# alcohol....



## I_Love_Lamp

So do people outside of the US (in their young adulthood) get drunk without reason?  Within the US it seems a lots of young adults (18-24) simply drink without reason solely for the purpose of intoxication....

Just curious on how it goes in your particular country.


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## elpoderoso

You should have a night out in any English town, and then you will see young people getting drunk solely for the purpose of intoxication.


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## Paulfromitaly

In Italy getting drunk is not people's favourite hobby, so far.
You can see drunk young adults wandering around on a weekend night of course, but getting stoned is never the night purpose,although it can  accidentally be the result of some fun in a restaurant, club or pub.
I've either never seen anyone getting pissed at home before going out just to save up on drinks once in pub/club, as though intoxication were the only purpose and the only way to have a good time.


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## don maico

Getting drunk or even mildly intoxicated is a favourite British pursuit . We do like our booze here. Beer is our favourite tipple ( unfortunately that awful lager stuff is the most popular) . A good ale takes some beating, 6/7 pints of that and your anyones. Wine is increasing in polularity ,especially new world wine.
If you ever come to the UK, join in with a rubgy crowd and you'll learn what drinking is all about


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## Venezuelan_sweetie

Well...  I don't mean to spoil your party, guys, but...  If you haven't been to Latin America yet, then you REALLY don't know what drinking is all about!

Youngsters around here are MAD about alcohol.  It's quite deceiving, but seems like young ones just can't have fun without making a total *ss of themselves by drinking!  Weekends seem to be made for getting wildly intoxicated, and Mondays, for throwing up and mourning after a lethal hangover...

It kind of bothers me, since it really spoils the 'ambiance' (  ) at parties and clubs, you can't have a proper night of dancing anymore... (gosh!  That sounds sooo snob...   )


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## xarruc

I love drinking. Since I discovered it at 15 I have loved it. I like the taste of beer, and concur that a good pint of ale takes some beating, wine's great, whisky, brandy - whatever. 

I do, or rather did, drink just to get pissed. It is nice to lose control of yourself to some extent. When everyone around you is also doing it then it seems acceptable and fun. The whole passing out vomiting thing was really looked down though, among my circles, so it was pretty harmless. (by which I mean that we weren't passing out on the street)

I respect the attitude here of the people in Barcelona. They don't seem to drink so much, but they're not tee-total. Many enjoy a pint and a half over 2-2.5 hours then go home. There is no social pressure to drink up or get slammed. 

I do, however, miss a good bit of English drinking. I like the fact thayt convresations get silly. People say things they don't mean and no one gets offended. People all talk to everbody, dance when they wouldn't normally. It can be quite an intimate thing, to get drunk with them, there are sides to people that you wouldn't normally see.

And maybe thats why they don't need to do it here - they can dance with out any alcohol in them, just because they feel like it. I cannot.

Pub culture seems to become greater as you move up north in Europe. My guess is that it's because southern climates were good for grapes and thus for wine, which keeps and so was suitable for consumtion at home, whereas northern climates were more suited to beer, which doesn't keep well and so was not suitable for home storage. Thus Northern Europe went to the pub and Southern Europe didn't. Plus, add in the cold climate and the allure of a big pub with a roaring fire...


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## Hakro

In Finland we never drink without a reason. We drink only when we have a reason to celebrate.

And when do we have a reason to celebrate?

Always when we have some alcohol to drink, it's a good reason itself.


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## aslan

As a predominantly muslim country( also secular),in Turkey, Drinking alchol was accepted as a sin from point of Islam .But It doesn t mean that Getting alchol or selling these kinds of drinks are prohibited.You can find pubs, bars etc.. all over the Turkey.(But while It is quite easy and common to see big pubs , bars, retaurants offering alchols in big cities, It can be rarely found these kinds of place in small cities.Popele would rather go to a shop, get their drinks and drink them in another place)

As far as I get, in Europe People go out and drink.I mean when it was decided to go out,Most probably They get alchol.But in turkey Due to you can t find alcols anywhere you need to go to a special place to drink alchol.This should be the main difference.


