Stop out of control drinking

IrishTrajan · 08-03-2015 05:43PM

EoghanIRL wrote: »

I heard http://www.rolemodels.ie/ radio add earlier today.

Personally i think that Ireland's drinking culture is well established and needs to change. It is especially bad amongst young people , specifically in college students. I'm also of the opinion that alcohol is ok if enjoyed sensibly but the norm in Ireland for a long time now is binge drinking. I don't see why alcohol abuse is seen as being more acceptable than any other type of drug abuse in Ireland. I think that a change in the population's attitude to alcohol could only be a good thing and that the benefits would by far outweigh the disadvantages. Seeing how alcohol links in with many other problems also such as the high rate in male suicide , depression and so on.

I think a campaign that would try and tackle our drink culture and that would change our drinking habits would be very welcome if it could make some well needed changes.

Do we need to change our drink culture?

Drinking is too ingrained in Irish culture. If our high duties on alcohol doesn't dissuade people from buying alcohol, I don't think posters and ads on tv will do much either.

Atomic Pineapple · 08-03-2015 05:45PM

sugarman wrote: »

Again, that is nothing unique to Ireland. Its the same attitude in most other EU countries.

Is it? I recently was on a company outing where I was the only one who chose not to drink, of the German, French, Slovakian, Spanish and Irish people there I only got flak off those who were Irish and the conversation turned to the people of other EU origins wanting to know why I was being slagged. Not saying this showcases drinking cultures in those countries but I just found it interesting.

bb1234567 · 08-03-2015 05:46PM

Schwiiing wrote: »

There are people who are 26,36,46 etc with an immature attitude to alcohol and you want to add in children to the mix because that's what 16 year old people are, children.

15-17 year olds are going to drink regardless of the age limit. Theres no way to really crack down on it and its a not a very major issue, I don't see the harm in lowering the limit to 16. More serious policing with regards anti social behaviour and violent/rowdy public drunken behaviour would be much more beneficial.

Fudge You · 08-03-2015 05:47PM

sugarman wrote: »

Again, that is nothing unique to Ireland. Its the same attitude in most other EU countries.

Ok. But that doesnt really mean anything to me.
It just means our attitude to drinking needs to be changed here in Ireland, and also in other EU counties that you say.

Schwiiing · 08-03-2015 05:48PM

bb1234567 wrote: »

15-17 year olds are going to drink regardless of the age limit. Theres no way to really crack down on it and its a not a very major issue, I don't see the harm in lowering the limit to 16. More serious policing with regards anti social behaviour and violent/rowdy public drunken behaviour would be much more beneficial.

Standard Irish response. 'Leave us drinkers alone, make someone else clean up the mess we make'. :rolleyes:

Grays Sports Almanac · 08-03-2015 05:52PM

Fudge You wrote: »

"If you aren't drinking, you are boring!"
Fcuk the lot of people in Ireland that say that.

The boring people are the ones who constantly need alcohol to enjoy themselves.

Atomic Pineapple · 08-03-2015 05:53PM

Schwiiing wrote: »

There are people who are 26,36,46 etc with an immature attitude to alcohol and you want to add in children to the mix because that's what 16 year old people are, children.

18 year old people are children too, recent research suggests our brains don't fully mature until around 25 years, meaning we don't achieve mature adult thought processes until then. So if a child aged 18 is legally allowed to drink alcohol why would an educated child aged 16 be such a big difference?

No matter what you do there will always be stupid people in the world, those at the age of 46 etc.. with immature attitudes to alcohol are stupid, you can't let a minority who are stupid drive regulations, if you did then everything would be illegal.

Sunnyisland · 08-03-2015 05:53PM

I don't live in Ireland and when I am out here and asked do I want a drink and I answer yes please make, it a tea or sparkling water it's not a bother, In Ireland when I answer above I am asked am I sick,what's wrong you,not feeling well etc etc, there is a lot more peer pressure in Ireland for you to drink alcohol then elsewhere imo.

darkpagandeath · 08-03-2015 05:53PM

Schwiiing wrote: »

Standard Irish response. 'Leave us drinkers alone, make someone else clean up the mess we make'. :rolleyes:

I'm not from Ireland, there would be no problems here with sensible drink regulations, lower price extend pub closing times same with offies. Prohibition has a lot to do with what people see as the problem. Name anything in this country that has worked well with the finger wagers getting their way and saying "Don't do that" "We know what's best for you".

