Why do young women in Britain drink themselves to oblivion?

[chimpkin]

Life is so fucked up you got to have the escape from reality cause it is fucked up .

I did that in my 20's...except that reality was still there the next day, now with added bad headache.

Besides that alcohol wasn't getting me far out enough, LSD was putting me to sleep :bugeye:, and wacky-tobaccy would lead me to flunk a pee test.

Not doing the harder stuff, I'm too much of a control freak.

 

[Me-Ki-Gal]

OK, so let's instead start with some facts:

That's age vs number of people at that age. Note the end of the bulge,.... this data was 2008. You'll notice a steady INCREASE in population (with one spike) up to the age 40, when things start to decline.

So what does this mean? That businesses geared up and catered for that peak demographic,... so when I was twenty, still the peak demographic, there were lots of businesses targetting my demographic, same when I was 30, same now I'm 43.

What does this mean in reality? Well, one, there are fewer 20 year olds than 40 year olds, but if you were in the pub trade, and had a lot of pubs and bars to cater for all of my demographic, when we were pubbing every Friday and Saturday, and your market moves on, and shrinks, what you gonna do? You have fewer customers, but the same overhead... the law of elastic sales comes into play;

to create the same revenue, you have two choices,... charge more,.. or shift more product, so guess what they did? They made boozing a bit cheaper. More offers, more happy hours, generally kept prices as affordable as possible, so they shifted more product. But that means drunk customers.

Thanks to globalisation, offshoring, and imports, the cost of living went down, giving younger people more disposable cash, so more were able to afford nights out drinking.

Lastly, opening times changed. When I was in my 20's, night clubs closed at 02:00hrs. Now, pubs can open until then, nightclubs even later. We had a choice, go home when the pub closed at 23:00hrs, (22:30 when I first moved to the City I went to college at!) or PAY to go to a nightclub. But if you can stay in a pub drinking, you can spend that admission fee formerly spent on night club entry on yet more booze instead. So guess what? Nightclubs lower entry fees, and do more promotions on booze. A nightclub locally had a promotion for lager at £1 a pint. That's late 80's prices, same as when I was in my 20's, but with earnings suitably higher now.

So simply, people over indulge, because they have the means, motive, and opportunity. These things have eached subtly increased, and hence the binge culture. It's absolutely bugger all to do with drink driving.

I call it poor people food . Yeah way . I noticed it was cheaper to buy beer than food . Booze was made cheap ! Makes you wonder who is in charge ? Why would beer be cheaper ? It takes quite a bit to process . I been to plenty of breweries to see first hand what it takes . I also been to Proctor and Gambles Factory . So what ? Beer is poor people food . It was back in the first days of America too . When the mini Ice age was on beer was real popular. It is good food when it is all stout like and you eat it with a spoon . Bach Stout . Is that what you call the bottom of the barrel " Bach Beer " ?

I like other food too . So maybe the girls are getting in touch with there roots . There Heritage . Good old Beer Drinking days of the past when it was colder . Now it is Margarita-ville. Searching for my -- Lost shaker of salt . Some people claim there is a woman to blame and I know " Yeah its all her fault

 

[nietzschefan]

Can we get some more passed out girls in the street pictures? That was the best part of this thread.

 

[Ellie]

I call it poor people food . Yeah way . I noticed it was cheaper to buy beer than food . Booze was made cheap ! Makes you wonder who is in charge ? Why would beer be cheaper ?

Beer is a drink and typically fluids are cheaper than solid food. Than (then) again, i think an apple is cheaper than a beer.

 

[Captain Kremmen]

They may be slappers, but they have hearts of gold.
Here is one providing food for the pigeons next day.

Here's some Chicken Tikka Masala, little birdies

 

[Captain Kremmen]

As well as Chicken Tikka Masala, British people eat this when drunk.

Doner Kebab meat. It is put in Pitta bread,with some salad to make it healthy.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...b-contains-entire-days-calorie-allowance.html

What's it made of?
Bad question.
What's it not made of.

 

[Stoniphi]

Now THAT is one sexy lady! :barf:

 

[Captain Kremmen]

And she'll probably be snogging within five minutes.
Watch out for them chunky bits.

 

[domesticated om]

Not exactly what I think about Britain (the image that I have is a very elegant royal family, nice fashion with cute hats, drinking tea and eating biscuit in fine evenings, harry potter -p), and so on).

