Is this an alcoholic or just a heavy drinker?

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Try the old standard CAGE test:

C = have you ever CUT BACK on your drinking because of concerns?

A = have you ever been ANNOYED by comments others have made about your alcohol intake.

G = have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?

E = ever had an "eye-opener" (by your own decision, had alcohol before afternoon)

If you answer 2 or more your diagnosis of alcoholism is likely. 3 or more it's over 90%. Binge drinking is a bit different, but probably those serious, recurrent bingers in college are pre-alcoholic if not frankly so.

 

[Meadbh]

Thanks Meadbh.
Now set my metabolization rate to 20.

(Maybe we can get together for some wine sometime and I will drive us home!)

OK, if I set your elimination rate to 20 mg/kg/hour, you are under the limit at all 30 minute intervals from 1 am to 2:30 am.

How do you measure your elimination rate?

I'll take you up on the invitation, but I'll still take a taxi home. (Blacktop cabs?)

Maybe we can try some BC wines?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

All y'all might try getting one of those $20 el cheapo "PAS" type BAC testers at radio shack and passing it around at a party. Watch all your friends who are pretty sure their BAC is really low blow a .12+.

As far as the 12 beer guy...well...I've sure seen my share of heavy drinkers and I can only remember one guy who drank more than 8 or 9 at one sitting. Both the guy who drank more and the ones that could suck down 8 or 9 either were alcoholics, ended up being alcoholics, or had to quit drinking altogether.

The lucky winner was my roommate Clay Blay (yep, real name) who was about 5'5" and about 250lbs. I was walking in front of him in a parking lot once and gave him a good ration of **** and he grabbed me by the back of my pants and held me over his head with one arm.

He drank a solid 24 beers one night, one right after the other. And dang it, I think it was Moosehead.

Which is terrible. Especially the antler marks on the thighs.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Try the old standard CAGE test:

C = have you ever CUT BACK on your drinking because of concerns?

A = have you ever been ANNOYED by comments others have made about your alcohol intake.

G = have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?

E = ever had an "eye-opener" (by your own decision, had alcohol before afternoon)

If you answer 2 or more your diagnosis of alcoholism is likely. 3 or more it's over 90%. Binge drinking is a bit different, but probably those serious, recurrent bingers in college are pre-alcoholic if not frankly so.

Aww come on Rich...all those tests always say that everyone I know is an alcoholic.

Basically, any married guy is going to get the "A" and the "G" even if he's only drinking two drinks once a month!

 

[Sarah in SC]

Okay, first, I'm not partying with Mead, after she pulls out the stats! But I do want to party with Keith!

Before I lost weight, I would say that I could comfortably drink two to three beers an hour over the course of an evening. That is a top of about 18 over 6 hrs, but I'd say on a good night, it would be between 6 and 12 apiece for my DH and I.
Now that we've lost weight, we're cheaper dates!
But I don't think we were alcoholics--we just lived on Folly Beach, party central for our area and it was the recreation for our group of friends. It is a tolerance thing, I think. We saw plenty of amateurs that couldn't hang with us. But here we are, middle aged now, and worried about the calories. Sigh.

For New Years, I probably had maybe 6-8 beers all night and was stone sober at midnight, listening to bluegrass in Asheville and watching the hippies.

Don't worry about your neighbor unless he starts puking on your car--that's when we'd get worried about our buddies.

 

[haha]

Well, Ha and drinking drivers do not do well in the same room. One killed a former GF of mine, and one hit me head-on and did me a fair bit of harm too. I am warming to the Salvadorian police response. Out of the car! Bang!

I walked to my party last night. If I'm not walking, I'm not drinking- or going anywhere on New Year's Eve for that matter. And neither do I walk around impaired. Too easy to get mugged or otherwise incur harm.

I took a bottle of wine to the party, uncorked it and had some. Anyone else who wanted any took it. When I went home about 1:15 or so it was only half empty.

There were maybe 60 people at the party, total, at various times. Nobody seemed to be drinking much. I think dancers don’t like to drink because it impairs their coordination, dehydrates them, and usually makes the men less attractive to the women. (At least the man's drinking does; maybe the woman's drinking makes the man seem more attractive.)

Ha

 

[thefed]

all this talk about beer is making me sick, i think it's gross!!Come on....6 or 7 beers and not even buzzed?

That's why I stick to my liquor...cheaper, quicker,much better tasting

 

[DallasGuy]

12 beers...I'd say if he's not an alcoholic, he's well on his way. Just how much of a buzz does someone need anyway?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

That's why I stick to my liquor...cheaper, quicker,much better tasting

Wine is fine, beer is dear, but liquor is quicker...

Although IIRC you like those funny colored, sticky drinks...

 

[A854321]

Did he drink 12 of your beers or did he bring his own? If the former, call him a fat drunk and never invite him over.

