends in the evening  to go have drinks, and that they had already had 8 to 12 drinks before they met up, and that they ended up having 14 more each.  He further said that this is a dily occurrence. Yes, there are many with a problem 

yes I drink too much and my liver is suffering for it. so much so that I had to quit the beer a few days ago to detox. I've known for about six months that I needed to do this but hey I'm an alcoholic so what I can do? ????

 

I'm a lightweight in comparison to "real" drinkers but obviously my body could only tolerate so much abuse.

 

I've tried going dry before but got bored and relapsed. hopefully I can make it stick this time and then find a way to move forward with my life that doesn't involve drinking loads of beer every day.

To the thread title ... if you have to ask, you already know the answer.

Drinking alcohol is absolutely necessary in the way our societies are geared. Alcohol is heavily taxed and allows the government to fund ambitious projects which is good for society as a whole. Those of us that drink are then usually too stupified to concern ourselves with the merits of such government projects. 

 

The numbing effect is also useful for ignoring politicians / clergy or any over bearing religious proponent / the wife / family members that invade your personal space / some members on this forum / teetotallers / supporters of the opposing footy team in your city and finally your best mate from 'yonks back' who suddenly decides to disagree on a subject you couldn't care two hoots about until he had one too many.

I have 3x 280ml bottles @7.5% (wine coolers), age 65, liver still working.

I've a few friends that died as young as 40 from liver failure, but they were on shorts, all day, every day.

Never been more than a low qty / high quality drinker. Baseline for two years Zero modified recently with a small ipa beer every 3-4 days and small Margarita every two weeks with food. Had to reverse Severe Fatty Liver which leads to Liver Disease so Zero Alcohol / Grain / Meat for quite a while , also changed my entire diet to plant - based and exercised like a demon…..to lose Weight and Get Fit, especially being 65 with Covid around…..luckily I don’t have that Addict Gene…..sympathize with those who can’t live without copious quantities of booze……

First off, this isn't purely scotch related but Scotchit is the only alcohol related sub I subscribe to so I wanted to post here. Anyway.

I was looking at a thread earlier about a redditor whose roommate has liver failure and had a ton of empty vodka bottles, which got me curious about liver failure and alcohol consumption etc.

What I found was several different sites quoting that 14 drinks a week (for men) is the moderate level of drinking and any more than that puts you "at risk".

I thought about it and I'm pretty sure most people I know are in the "at risk" category. I'm 30, most of my friends and coworkers are roughly the same age.

Anyone else feel like this is the case? A beer or glass of wine with dinner during the week, that's 4 or 5 drinks. A drink at the end of the day after a hard day of work (a neat scotch or a glass of red wine after you put the kids to bed and you snuggle up on the couch with your spouse), maybe 2 or 3 days a week. That's up to 6-8 so far. Then on the weekend, Friday night you go out to dinner with your spouse and split a bottle of wine. That's 2 or 3 glasses depending on who drinks more between the two of you (we'll say you did the 2). We're up to 8-10 drinks so far. Maybe after dinner you and your sp showbox ouse grab a few drinks at a  speed test  cocktail lounge. That's 2 more drinks (4 for the night) and up to 10-12 drinks for the week. Then Saturday night you throw a party or go to the bar with friends. If you drink more than 2-4 drinks at this point, you are "at risk". And in all that time, the most you drank at any o

On 12/20/2021 at 2:07 PM, BritManToo said:

I have 3x 280ml bottles @7.5% (wine coolers),

A long, long time ago I ordered a couple of wine coolers for me and a trucker I was drinking with in a bar UK side (we were bored of beer and just having some fun). I remember the smirk from the barman. I felt like punching the smirk off his face. A real man drinks whatever he likes.

On 12/19/2021 at 10:06 PM, denvemosc46 said:

That's 2 more drinks

Spain set the safe limit at double that. Solution: Go to Spain.

31 minutes ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

Spain set the safe limit at double that. Solution: Go to Spain.

and Italy and France

When your drinking you do not know what affect its having on your liver and other organs but if your waking up every day with a headache and are unable to got through the day without alcohol then that is an early warning sign that you should be acting on.

Absolutely! ????????????

 

Way too much...everyday. I like it! 

