Booze

[Bestwifeever]

I have a glass of scotch every night- 4 oz., which I measure, and then diluted with water.

I have a healthy respect for alcohol; abusing it killed my first husband. That was 13 years after we divorced; he'd lost everything he loved and everything that was a source of pride to him. When I announced that I'd retired, my Dad cautioned me against going overboard with drinking. I think he went through a stage when he was opening the wine earlier and earlier and then scaled back.


I know I'm drinking more than a female should drink (limit is 1 2-oz, drink for women per day, 2 for men) but my lifestyle is otherwise extremely healthy. I don't overdo it because if I do, I get sullen and feel numb, I end up with a migraine and it disturbs my sleep. Moderation in all things.

If you feel healthy and are not worried about drinking like this, of course do what you like. But it actually is way over the moderate level for women of 1.5 oz daily (and I believe you are on the small side), and more than seven drinks a week can signify a problem per https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol/art-20044551.

I never drink alone and since DH no longer drinks and already used up his lifetime quota for alcohol, I only order a drink in social situations. I usually enjoy something off a restaurant’s craft cocktail menu when we go out.

 

[BigNick]

Another good piece about this study in Vox.

 

[athena53]

Another good piece about this study in Vox.

Thanks for this. It reminds me of a book called "Expecting Better" by an economist who was getting all the typical "thou shalt nots" when she was pregnant and really wanted to find the numbers behind the warnings. On the subject of alcohol during pregnancy, she couldn't find anything showing that a drink or two per week did any damage, but no doctor wanted to take a chance so the word was "No alcohol during pregnancy". (Interestingly, I lost any taste for alcohol during pregnancy. The human body is a wonderful thing.)

Another good point is the under-reporting of alcohol consumption. Unless you have your subjects under 24/7 monitoring, "a couple beers every night" might mean 3 of those half-liter bottles of Stella. I measure mine.

I share your concern about alcohol abuse- as I noted, I saw it eventually kill my Ex, not to mention all the damage he caused in the meantime. I'm also concerned about the "silent" effects of more moderate consumption- decreased liver function, higher cancer risk, etc. I do get annual checkups. In general, though, I'm blessed with excellent health for a 65-year old although I may try and cut it back to 1.5 oz./day. But I need a few vices- really. My only other is caffeine and the jury is still out on that.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I think it is foolish to drink at all while pregnant. Why take a chance.

 

[redduck]

Does it work this way?

"We also prepare our foods in thousands of different ways, and when you add one thing to your diet, you take another away."

From the Vox article

 

[braumeister]

Actually, adding a small amount of water is suggested for drinking scotch, bourbon, whiskey or other whiskies to bring out the flavors.

Had a tour of the Oban distillery in Scotland last month and they spent a fair amount of time talking about this, and how you should experiment to find out exactly how many drops of water to add to your "wee dram" of Scotch.

In an amazing coincidence, they sold glass pipettes in the gift shop to help you measure the drops.

 

[redduck]

Yet again from the Vox article:
​

" ...Put another way, statistician David Spiegelhalter estimated that 25,000 people would need to drink 400,000 bottles of gin to experience one extra health problem compared to non-drinkers..".

The statistician neglects to state over what time period the 400,000 bottles of gin are to be consumed in order not to experience one extra health problem.

 

[MRG]

Another good point is the under-reporting of alcohol consumption. Unless you have your subjects under 24/7 monitoring, "a couple beers every night" might mean 3 of those half-liter bottles of Stella. I measure mine.

+1000

I had an attorney buddy, who did a lot of DUI'S. He claimed if you didn't measure, you might need his services. He claimed he could order one cocktail(*) that would make most folks legally intoxicated and they wouldn't have a clue they were legally too drunk to drive.

(*) Man had a lot of experience as a drinker and an attorney.

I don't think most folks measure each drink. Few weeks ago I was at urology office and the nurse asked about alcohol consumption. I responded I drink 100ml of 80 proof bourbon most days. The nurse, who appeared intelligent and experienced, said she's never heard of anyone tracking ml. Okay how about ounces? She told me everyone says drinks.

 

[JoeWras]

I don't think most folks measure each drink. Few weeks ago I was at urology office and the nurse asked about alcohol consumption. I responded I drink 100ml of 80 proof bourbon most days. The nurse, who appeared intelligent and experienced, said she's never heard of anyone tracking ml. Okay how about ounces? She told me everyone says drinks.

You should have given it in CCs.

 

[braumeister]

I responded I drink 100ml of 80 proof bourbon most days. The nurse, who appeared intelligent and experienced, said she's never heard of anyone tracking ml. Okay how about ounces? She told me everyone says drinks.

The standard for "drinks" AFAIK is that the following are equivalent to one drink:

1.5 oz of liquor
5 oz of wine
12 oz of beer

Of course both wine and beer are fairly variable in their content of alcohol by volume, and they're assuming 80 proof liquor, but these work for most mainstream brands.

 

[flintnational]

Yet again from the Vox article:
​

" ...Put another way, statistician David Spiegelhalter estimated that 25,000 people would need to drink 400,000 bottles of gin to experience one extra health problem compared to non-drinkers..".

The statistician neglects to state over what time period the 400,000 bottles of gin are to be consumed in order not to experience one extra health problem.

I don't like gin. But, based on the above, I might have to take it up.

I skimmed the study. They included alcohol related traffic deaths (drinkers and non-drinkers) in addition to health outcomes. And, assuming one is not driving drunk, I suspect your risk in this category does not change if you reduce or stop drinking. You likely have the same risk of being hit by a drunk driver whether you drink or not.

 

[Bestwifeever]

The OP to me is somewhat of a rebuttal in a good way to all the equally absolute announcements that alcohol is good for us. Every benefit found from alcohol is available from a nonalcoholic source but those reports encouraged drinking among some people I know.

