Pandemic and alcohol..

Yes, perhaps opening the DIY shops for noon essential purchases would present another avenue for people.

I hit it hard enough for the first week or two but I’ve cut back again. Bad habits.

I'm drinking way less. I've had one beer in five weeks.

I was far more of a pub drinker than a home drinker. So I don't really feel the urge to drink while at home, even now.

I feel better physically not to be drinking every week.

I wondered about it in the early days, maybe I should crack open a beer every now and again. But I didn't feel the need to force it and I thought getting into a habit of boozing at home wouldn't be great, considering what is going on.

My housemate is drinking more or less everyday. Not to the point of getting smashed, but he's reliably polishing off a couple of cans on his own. I don't really see the point.

I still work so can only drink weekends and even then it's not much.
So no, I am about the same as before batflu.

At a population level alcohol consumption is down 6% year on year.

At a personal level I am drinking more frequently - glass of wine with dinner - but with less 'big nights out' at gigs, parties, or work events with free bars.

Overall it is probably the same quantity, just distributed differently. And quality has gone up a notch cos I'm not paying pub prices.

Had a small bottle of Belgian beer with dinner. 1 unit in it. That was first drink in a week. I actually love a glass of wine but my tolerance has disappeared so it’s not worth it. It’s getting to the stage now where we aren’t opening a bottle cos it takes so long to drink. I used to drink a lot more. Can’t blame the pandemic it’s definitely age.

Sandor Clegane wrote: »

Luckily I gave up drink long before the pandemic...also lucky for me all the things I enjoy are done at home and are solitary in nature.

I honestly wouldn't care if the lockdown never ended.

You do know you can ignore any reopening and stay in 'lockdown' for as long as you want!

My own consumption is definitely down. Right now at most its a couple of cans on a Friday or Saturday night with a movie one or the other mostly. Before I'd probably have been in a pub on Thursday and Saturday on a normal week sometimes a few days more and moer than a couple. I think my tolerance has also dropped as a result.

None..I'm college age so used to drink pretty heavy once or twice a week last year. But now, none as I barely ever see my friends and never in big groups where drinking might happen. It's odd I've completely lost the taste for alcohol, I'm often put off by the thought of it now..and when I do drink I think I get too drunk too quickly compared to what i used to be able to hold.

Still enjoy it though, was nice having a few on paddys day and getting a bit locked, look forward to going back to social drinking during the summer again, hopefully

humberklog wrote: »

Way less. Way, way less. I'd be one for the pub and it would've been 3, 4 or 5 nights a week. Now I've drinks on Friday evening at home and I meet friends once a week in Stephen's Green that sometimes ends up back in someone's house.

What we do in the Green is bring a nagan of whiskey and a flask of coffee. Then buy a take-away coffee and keep topping it up. It's nice to get out and see friends as before the restrictions I would've been very sociable.

But I definitely won't go back to my previous drinking habits when pubs re-open. I feel a lot better, lost weight, started sea swimming and cycling and as I'm 51 that's probably what I should be doing.

Pub twice a week in the future and take it handier and leave earlier.

I'd also be in the pub 3 or 4 nights a week. Usually either 3 or 4 pints watching a match once or twice, and a night or two out with colleagues or friends.

I always thought it was a bit of a silly distinction, but I've never drunk at home. Always seemed a potential slippery slope. The minimal effort of going to the pub and having to come home after, plus the psychological distinction between drinking in the pub vs not drinking at home seemed like a good idea. Over the years I've often bought a slab of cans for people coming over and ended up pouring half of them down the sink 6 months later because it literally would not occur to me to drink at home on my own.

The first week of the first lockdown I bought a few bottles. They sat there for three or four weeks until one of Leo's announcements sent me over the edge - it was one of the film quotes that seemed totally incongruous before we found out it was all a joke to him, not sure if it was the Terminator or Gandalf one.

Never really looked back after that. Whatever about a few pints on a Wednesday in a pub, wasn't that regularly I'd think at 2am that sure one more won't make that much of a difference, help numb the next day when all I have to do is make it a few hours to lunchtime, nap for an hour, then get through the afternoon. And that's drinking alone at home, not nursing a beer with a social buzz around. But that was most of last May, November, and a few other times. And I know other people the same.

I'd hope that eventually some semblance of normality might be the impetus that shocks me out of it, but certainly Holohan's "virus hates alcohol" statement was blackly funny, considering this is the closest I've ever been to pure alcoholism. On balance, I think I'll just about get out of it after all this, but I know not everyone will.

I was drinking a little more in April/May last year but have cut it back again. Reckon I'm drinking a lot less than I used to before all the COVID stuff started.