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## Luke Warm

Here in Munich, beer is at the very heart of culture. Munich and its surroundings have the oldest breweries in the world and brag arguably the world’s best beer. It’s been so integrated into daily society that a worker’s right to drink a half liter of beer at lunch is guaranteed by law. It is common for champagne to be drunk at the office to celebrate a colleagues birthday or departure from the company and often people stay late in the office kitchen drinking beer before heading their separate ways for an evening out. The drinking age for beer is 16 (18 for spirits), so there are plenty of young people getting drunk just for the sake of drunkenness (interestingly, I see the same binge drinking behavior in 16 year-olds here that I saw in 18 to 21 year-olds in America). Once people get older, the drinking seems to become less about the drinking and more about creating a comfortable social setting through drinking. Still, it is common to see passed-out drunk people of all ages on the subway, but somehow the acceptance of alcohol and drunkenness by society keeps the whole experience relatively tame. Except for at a few festivals where the party can get pretty wild, drinking culture is much more subdued than what I’ve experienced in America or England. But if you like beer and a fantastic party, I highly recommend coming for Oktoberfest some year—I guarantee it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced.


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## badgrammar

I don't have the impression that French youth are especially into drinking just for the sake of getting smashed, atleast not the young people I come into contact with...  They actually seem to drink alot less than us old fogies, and we call them party-poopers as they hang back with their colas and herbal teas.  From what I see around here, the younger generation (25 and under)don't drink nearly as much as us old coots (25 and up).  Spoil sports !


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## Cereth

Hakro said:


> In Finland we never drink without a reason. We drink only when we have a reason to celebrate.
> 
> And when do we have a reason to celebrate?
> 
> Always when we have some alcohol to drink, it's a good reason itself.


 
Hey that is a perfect mexican answer!!!

Living in the land of Tequila, Corona beer (and of course better beers such as Indio, Victoria, pacifico, Leon, etc, etc) we all revel in the taste of such elixir.. Vodka is also very popular here, mixed with tropical juices...man is there anything better?


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## Etcetera

Hakro said:


> In Finland we never drink without a reason. We drink only when we have a reason to celebrate.
> 
> And when do we have a reason to celebrate?
> 
> Always when we have some alcohol to drink, it's a good reason itself.


Here in Russia, people often say that only a fool would drink without a reason - a smart person will always find a reason!

Speaking seriously, alcohol is pretty popular among young people in Russia. Young men drink beer, girls prefer cocktails. And they do it without any particular rwason, it seems. You can occasionally see a girl or a young man sitting on a bus, drinking beer. Disgusting.


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## pidgeon

I think that it is a problem here in the Uk, that young people plan a night out to get drunk.
the question is no longer 'When can we go out and have fun?' but 'When can we go and get pissed'. For those over 18, I think that it is up to them what they do, although it is disconcerting for others, but the main problem is with people under the age of 18 drinking.
Many people as young as 14 feel they want to go out drinking so that they are treated and feel like their elders who can drink legally, therefore they spend all their energy on finding ways to 1. get as much alcohol ilegally as possible, 2. drink it somewhere that they will not get caught and 3. drink it somewhere where others can see that they are getting drunk, or boast about it to all their friends, in turn encouraging them to drink too much. 
I myself enjoy drinking, but do not see the point in drinking TO get drunk.


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## Venezuelan_sweetie

Cereth said:


> Hey that is a perfect mexican answer!!!
> 
> Living in the land of Tequila, Corona beer (and of course better beers such as Indio, Victoria, pacifico, Leon, etc, etc) we all revel in the taste of such elixir.. Vodka is also very popular here, mixed with tropical juices...man is there anything better?


 
Ah, well... That I'm in favor!  A nice drink is a pleasure that lifts up every soul... 

Down here (creative as we are), there are countless drinks and mixes (crazy ones as well as heavenly ones!).  My favourite ones are product of mixing topical juices + miche (a national drink which is perhaps as strong as Vodka), Tequila (God bless Mexico!), and all kind of Iced Vodka drinks.

However, there's a huge difference between enjoying the taste (and why not, the effect) of a few drinks, and drinking wildly 'til you're pissed...