 

[Fireup2020]

I have an ex who would drink 12 or more in a "sitting" (aka a weeknight at home - yes, he was an alcoholic who also hid his drinking problems, but he had an XO who was from a neighboring hometown who dismissed TWO alcohol incidents - yes, he eventually ended up with a DUI!)
12 beers at a party where people are playing games, eating, dancing, etc...over a course of 6 hours or so...not sure this is behavior of an alcoholic. I second all the opinions regarding his typical behavior. Sarah, I'm with you...I am a social drinker who probably will have a beer or two in an hour, but have learned lately that my metabolism no longer cares for wine for these long parties (you know, the ones that go from drinks & appetizers to drinks & dinner to drinks & games/socializing .... all in all, 6:30 pm - 2 am or so!) Lesson learned: stick to beer for these shindigs and always pace/alternate with water!

 

[Sarah in SC]

Yeah, the water/beer program works for me too! Saves you from that hangover!
I just can't do the wine--and truthfully, I think it is because it is harder to count than beers, because someone is always adding to your glass with wine. With beer, you can count your bottles!
And we always do the designated driver routine or stay where we drink (we live far out in the country on a road lined with massive oak trees, not a good place to practice drunk driving, that's for sure)--and oh, yeah, for New Years in Asheville we had a charming taxi driver (no way I'm driving on mountain roads, drunk OR sober).

 

[TromboneAl]

To my surprise, both of "us" came under the legal limit. But IMHO I would not have been safe in the driver's seat.

I think the legal limit is way too high here (.8 BAC). In Sweden, it's .2, and the attitude of party-goers is much different WRT drinking and driving. In this chart, I don't see any countries with a level higher than that of the U.S.

 

[Orchidflower]

This guy drank his own beer, which I wouldn't have cared about as he was the guest. How much can a 12 pack cost?
I did have a guy when I was in my mid-40's--who kept asking me to marry him--come over for an Easter dinner one time and get so sloppy drunk that he was blubbering and staggering all over my house. All I could think of was "if that s.o.b. destroys any of my antiques..." Mmmm...attractive. Needless to say, I never saw him again.
I didn't think of the high metabolism, but this guy goes out in a thin leather jacket in winter and no gloves, hat, anything, and shovels the snow all the time. Yeah, I would say his metabolism is high as we call him a "hot box" and tease him about it. (Why couldn't I have inherited that trait? I would never have to diet again!)
He's not big (5' 7-8"?), guessing a stocky, muscular medium in clothing, but, again, gets warm fast. I know this as I will be chilly in the house, and when he comes to visit he thinks the air is just fine.
Oh...I saw him yesterday outside and he was just normal. No hangover, nothing. Me, I would be sick for 2 days.
And, from my knowledge of his lifestyle, I don't think he drinks every single day at all. His job is pretty high powered, so he can't be too looped and do that kind of detail work daily.
He said he drinks like that occasionally. I asked. Who knows what the truth is as I don't live with him.
HOWEVER, drinking 12 beers did shock me and give me pause to say..."I wonder about this guy..." Which is why I asked for opinions.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

When originally asked to identify the BAC at which a driver would start to become too impaired to drive, the National Safety Council Committee on Tests for Intoxication (bet that was a fun place to work) came back with a .15 number.

Later on when MADD was pushing for a .10 limit, the AMA said it was now .10. A while later, it became .08.

So clearly, we as a country are losing our ability to hold our liquor. I cant think of any other explanation.

 

[citrine]

Orchidflower.....he may or may not have a problem.....only he can answer that for himself. When I stopped, I was drinking 12 apple martinis and a few shots of Jaeger a night.....I used to use other substances to help with the sloppy drunk factor and an early morning drink always took care of the hangover.
It's funny to me that you would think 12 beers is a lot.....I cannot understand people who have half a glass of wine during the entire night and still leave some in it!

 

[Walt34]

Well, Ha and drinking drivers do not do well in the same room. One killed a former GF of mine, and one hit me head-on and did me a fair bit of harm too. I am warming to the Salvadorian police response. Out of the car! Bang!
Ha

You'll be happy to know I locked up my fair share of them. It got old knocking on stranger's doors and telling them some relative wasn't coming home. The only time I had a wreck at work was when some drunk ran a red light and T-boned the cruiser. I was lucky - walked away w/o even bruises.

Hint: If you're going to do DWI, don't crash into the police.

It did get frustrating, usually not much happened to them besides their insurance rate went up and $2-4K in lawyer's fees. Fire a rifle into a crowd and for sure you'll get 10 years. Do the same drunk in a car and...nada.

Go figure.

 

[kcowan]

When originally asked to identify the BAC at which a driver would start to become too impaired to drive, the National Safety Council Committee on Tests for Intoxication (bet that was a fun place to work) came back with a .15 number.

Later on when MADD was pushing for a .10 limit, the AMA said it was now .10. A while later, it became .08.

So clearly, we as a country are losing our ability to hold our liquor. I cant think of any other explanation.

In Canada, intoxication is at 0.8 too, but at 0.5 they pull your license for 24 hours and impound the car. Drunk driving is a way down and the biggest killer is now street racing. I think they impound the car for 7 days if caught street racing. Mostly rich kids in BMW M3s and other hot cars.