I only have 2 or 3 beers a night .... OK, sometimes I'll have a 4th yard, if someone else is buying ????

I occasionally enjoy drinking a beer or 2.  I don't like getting drunk.

Reading this thread makes me want to go and have a very simple rum & coke.

I have about 20-25 drinks a week and consider that normal compared to what I used to do years ago. Now 55 and lived in Thailand for 10 years.

Told my doctor in Australia how much I drink and asked if I drink too much?

His reply…”no worries, come back when you drink more than me”

 

On 12/19/2021 at 10:06 PM, denvemosc46 said:

Maybe after dinner you and your spouse grab a few drinks at a cocktail lounge.

 

I never drink before 5pm and after one and a half large bottles of beer, i'm beered out.

36 minutes ago, XJPSX said:

I have about 20-25 drinks a week and consider that normal compared to what I used to do years ago. Now 55 and lived in Thailand for 10 years.

Told my doctor in Australia how much I drink and asked if I drink too much?

His reply…”no worries, come back when you drink more than me”

 

Same here. My doctor in the UK pretty much laughed at me when I brought it up with him. I drink about the same as you. 

On 12/19/2021 at 11:36 PM, WEBBYB808 said:

8 to 12 drinks before they met up, and that they ended up having 14 more each. 

If I read correctly.. 22-26 each... what were they drinking? If regular alcohol drinks I personally don’t know anyone that would be still standing and if they were the bill finished them off.. 

 

 

On 12/19/2021 at 10:06 PM, denvemosc46 said:

I thought about it and I'm pretty sure most people I know are in the "at risk" category. I'm 30, most of my friends and coworkers are roughly the same age.

Anyone else feel like this is the case? A beer or glass of wine with dinner during the week, that's 4 or 5 drinks. A drink at the end of the day after a hard day of work (a neat scotch or a glass of red wine after you put the kids to bed and you snuggle up on the couch with your spouse), maybe 2 or 3 days a week. That's up to 6-8 so far. Then on the weekend, Friday night you go out to dinner with your spouse and split a bottle of wine. That's 2 or 3 glasses depending on who drinks more between the two of you (we'll say you did the 2). We're up to 8-10 drinks so far. Maybe after dinner you and your spouse grab a few drinks at a cocktail lounge. That's 2 more drinks (4 for the night) and up to 10-12 drinks for the week. Then Saturday night you throw a party or go to the bar with friends. If you drink more than 2-4 drinks at this point, you are "at risk". And in all that time, the most you drank at any o

 

In my 30's, like all my friends, I would be in a bar after work from 6pm until at least 11pm during the week, and much much later on weekends. 
Drinking spirits and doing lots of Columbia's finest, plus whatever other drugs we could get.  We had an amazing time for more than  a decade.

Two years ago I quit drinking and have managed to save almost 500K THB.  Although I had the most incredible time partying through my 30's and early 40's I am regretting the money I spent.  Back then my income was 400K a month and I spent every last cent on alcohol and drugs without saving anything!! 

My advice to you would be enjoy life, but try (if you can) to cut back on the alcohol and stick as much cash as you can into savings (in my case that is crypto).  

And incidentally, great to see a younger person posting on here.
 

Alcohol has been listed as a Class 1 carcinogen since 1989. The most common health effect is cirrhosis of the liver, or scarring. The amount of scarring will obviously be related to the amount consumed. Paracelsus, "the dose makes the poison".

Ability to detoxify alcohol is dependent on one's genetic inheritance.

I've seen several alcoholics die when I was in Chiang Mai, and it was not pretty. Total breakdown of the liver results in dumping blood into the toilet as well as solids.

Personally, I have never understood limitations to alcohol intake that veer outside the bounds of common sense. Where do these generalized recommendations come from, considering that everyone is different? Life styles, occupations & daily living are much too diverse to generalize on.

 

I spent 25 years of my life mostly exceeding the 'recommended' 14 drinks a week quoted by the OP every day. If for some reason we couldn't drink (carrying live rounds/operational commitments, etc) then we would make that up on our downtime. This is also known as binge drinking, by far more dangerous/damaging than average intake. Work hard, play hard was our mantra.

 

The above statements isn't bragging or making myself look big & clever; it was just part of the occupation. Was never as fit and healthy as during those years, never had liver problems show up in regular medicals.