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## emma42

Good for you, pidgeon!  It can be very difficult not to get drawn into this drinking culture, which has reached dangerous levels in the UK.


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## la reine victoria

The UK's record of drunken youth is appalling.  We have serious problems with young people who are already alcoholics.  

Young people go out to bars and clubs with the sole intention of getting "rat-arsed" (as they say).  They end up vomiting all over the streets, collapsing, and waste hours of doctors' valuable time in hospital casualty departments.  Girls are as bad as boys - many of them try to outdrink the boys.

I enjoy a drink or two but absolutely hate being drunk.  My visits to pubs are invariably for a good meal with friends (we have some fantastic places on the Isle of Wight).  I normally limit my alcohol intake to a glass of wine.

Even at my son's wedding last year, where champagne was flowing freely (along with anything else one fancied) I stayed sober.

Call me "Goody Two-Shoes" if you wish.  "Moderation" should be people's watchword when it comes to alcohol.

PS:  I have been known to exceed the limit when under emotional stress, but it simply makes things worse. 




LRV


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## fenixpollo

I_Love_Lamp said:


> Within the US it seems a lots of young adults (18-24) simply drink without reason solely for the purpose of intoxication....


The original question is misleading. 





pidgeon said:


> the question is no longer 'When can we go out and have fun?' but 'When can we go and get pissed'. I myself enjoy drinking, but do not see the point in drinking TO get drunk.





la reine victoria said:


> Young people go out to bars and clubs with the sole intention of getting "rat-arsed" (as they say).


 As you say, ILL, people in the US (and other countries) do *not* get drunk without a reason.  The reasons that people get drunk include "to get drunk".  The question should be, why is this an acceptable reason? 

For me, the answer is that people see social benefits in drinking to excess. Whether it's to show membership and solidarity with a group, or to prove one's strength/prowess/invincibility in front of the group... This behavior only goes away when people become mature enough and self-assured enough to not care about the social approval gained by getting "rat-arsed".


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## roxcyn

Why do teens get drunk (pissed)?
a. They are trying to act older.
b. They have bad role models such as their parents, friends and relatives getting drunk every day.
c. They are influenced by advertisements in magazines, stores and on TV.  If you ever go into a carry-out in the States you will see a bombardment of alcohol and cigarette adverts.
d. They are very stressed out about homework/classes that they need a way to "cope"/They want to "escape" reality.
e. They think that "all their friends do it" and they want to be cool.  (Peer pressure or perceived pressure)
f. Their parents encourage their teens to get drunk.  Example, the parents buy the alcohol for their teens to drink.  
g. They do not understand what alcohol can do to their bodies.  The brain is still developing until around 23 in most people.  Since alcohol is a toxin to the body, it affects all parts of the body.


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## Hakro

As far as I can remember (half a century ago), I could confirm points a and e, possibly g. But there's a lot of points to add.


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## ElaineG

Hakro said:


> As far as I can remember (half a century ago), I could confirm points a and e, possibly g. But there's a lot of points to add.


 
Yes, the main ones I'd add (going back more like 1/4 of a century) is: 
h. feeling awkward and sometimes shy, particularly when it came to boys, and liking the unhibited feeling that came from alcohol.

and

i.  being profoundly bored by everyone and everything.


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## Hakro

I can confirm all your points, Elaine, except "when it came to boys". My problem was the opposite.


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## Paulfromitaly

la reine victoria said:


> Young people go out to bars and clubs with the sole intention of getting "rat-arsed" (as they say).  They end up vomiting all over the streets, collapsing, and waste hours of doctors' valuable time in hospital casualty departments.  Girls are as bad as boys - many of them try to outdrink the boys.



Sadly true...Do you want to know what really shocks me? 
Seeing teenagers who go look for a job, often a really crap and underpaid one, then work their ass off all the week just to be able to run through the whole salary on a night out, clubbing or pubbing, with the *only* purpose of getting sloshed...
Girls are even worse than boys: it's during those piss-up nights that they become a will-be 15 year-old mummy...