 

[haha]

You'll be happy to know I locked up my fair share of them. It got old knocking on stranger's doors and telling them some relative wasn't coming home. The only time I had a wreck at work was when some drunk ran a red light and T-boned the cruiser. I was lucky - walked away w/o even bruises.

Hint: If you're going to do DWI, don't crash into the police.

It did get frustrating, usually not much happened to them besides their insurance rate went up and $2-4K in lawyer's fees. Fire a rifle into a crowd and for sure you'll get 10 years. Do the same drunk in a car and...nada.

Go figure.

Walt, I am happy to know that. And I agree with your observation about very light punishments. The damage done by drinking drivers is way out of porportion to the very modest costs that are imposed on them.

Drunks are bad enough outside of cars. They absolutely should never be behind the wheel. A good start would be jail time and a hefty fine that was proportionate to their income. I remember reading that some country does this- it may be some Scandinavian country.

Ha

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Look into the penalties for both misdemeanor and felony DUI. Might be a bit stiffer than you think, especially considering "enhancements" from property damage, driving with a minor in the car, or BAC's over .15.

A vanilla first offense misdemeanor DUI with no personal or property harm in california will net you the following:

- Your license is taken immediately by the police, and you are issued a temporary paper license that allows you to drive for 30 days, after which your driving privilege is suspended.
- You usually spend the night in jail. In some limited cases you can be bailed out by a bailbondsman for $250-1000 nonrefundable bond deposit.
- Your car is towed and you will pay $200-1000+ depending on whether the car is impounded for any length of time.
- You are charged with a criminal prosecution by the courts, and separately are charged with an administrative prosecution by the department of motor vehicles. You must 'win' both cases.
- A lawyer will charge you roughly $1000 to handle the administrative prosecution and your odds of winning this are roughly 10% as all they do is read the police report and weigh the evidence. Your case is heard by a DMV agent who is judge, jury and executioner. If they find against you, you can appeal for roughly $300-500. Less than 5% of appeals are successful. In other words, once you're arrested, you're pretty much guilty.
- The same lawyer will charge you about $2500 just to get started on the criminal prosecution piece. If the case goes to trial the costs will jump to $7500-10,000 plus the cost of 2-3 'expert witnesses' who will cost $2000-3000 or more for their brief testimony.
- When you've pled or have been found guilty, you will pay:
- At least $1500 in fines and court costs
- Lose your license completely for 30 days
- Possibly get a restricted license to drive to and from work only for three to six months
- Spend 2-6+ days in the county jail, which you may be able to fulfill by doing community service, which is usually picking up trash at the side of the road, washing police cars, or something similar. You will have to pay $20-40 per day to do the community service instead of jail time.
- You must take a 3 month "drinking driver" class for 4-6 hours once or twice a week at a cost of $500 and up.
- You are placed on full probation for at least 3 years.
- Your car insurance usually doubles or triples for 3 years.
- You will likely have a hard time finding a job for at least 7 years as many companies ask if you have any arrest record and will not hire anyone with a DUI arrest.

With any enhancements, a second or third offense within 10 years, or any property damage, you can add a huge increase in the fines, a few months to a year in jail, and a one year license suspension.

The days of this being like a basic moving violation are long over. This is a financially devastating event for someone who isnt financially secure.

Which is entirely appropriate for someone who is truly too impaired to operate a motor vehicle. Like I said above, a lot of people dont know that most people are at or above .08 with just a couple of drinks after work.

 

[Wags]

As the GREAT Kim Nam Sam from our ally South Korea once said it does not pay to drink when one has to face the piper the next morning.

He might have been talking about a hang over or his wife.

GOD BLESS

 

[FinanceDude]

Orchidflower.....he may or may not have a problem.....only he can answer that for himself. When I stopped, I was drinking 12 apple martinis and a few shots of Jaeger a night.....I used to use other substances to help with the sloppy drunk factor and an early morning drink always took care of the hangover.
It's funny to me that you would think 12 beers is a lot.....I cannot understand people who have half a glass of wine during the entire night and still leave some in it!

I thought Jaggermeister was for medicinal uses only...........I use it instead of Dayquil or Nyquil, always works for me.........

 

[Martha]

A good start would be jail time and a hefty fine that was proportionate to their income. I remember reading that some country does this- it may be some Scandinavian country.

Ha

Finland's fines for traffic offenses are based in part on the ability to pay.

 

[Meadbh]

Okay, first, I'm not partying with Mead, after she pulls out the stats!

Sarah, who are you calling a party pooper? I can be really funny after 3 drinks!!!!

But I won't drive home. I have no desire to put anyone in danger.

 

[FinanceDude]

We're not looking back to any habits in college are we? Because living in a frat house with beer on top 24/7, a LOT of us would have been considered alcoholics.

However, when I buy a 12-pack now, it tends to last 6-13 months. I'm not even a social drinker..........

12 beers was barely happy hour "back in the day"...........