The Sobriety Diaries

Don't Chute!

I was just reading the Irish Times weekend edition today and came across an article with the above title. Ann Marie Hourihane is conducting a "social experiment" by abstaining from alcohol for a whole month.

I have to say i find it hard to believe that a national newspaper thinks that it is newsworthy that someone in this country is not drinking for four weeks. Don't get me wrong i basically spent my twenties going to the pub probably twice a week, but i look back at that now and think what a waste of a weekend it was.

I recently had two pints at my daughters first birthday party and it was probably seven or eight weeks since my last drink. I would regularly go longer without a drink and don't miss it.

So i was just wondering what peoples opinion of this is. Do we really drink so much that stopping for a month is something to shout about?

The Backwards Man

Social experiment eh?

Must use that one next time someone quizzes me as to why I haven't had a ride in months!

mikom

black and amber wrote: »

I was just reading the Irish Times weekend edition today and came across an article with the above title. Ann Marie Hourihane is conducting a "social experiment" by abstaining from alcohol for a whole month.

I have to say i find it hard to believe that a national newspaper thinks that it is newsworthy that someone in this country is not drinking for four weeks. Don't get me wrong i basically spent my twenties going to the pub probably twice a week, but i look back at that now and think what a waste of a weekend it was.

I recently had two pints at my daughters first birthday party and it was probably seven or eight weeks since my last drink. I would regularly go longer without a drink and don't miss it.

So i was just wondering what peoples opinion of this is. Do we really drink so much that stopping for a month is something to shout about?

Groundbreaking stuff by the Irish Times............

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/could-you-manage-a-year-without-booze-this-womans-new-year-hangover-made-her-teetotal-9031949.html

http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/features/3849/giles-coren-gives-up-booze/

Don't Chute!

Yep, that's what she calls it!

The Backwards Man

black and amber wrote: »

Yep, that's what she calls it!

Woodward and Bernstein must be kicking themselves for missing a scoop like this!

Don't Chute!

mikom wrote: »

Groundbreaking stuff by the Irish Times............

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/could-you-manage-a-year-without-booze-this-womans-new-year-hangover-made-her-teetotal-9031949.html

http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/features/3849/giles-coren-gives-up-booze/

Well the fact that anyone at all thinks this is some sort of achievement i find totally bizarre!

Arthur Beesley

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Social experiment eh?

Must use that one next time someone quizzes me as to why I haven't had a ride in months!

I thought the ladies having sex with you were part of a social experiment.

wretcheddomain

4 weeks abstention would only be an achievement for an alcoholic.

Temptamperu

Everything in the country is geared for drink, from cradle to the grave we are never so far away from a pub. christenings, weddings, funerals, sports clubs even political parties round off their days out with a trip to the pub. Where do boards meet on meet-ups? thats right, the publican gets heavy pockets and fat kids.

We have a mad problem here with scoopers, but they are just the lads having a scoop, totally different than drug taking scum like me.

Amirani

That paper really has taken a tumble. Not worth a **** these days.

Greentopia

Says a lot about this country if going off the beer for a month is considered an achievement worth writing about in a supposedly quality newspaper.

hfallada

This might be ground breaking in Continental Europe where pretty much everyone has a small drink everyday. But when only 3% of Irish drink on a daily basis( the lowest in the EU) and when a majority of our grandparents were pioneers and never had a drink before in their life. This is not the most groundbreaking social experiment carried out before

In fairness the Irish Times is by far the best paper in Ireland. But it does have the odd story that is totally WTF. Like women writing in to the relationship expert as her husband was cheating on her. But she didnt have sex with her husband more than every 3 months and he was **** in between

Temptamperu

All papers have gone to pish Diego, how they are still in business, especially with the free news online is beyond me.

imitation

My only problem with pubs is that they seem to choke any other form of evening enterainment. Try finding a coffee shop open after 6 outside of dublin.

Ciderswigger

How is this even news? I've only drank maybe 7 or 8 times on nights out in the past 3 years. I don't expect a medal or to have an article in the newspaper.

Amirani

hfallada wrote: »

In fairness the Irish Times is by far the best paper in Ireland. But it does have the odd story that is totally WTF. Like women writing in to the relationship expert as her husband was cheating on her. But she didnt have sex with her husband more than every 3 months and he was **** in between

It is the best paper in Ireland and the only one I'd ever consider buying. Still, it's a shell of its former self. Too many columns are more concerned with creating furore and provoking reactions than actually providing genuine insight. There's some obvious exceptions, but not nearly enough.