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## GenJen54

roxcyn said:


> Why do teens get drunk (pissed)?
> a. They are trying to act older.
> b. They have bad role models such as their parents, friends and relatives getting drunk every day.
> c. They are influenced by advertisements in magazines, stores and on TV.  If you ever go into a carry-out in the States you will see a bombardment of alcohol and cigarette adverts.
> d. They are very stressed out about homework/classes that they need a way to "cope"/They want to "escape" reality.
> e. They think that "all their friends do it" and they want to be cool.  (Peer pressure or perceived pressure)
> f. Their parents encourage their teens to get drunk.  Example, the parents buy the alcohol for their teens to drink.
> g. They do not understand what alcohol can do to their bodies.  The brain is still developing until around 23 in most people.  Since alcohol is a toxin to the body, it affects all parts of the body.



Don't forget good, old-fashioned rebellion.  To many young people in the U.S., particularly teenagers, alcohol is the "forbidden fruit."  Throughout their childhoods and teenage years, most kids hear "don't drink alcohol."  They hear this from their parents, from their teachers, from other influential sources.  

So, to many, this is a form of acting out against authority, and stepping out on their own.  It's not the smartest of choices, but I suppose it works for some people.


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## elpoderoso

For young drinkers in the Uk, i don't think their problems are in any way helped by the ridiculous promotions offered in some clubs for discounts on (disgusting) alcopops and the lager flavoured mineral water they serve.
I also know what Paulfromitaly means about people spending nearly everything they earn in a week from their poorly paid factory job, in the weekend. Maybe it's because they have a poorly paid factory job, that they want to get hammered.


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## Etcetera

I am sure that advertisement plays major role in promoting alcohol.
Advertising beer was forbidden on the Russian TV quite a long ago, but it's allowed after 10 p.m. or so. But after 10 p.m. all you see during breaks is beer, beer and nothing except beer.


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## don maico

In the uk we have more terms for the state of inebriation than any other nation on earth- we pride ourselves on it . Here are a few:

Mullered ,hammered, drunk as a skunk,pissed as a fart,marinated
slaugtered,mashed , pickled,pissed as a newt, pissed as a parrot
arseholed,rat faced,pecker waving drunk,addled, slap assed drunk,
shitfaced, ratarsed legless- the list goes on.
Drunkeness per se is not seen as anything to be ashamed about as long as one doesnt become violent as a few do. People coming to work the next day sporting a hangover are seen as having had a good night. They are greeted with knowing smiles.Some boast about how much drink they can take before collapsing. They will claim "to drink others underneath the table" Claims of 10 12 pints per session are common.Then there is the yard of ale; a yard long glass receptacle:
http://www.worldinnovations.co.uk/moreinfo.php?product_id=347&category_from=5
Object is to fill it up with ale and drink it as quickly as possible


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## Kajjo

In my experience, German youngsters only quite rarely drink alcohol so excessively that they puke, loose memory or even their consciousness. Surely, many like to get drunk on a weekend's night, but in most cases not beyond control. This is in stark contrast to what I experienced in England where everyone aimed at coma. In Germany it is more about how the drink tastes and everyone has different preferences, wants to have fun and not miss the party because he is deadly "pissed".



Luke Warm said:


> It is common for champagne to be drunk at the office to celebrate a colleagues birthday or departure from the company and often people stay late in the office kitchen drinking beer before heading their separate ways for an evening out.


Right, but I guess Germans have a quite relaxed way of handling alcoholic beverages. Certainly, nowadays no one will drive drunken or drink more at this company occasions than he can handle.

While in England "being absolutely drunken" appears to be manly, in Germany "being able to drink a lot without showing it" is considered manly. Losing one's self-control is usually despised.

Kajjo


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## tvdxer

I_Love_Lamp said:


> So do people outside of the US (in their young adulthood) get drunk without reason?  Within the US it seems a lots of young adults (18-24) simply drink without reason solely for the purpose of intoxication....
> 
> Just curious on how it goes in your particular country.



I'm from the U.S. also, in that age bracket (age 20), and I definitely agree with you.  For most young people my age, the ONLY reason to drink is to get drunk - often off of cheap beer.  

Proper attitudes towards drinking / socializing are just something that comes later.


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