Ted_YNWA · 08-03-2015 05:54PM

Hollis Hurlbut wrote: »

The boring people are the ones who constantly need alcohol to enjoy themselves.

The majority of them do not come out & have a sober night. EVER

Macavity. · 08-03-2015 05:54PM

I think if we had a more open minded attitude towards other drugs, binge drinking would not be such a problem.

Renegade Mechanic · 08-03-2015 06:03PM

Why do I drink? Because everything else is illegal. The place is getting harder and harder to enjoy each year. People have less time and less money. A few drinks of the evening is about all they can do. Dropping Irelands drinking culture btw will never happen for the same reason fags will never be banned. Revenue.
If binge drinking is to be easily curtailed, other outlets are needed. Legalising marijuana would be a start. Tax it like fags but treat it like alcohol. No driving, no working etc, etc..

08-03-2015 06:05PM

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

The majority of them do not come out & have a sober night. EVER

Damn right, I gave up going out sober about 10 years ago after trying it a handful of times. It's basically watching other people have fun and missing out on all the craic. If for some very rare reason I can't drink I just stay at home.

I don't get people problem with the drinking culture. Those of us who want to be part of it week in week out enjoy it and don't want it curtailed. Those who complain and don't partake are not involved so why not just leave the rest to enjoy it.

Tarzana2 · 08-03-2015 06:07PM

MightyMandarin wrote: »

The biggest issue imo is that people know their limits, and stay within them whenever they drink. A 6'2 90kg lad can (usually) handle a lot more drink than a 5'5 60kg girl can; yet whenever I'm out I can't help but notice that people who clearly can't handle their drink as well as others, try to drink as much as them. This leads to the rotten scenes on the streets on any given night because they either don't know their limits or they do know but don't care. Educating people that falling all over the place, vomiting repeatedly on the ground and generally acting like a tosser is not ok when you drink, should be the main focus of any of these campaigns.

Rounds are what encourage people to drink at a rate they shouldn't. That's a big problem, IMO.

Schwiiing · 08-03-2015 06:08PM

Michelle Tangy Doorbell wrote: »

Damn right, I gave up going out sober about 10 years ago after trying it a handful of times. It's basically watching other people have fun and missing out on all the craic. If for some very rare reason I can't drink I just stay at home.

Why can't you have the craic sober? I can do it on the rare occasion it's necessary, weddings etc. I can sing and head out dancing. But there is always some twat who will give me abuse for being sober.

bodhrandude · 08-03-2015 06:10PM

Let their livers decide for them they have to learn the hard way. Leaving Las Vegas with Nicholas Cage, every alcohol dabbler should see this movie, its a wake up call to when you have gone so far over the line as regards drinking alcohol.

sweetie · 08-03-2015 06:11PM

paddy's day in Dublin city centre is a scary sight

Ted_YNWA · 08-03-2015 06:11PM

Michelle Tangy Doorbell wrote: »

Damn right, I gave up going out sober about 10 years ago after trying it a handful of times. It's basically watching other people have fun and missing out on all the craic. If for some very rare reason I can't drink I just stay at home.

I don't get people problem with the drinking culture. Those of us who want to be part of it week in week out enjoy it and don't want it curtailed. Those who complain and don't partake are not involved so why not just leave the rest to enjoy it.

You can have fun & partake in the craic while not drinking as well.

08-03-2015 06:11PM

Schwiiing wrote: »

Why can't you have the craic sober? I can do it on the rare occasion it's necessary, weddings etc. I can sing and head out dancing. But there is always some twat who will give me abuse for being sober.

Because not drinking takes away a major part of going out and it's just not enjoyable without it or the feeling given by the alcohol.

conorh91 · 08-03-2015 06:12PM

darkpagandeath wrote: »

I have already covered that, Lower the price massively. We are being gouged here for alcohol. second highest price in the EU, I mean Jesus you can go to another EU state and purchase alcohol that's made here exported and sold at a fraction of the price.