Now I’m having a nice little glass or two of rosé with a couple of young friends to watch the finale of Sharp Objects—might need some of Athena’s Scotch to soften the plot a bit!

 

[Walt34]

" ...Put another way, statistician David Spiegelhalter estimated that 25,000 people would need to drink 400,000 bottles of gin

Well, I've been looking for a new project so might give this a try....

 

[gerntz]

Why on earth would anyone want to extend one's life if there's no drinking?!?!

You might live longer but why would you want to?

Only the high IQ people understand this.

 

[gerntz]

Let's see... Second hand smoke growing up with a smoking parent who dragged me along to the bowling alley weekly. Living in Los Angeles in the 50s and 60s, with leaded gas, freeway diesel particulates, the school gardener spraying herbicides outside the open classroom windows for 12 yrs of public school and the drinking fountain that you had to sneak up on to get a drink it smelled of rotten chemicals. Chem labs with exploding beakers and bio labs with various things to disinfect lab tables with no gloves, the lead recycling plant a mile away in Industry, the styrene leak that plumed out over the neighborhood about which the fire dept said no worries (looked it up in my organic chem text and was very worried), uh... and that's just off the top of my head. Am I worried about the Basil Hayden and bitters that I had last night?

I envy you.

 

[gerntz]

True confession time: my grandmother made wine in her cellar for friends and family during prohibition.

That was legal. just couldn't sell it (Hehehehe ). But so did grandpa, along with his home brew.

 

[gerntz]

*** 1.) Alcoholism in the family ***

dear old granddad was the pin-up boy for drinking ( in our family )

he drank his way through Europe in 1915 starting right from arriving at the boat drunk heading into WW1 , army records show he had a marvelous adventure in France , promoted 5 times demoted 5 times injured/wounded several times and in the brig ( for drunkenness ) for even more time than in hospital for his wounds .

in fact he had so much fun he did it all again in WW2 ( right from arriving drunk at embarkation )

meanwhile i have only ever been drunk once ( a bottle of Bourbon in two swigs about 30 seconds apart ) i learned a valuable lesson from that DON'T DRINK ON AN EMPTY STOMACH i quickly switched to Mescal .

now days i am on 10mg of Bicor (Bisoprolol ) which affects me like two bottles of scotch a day ( try share trading smashed !! ) but at $4.60 a month ( courtesy of the health-care subsidies ).

now after a history of binge drinking the riotous moment is the current medications are starting to effect the liver and kidneys .... ( NOT the previous epic drinking bouts )

PS i am super-slim and seemingly the destroyer of all the health-care guidelines you have over heard ( including excessive sugar consumption )

When you mentioned 1915, I was about to say USA didn't yet into WWI till 1917, then I saw you're from Oz. That said, Ozzies have more than held up their end of the bargain in all the great pro-Western fights from then till now.

 

[gerntz]

True, and then after prohibition, illegal again. Then legal again in 1979.

I've heard nothing about personal use alcohol production being illegal in that period.

 

[braumeister]

I've heard nothing about personal use alcohol production being illegal in that period.

It was an oversight in the bill repealing Prohibition. Almost universally ignored, but still on the books.

Jimmy Carter signed the correction into law in 79.

 

[gerntz]

Understand the frivolity and I guess that's why the teetotalers are being quiet.

My brother developed arrhythmia due to drinking alcohol. Had ablation surgery to stop his arrhythmia. According to my brother, the doctor wanted him to quit drinking, but he said: "No way, ain't gonna happen". The doctor said, "Ok, no more than two drinks per day". Like the picture, he said the doctor never said how large his drink could be.

He died two weeks ago. Sixty two.

There are many causes of arrhythmia according to the sources I looked up. How did doctors know it was alcohol only in his case? Thanks.

 

[kcowan]

There are many causes of arrhythmia according to the sources I looked up. How did doctors know it was alcohol only in his case? Thanks.

I developed AFIB in the last year and have followed doctors orders, switching to NA Beer (Clausthaler from Germany) and selected other drinks, like tonic with soda rather than gin. i still drink with friends but reduced amounts, and substitutes.

 

[GravitySucks]

Truth now....
What do you know about prohibition? Did you know that the sale or distribution of alcohol was Constitutionally illegal in the United States from 1920 to 1933?

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Prohibition_in_the_United_States

And who has heard of Carrie Nation?

Prohibition is alive and well. Not alcohol, but certainly many other choices people might have made.

 

[JoeWras]

Prohibition is alive and well. Not alcohol, but certainly many other choices people might have made.

Funny you should say that. I think there is a movement going on to use that term again.

I heard the CEO Canopy Growth throwing around that term multiple times today. Sounded very intentional. Maybe too intentional.

 

[bmcgonig]

I developed AFIB in the last year and have followed doctors orders, switching to NA Beer (Clausthaler from Germany) and selected other drinks, like tonic with soda rather than gin. i still drink with friends but reduced amounts, and substitutes.

I have that too. I found that dehydration was my biggest trigger. So with regard to alcohol I'm not sure, for me, whether it's the alcohol or the dehydration caused by the alcohol. I haven't tried to figure that out since cutting way back on my alcohol consumption helped me in other ways like better sleep and less acid reflux.

Has less alcohol consumption lessened the AFib events for you?

 

[MRG]

Funny you should say that. I think there is a movement going on to use that term again.

I heard the CEO Canopy Growth throwing around that term multiple times today. Sounded very intentional. Maybe too intentional.

While I'm a big proponent of ending this phoney war on drugs I'm not so sure I want to see the industry full of another form of big industry. Perhaps it's good for the cause.

Someone commented that Amazon already has all the growers suppliers except seeds.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/31/can...google-of-pot.html?__source=twitter|main|text