 

I gave up drinking alcohol 22 years ago, not through health concerns but for other reasons. I have never looked back, never been tempted, but also never felt as good as when I was indulging.

 

And yes, I understand I'm getting older..................... 

Speaking as a retired clinical addictions specialist consumption and damage is always a subjective, and contentious issue.

Having said that, ethyl alcoholic (the part of the liquid that gets ya high) is a toxic poison, and damages cell structure e.g. throat, oesophagus, stomach, bowel, intestines, brain and liver.

There have been many studies (some extremely biased in the way data is collected analysed and tabulated so therefore clinically dubious) that say a drink each day is good for you, while others say any at all is bad for you.

As someone who has consumed alcohol along the entire continuum of drinking behaviours I would suggest that to drink every day is not good for me or us as a species. Drinking to the point of stupor is never good for anyone.

It may, as it loosens the higher control centres of our brains 'makes us feel good' for a time giving license to dancing on tables with lamps on our heads lol, and making us socially more equitable but over a prolonged period it carries with it serious consequences.

In some cultures drinking young low alcohol content home brewed (almost vinegar-like) wine is normal and taken with most meals, even from childhood. This form of drinking is widely considered the least damaging to the body and does because of the context and attitudes around its consumption les harmful. Often such cultures are sited by folks as a reason to say that drinking, or so many drinks a day aren't bad for you. 

 

I would say to drink to the point of drunkenness, and especially stupor which in effect is 'alcohol overdose' which leads to whats known as a hangover (a quaint euphemism for alcoholic poisoning) is never good for the body or brain.

The real issues of developing and suffering from gran mal seizure's from consuming large quantities of alcohol on a regular basis can become part of a persons life and lead to permanent brain damage - short and long term memory loss.  

If you drink and don't suffer hangovers then I would suggest you seek professional help with your intake patterns and quantities.

There are the other constituents of alcoholic drinks that can and do cause physiological problems sugar, yeast, salt being some and taken in large quantities can harm the body e.g obesity and bloating (beer belly), diabetes, heart diseases e.g, enlargement, fatty, arterial sclerosis, blood pressure and hypertension.

Drinking regularly to stupor over an extended period of time is definitely linked to shorter life span and all sorts of co-morbidities (some sited above). At the extreme end of consumption levels and frequency drinking definitely destroys the liver, and will kill us.

The socialised attitudes that drunks are 'funny' maybe needs to be more critically examined, especially in the context of someone who is clearly habituated in their usage no matter how 'funny' they are when drunk or between drinks.

Living in LOS we see the impacts of co-morbidities in alcohol abuse and misuse in the road death toll (many accidents have alcohol as a links/causation, social (domestic) violence, suicide, murder.

 

 

The 14 drinks for men as healthy advice is for middle aged, or older men; for younger beings it's not a health advice, but a limit not to spoil both yone's body and life, according to health studies and the qualified experts.

 

For the healthy parts it's not only red wine that is recommended, some studies found beer equally healthy, and other concluded that the alcohol is the major healthy part, even several sorts of red wine includes the healthy resveratrol.

 

Like everything else in life, it seems to be a question of balance...

 

Of course you can enjoy the benefits of maturing, and being told that one or two glass of wine (or beer) with the dinner is healthy - personally I'm religious enough to believe in it - but I also don't think that it's directly unhealthy for younger beings. However, partying every week end and getting stoned with hangover next day is a different matter, I can easily get the impression that it might be quite unhealthy.

 

A difficult part about enjoying a glass of something that includes alcohol is, as it often is to almost everything in life, not to get addicted...????

On 12/19/2021 at 10:06 PM, denvemosc46 said:

First off, this isn't purely scotch related but Scotchit is the only alcohol related sub I subscribe to so I wanted to post here. Anyway.

I was looking at a thread earlier about a redditor

What post is this, it's just copy pasted from reddit by a bot to create traffic or something?

As someone once said:

There many greater things in life than alcohol,  however alcohol allows us to live without them " 

5 hours ago, DJ54 said:

If I read correctly.. 22-26 each... what were they drinking? If regular alcohol drinks I personally don’t know anyone that would be still standing and if they were the bill finished them off.. 

 

 

You'd be surprised