Santa Cruz

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Woodward and Bernstein must be kicking themselves for missing a scoop like this!

Is she in line for a Pullitzer award?
Hardly reporting from war torn Syria is she?

Santa Cruz

hfallada wrote: »

This might be ground breaking in Continental Europe where pretty much everyone has a small drink everyday. But when only 3% of Irish drink on a daily basis( the lowest in the EU) and when a majority of our grandparents were pioneers and never had a drink before in their life. This is not the most groundbreaking social experiment carried out before

In fairness the Irish Times is by far the best paper in Ireland. But it does have the odd story that is totally WTF. Like women writing in to the relationship expert as her husband was cheating on her. But she didnt have sex with her husband more than every 3 months and he was **** in between

I have stopped buying newspapers since Samantha Fox and Linda Lusardi have not been featured.

Muise...

Ciderswigger wrote: »

How is this even news? I've only drank maybe 7 or 8 times on nights out in the past 3 years. I don't expect a medal or to have an article in the newspaper.

You earned your username fair and square though. :pac:

Ciderswigger

Muise... wrote: »

You earned your username fair and square though. :pac:

Lol. That stupid username!

L'Enfer du Nord

An other one of these stupid articles where a journalist does does something that lots of people are already doing either because they want to or have to. other notable examples are Alison O'Riordan surviving on Aldai Tuscan Ham for a week ( or was it a day) and I kid you not a Sun journalist blacking up for a day and writing about his experience of racism (I read this during the afore mentioned Fox/Lucardi golden era.). I have a vague memory of a journalist going around in a fat suit to research an article!

Why no either A) get someone who has already given up drinking for good to write about it, or B)interview a few Teetotallers.

Plus a 'month', give me a break. This is like being homeless for an hour.

As it happens I've been off the drink since October because of medication I have to take. Thanks to the improved taste of nonalcoholic beer I've still been going to the pub on average every 2 or 3 weeks when the occasion demanded it. The experience is remarkable the same. I've even been reluctant to leave at closing time a couple of times, I'd always assumed that the urge for an other drink was purely alcohol driven but no it is in part the social buzz.

Call me ageist and sexist but if a middle aged woman can't stay off the booze maybe we really do have a problem in this country. I mean I can see how see how a 20 year old student might feel they are missing out on something by not drinking, also may lack the skills and confidence to go for a night out sober. But can the woman filled wine bar on a Friday night she describes really be a place you couldn't face sober?

Since I started drinking regularly at 18 I don't think I've gone a full month without it so that's 11 years.

To be honest it's very rare I'd go more than a week without drinking. Going off it totally for a month would require a lot of effort and be a severe drain on my social life.

MadYaker

I generally go a few weeks without drinking around exam time. I could definitely go a month without drinking no bother, its only a big achievement for an alcoholic.

Don't Chute!

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

An other one of these stupid articles where a journalist does does something that lots of people are already doing either because they want to or have to. other notable examples are Alison O'Riordan surviving on Aldai Tuscan Ham for a week ( or was it a day) and I kid you not a Sun journalist blacking up for a day and writing about his experience of racism (I read this during the afore mentioned Fox/Lucardi golden era.). I have a vague memory of a journalist going around in a fat suit to research an article!

Why no either A) get someone who has already given up drinking for good to write about it, or B)interview a few Teetotallers.

Plus a 'month', give me a break. This is like being homeless for an hour.

As it happens I've been off the drink since October because of medication I have to take. Thanks to the improved taste of nonalcoholic beer I've still been going to the pub on average every 2 or 3 weeks when the occasion demanded it. The experience is remarkable the same. I've even been reluctant to leave at closing time a couple of times, I'd always assumed that the urge for an other drink was purely alcohol driven but no it is in part the social buzz.

Call me ageist and sexist but if a middle aged woman can't stay off the booze maybe we really do have a problem in this country. I mean I can see how see how a 20 year old student might feel they are missing out on something by not drinking, also may lack the skills and confidence to go for a night out sober. But can the woman filled wine bar on a Friday night she describes really be a place you couldn't face sober?

The wine thing yeah, a lot of Irish people seem to think that because they drink wine its oh so sophisticated and therefore not really drinking. I know people that drink a bottle of wine at least a night but its "ok because its wine".