¿Qué Pasa?

I want to add some meaningful science related input to this thread, but my primary thought on the matter is how badly it makes me want to visit Britain.

 

[Anti-Flag]

What's it made of?
Bad question.
What's it not made of.

Pigeons, held together with bacteria and snot.

 

[Anti-Flag]

I agree that there are a large number of them. It wouldn't surprise me if this guy found (or saw) 1000 women doing this. But as a fraction of the 61 million people in the UK? It's probably pretty small.

Except that not all 61 million people are female, or of legal drinking age, or young....
As a percentage of the target group it is incredibly high.

I spent a fair amount of time in Ireland - in County Meath, Dublin and Belfast. And the Irish have a (deserved) reputation as being even heavier drinkers. The tiniest town has a pub, and you can't get out of any social gathering without being offered alcohol - and having people be shocked when you refuse.

But while I was there the very drunk (i.e. at the level depicted in this story) were always in a small minority, although far higher than you'd see here in the US.

It may depend where in Ireland you go, but I'm pretty sure Belfast and Dublin are well known for similar outrageous drunken behaviour - or maybe there's less tolerance of it, either culturally or lawfully.

Agreed. But binge drinking does also not equate to people who "pass out in the gutter, have unprotected sex with total strangers, pee in the middle of the street" etc. One current definition of binge drinking is more than five drinks at one sitting, and I hit that pretty regularly in college. Another is any time you hit a BAC of over 0.08%, and that's two or three drinks. I hit that even more regularly in college. I never passed out in the gutter, had unprotected sex or peed in the middle of the street.

So you knew how to stop before getting too far. The vast majority of young people have no idea, and seemingly use that as an excuse for loutish behaviour - which again I don't understand as like you I have never lost my inhibitions in such a way. It suggests there's probably an underlying dysfunctional desire to behave that way.

People who do those things because they are uncontrollably drunk - and do it every weekend - are pretty close to the definition of alcoholic, which is a compulsive drinker whose drinking causes them serious health, social and/or personal problems. And that's a disease that, unfortunately, has no easy cure.

Then there are a lot of alcoholics in the world.
Even your own binge drinking could have damaged your health, and that's a rather common thing here too, even if they don't reach the level of rutting behind the bins like animals.
There's obviously a massive cultural dysfunction. :shrug:

 

[Cifo]

They may be slappers, but they have hearts of gold.

Slappers? :shrug:

As a percentage of the target group it is incredibly high.

Especially compared to stats from similar countries (EU, US, Canada, etc ... uh, but what about Australia?)

 

[Anti-Flag]

Slappers? :shrug:

Tarts, slags, sluts.... Geordies, Essex girls....

Especially compared to stats from similar countries (EU, US, Canada, etc ... uh, but what about Australia?)

Not sure about Australia, but they often seem more relaxed so it's hard to imagine too many drunken nights for the locals, and besides Aussies are bred for barwork, so no drinking on duty.

 

[billvon]

It may depend where in Ireland you go, but I'm pretty sure Belfast and Dublin are well known for similar outrageous drunken behaviour

That's what I'm saying. They are well known for that. But actually go out on the street and you see maybe 1 in 50 people behaving like that. The rest just go about their business.

It's like seeing a report on homosexuality and assuming that almost everyone in San Francisco is gay. And it sure looks that way. Every picture you see in those reports is of a gay pride parade or the Folsom Street Fair or something. And it has the highest percentage of homosexuals in the US! The highest!

And yet the population is only 15% homosexual.

Why isn't that emphasized in media reports on homosexuality in San Francisco? Why don't they spend 85% of their time reporting on the straight people and 15% of their time reporting on gays? Because that doesn't sell airtime.

Then there are a lot of alcoholics in the world.

Unfortunately true.

There's obviously a massive cultural dysfunction. :shrug:

I guess we may disagree on the definition of "massive."

 

[Me-Ki-Gal]

No the whole world is dysfunctional . Sometimes I think I am the only one that is not . How could that be ? Course plenty of people think I am dysfunctional so there you go . A dysfunctional species. What the fuck anyway . We live . We do our best . What else is there ? 18 pages of paper work so it can be documented, other wise we got no idea you did anything but suck your thumb and scratch your crotch.
Now how much of it is bogus ? That be the real question. Cooked to impress . The story sensationalized . Giving value to the story !

