A record low number of Americans are drinking, according to a new Gallup poll released this week. Just 54% of Americans said they consume alcohol at all.
Gallup has been tracking Americans’ drinking behavior since 1939, and their views of the health implications of drinking since 2001. For the first time, a majority of Americans – 53% – said that moderate drinking, defined as one or two drinks per day, is bad for your health.
I enjoy drinking, I’m under no delusion that it has any physical health benefits, it’s quite literally poison.
There’s maybe an argument for it having mental health benefits if used in moderation, but probably not any more than having any hobby or socialization would do for you, we all need to unwind somehow.
Also, this definition of “moderate” drinking really rubs me the wrong way, one to two drinks a day really sounds to me like someone with a drinking problem.
Not that two drinks is really a lot of alcohol, on the occasions I drink, I’ll usually have more than that, sometimes a lot more.
But on an average week, I’m having maybe about two drinks, probably less.
And even if I make some pretty wild overestimates about how often I go to parties or whatever and how much I drink there, I still average out to less than 2 drinks a day. More realistically I probably average out to more like ½ a drink per day.
And like I said, I’m someone who likes alcohol. I have a fully-stocked bar at home that would put some nicer establishments to shame. For certain date nights it’s pretty much a given that my wife and I are going to kill a bottle of wine between us. I’m certainly no teetotaler.
This is typical of someone who drinks beer or wine with their evening meal. Many people who do that always do that unless they have a specific reason not to. This is not behavior most medical professionals see as problematic, though it likely has a small health impact/risk.
The US CDC describes that behavior as binge drinking.
I think the two drinks a day is supposed to be an average. I don’t drink every day anymore, but when I did it was almost always more than two, usually at least double that by typical serving standards. On days I do drink now, it’s still about the same amount, but it’s once or twice a week, so my average is probably around a drink a day or so.
The fuck? Nobody is having 7 drinks on friday and the same on Saturday and claiming they have two drinks a day
I mean, I don’t know what to tell you. I drink 5 or 6 on Friday and Saturday and don’t drink the rest of the week.