I'm guessing alcohol doesn't cause the same drain on their health services and their criminal justice systems as it does here. We're a tiny country, and alcohol abuse costs us over 3 billion euro per annum.

Part of the reason alcohol is so expensive in Ireland is because of excise duty. I'm not in favour of lower excise duty, because I believe if alcohol abuse is costing the State that much money, then it is we the consumers of alcohol who should pay. It's a blunt instrument, but it's the fairest one available.

Ted_YNWA · 08-03-2015 06:15PM

conorh91 wrote: »

I'm guessing alcohol doesn't cause the same drain on their health services and their criminal justice systems as it does here. We're a tiny country, and alcohol abuse costs us over 3 billion euro per annum.

Part of the reason alcohol is so expensive in Ireland is because of excise duty. I'm not in favour of lower excise duty, because I believe if alcohol abuse is costing the State that much money, then it is we the consumers of alcohol who should pay. It's a blunt instrument, but it's the fairest one available.

How do they actually quantify the cost to economy.

Guards & hospital staff need to be paid regardless.

martingriff · 08-03-2015 06:15PM

Michelle Tangy Doorbell wrote: »

Damn right, I gave up going out sober about 10 years ago after trying it a handful of times. It's basically watching other people have fun and missing out on all the craic. If for some very rare reason I can't drink I just stay at home.

I don't get people problem with the drinking culture. Those of us who want to be part of it week in week out enjoy it and don't want it curtailed. Those who complain and don't partake are not involved so why not just leave the rest to enjoy it.

I go out sober most night and have a great night. If you an't have a goodnight with people or listening to music without been drunk then something is wrong. I do drink sometimes its 4 or 5 but other times its just the 1.

Schwiiing · 08-03-2015 06:16PM

Michelle Tangy Doorbell wrote: »

Because not drinking takes away a major part of going out and it's just not enjoyable without it or the feeling given by the alcohol.

Then that's your problem. If you can't be in a social situation without a chemically altered personality I feel sorry for you.

martingriff · 08-03-2015 06:18PM

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

How do they actually quantify the cost to economy.

Guards & hospital staff need to be paid regardless.

The cost of keeping those people in jail/hospital maybe they will have to go to court. Medical bills for themselves or those they could hurt eg drunk driving crashes. Its not just the paying of the guards or hospital staff.

martingriff · 08-03-2015 06:20PM

Michelle Tangy Doorbell wrote: »

Because not drinking takes away a major part of going out and it's just not enjoyable without it or the feeling given by the alcohol.

You my friend have a problem if to enjoy yourself you have to drink/get drunk

hatrickpatrick · 08-03-2015 06:24PM

Raise young people with fewer inhibitions, and they won't feel the need to use mind altering substances to rid themselves of those inhibitions.
I wish I didn't have to have a few drinks on board to feel confident. But from what I've seen, this is something which is set in stone during childhood and is almost impossible to change later on. Ask most young people why they want to get locked and they'll tell you it's because they don't find chatting up members of the opposite sex as mortifying if they're piddly eyed.

I consistently fail to understand why this root cause of the desire to get locked is almost never raised in the public discussion around booze. Ireland has an absolutely horrible level of social and sexual repression, one which only becomes apparent once you've spent some time in another country with people who don't have that repression.

gctest50 · 08-03-2015 06:25PM

Schwiiing wrote: »

Then that's your problem. If you can't be in a social situation without a chemically altered personality I feel sorry for you.

were just big bags of chemicals anyway though ? and everyones different

eg : not enough/too much whatever in your brain and you've add

hatrickpatrick · 08-03-2015 06:26PM

Schwiiing wrote: »

Then that's your problem. If you can't be in a social situation without a chemically altered personality I feel sorry for you.

It's society's problem. We don't do nearly enough to instill confidence in young people.

YFlyer · 08-03-2015 06:27PM

€18 for 3 double vodkas and redbull is a bargain.

Ted_YNWA · 08-03-2015 06:28PM

martingriff wrote: »

The cost of keeping those people in jail/hospital maybe they will have to go to court. Medical bills for themselves or those they could hurt eg drunk driving crashes. Its not just the paying of the guards or hospital staff.

They must include public & private sector costs.

Can't see it costing the exchequer 3bn over normal day-to-day spend.

Stop out of control drinking

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