What were we talking about . I seem to be going on "mission drift"
I like those British girls . They should party in the U.S.A. We could show em some real fun on the river and that excitement would ween them off so much booze cause they be having so much excitement they forget to take a drink . It be like let Me set Me beer down first and then oH fUCk !!!! Hold the horses !!! Slow down !!No !!!!!! Shit I can't believe I lived ! Lets do it again . Ask Crackle she will tell you . You can't tame a wild river . You can conform to it if you want to live . Many people have drown in the river . You fight the river and that chance exists . "Brandons wave" is a created wave in Missoula.
I know his Dad . His Dad is a doctor . We call him Dr. Dave . He is one of the Great ones . Married to Me Pamela ( Ginger , Watch out , Ginger Alert !! )
Brandon died on the river . Not Missoula . It was South America I think . The wave is named after Brandon . He lived Life . Adventure sports was his life . I didn't know him , but his friends are golden and his Dad is Golden . They are in there 30 something , Pushing 40 ( His friends not his Dad stupid ) They are golden people . Some came from Portland , some from Boulder. Places like that . There hearts are for the world . Nothing gets them down ( Well some bullshit fucked up shit does , but besides that , bullet proof ) The point is those girls would love it and the music scene , Unbelievable !!!! Night life !! You got to be kidding Me . Vacation extraordinaire. They will have to rest up for a year from the adventurous of a life time crammed into there little vacation time . A very tight tight little space crammed with huge huge big things . I don't know if it would fit . It might be to small of time

 

[kira]

Can we get some more passed out girls in the street pictures? That was the best part of this thread.

They may be slappers, but they have hearts of gold.
Here is one providing food for the pigeons next day.

Here's some Chicken Tikka Masala, little birdies

Epic!

 

[Anti-Flag]

That's what I'm saying. They are well known for that. But actually go out on the street and you see maybe 1 in 50 people behaving like that. The rest just go about their business.

It's like seeing a report on homosexuality and assuming that almost everyone in San Francisco is gay. And it sure looks that way. Every picture you see in those reports is of a gay pride parade or the Folsom Street Fair or something. And it has the highest percentage of homosexuals in the US! The highest!

And yet the population is only 15% homosexual.

Why isn't that emphasized in media reports on homosexuality in San Francisco? Why don't they spend 85% of their time reporting on the straight people and 15% of their time reporting on gays? Because that doesn't sell airtime.

Not at all, I'm saying the Irish are no more a nation of drunkards than the rest of the British Isles, and it depends which town centre you are paying a visit to and just how long you're sticking around. Just because a few are sober one night, doesn't meant they aren't getting ratarsed the next. :shrug:
It probably depends whether you're listening to media, or checking surveys, making observations and going by people you've actually met. I can't say I've ever met anyone who is usually sensible with their drink on a night out. They've all been there, and most of them many times - and that's just the ones that talk about it, often with no embarrassment at all.
It also depends whether you believe the media always lie or if sometimes they might be painting an accurate picture. Many surveys indicate increased drinking problems, social disorder, and alcohol consumption, particularly amongst women.

Unfortunately true.



I guess we may disagree on the definition of "massive."

So having all these "alcoholics" is not an indication of massive social dysfunction? Maybe it's just me, but a culture where the weekend is built around going out and getting mashed is just not right. :shrug:

 

[Orleander]

Maybe drinking themselves to oblivion is the only way they can have sex with British men.

 

[nietzschefan]

He's Canadian, and Yes.

 

[billvon]

True. But if you regularly see only 2% of the people out there really drunk, odds are most people spend most of their time not drunk.

I can't say I've ever met anyone who is usually sensible with their drink on a night out.

Really? Wow, I must live in a different environment than you do. I can think of maybe two friends of mine who are NOT usually sensible with alcohol.

So having all these "alcoholics" is not an indication of massive social dysfunction?

Social dysfunction? While alcoholism in most countries is a pretty serious problem, I think that "social causes" are only one of the several underlying causes. (Others are genetic predisposition, familial influence, situational effects etc.)

I mean, is smoking an indication of "social dysfunction?"

Maybe it's just me, but a culture where the weekend is built around going out and getting mashed is just not right. :shrug:

I agree - but again, I have noticed that is the exception, not the rule.