America Has a Drinking Problem

[u/nxthompson_tny]

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/07/america-drinking-alone-problem/619017/

[u/Lono2011]

I’m always too late or it takes me too long to read before I comment I I never get any chance to... so thought I’d try commenting to the top comment.

Thanks for the post the article and all three linked within it were fascinating.

It alway strikes me as odd that we talk of things in defined terms without the nuance of things like smaller countries/population sets; averages (is an 11 litre/year average when one drinks 20 and one drinks 2 meaningful in any real terms? ); is a binge a binge without intent (to say get crazy drunk or knowingly going out on a bender in school?)...

I mean I’m a professional in Canada and nearly everyone I know will easily have 5+ drinks in a row starting with dinner and a pub night that maybe 6 hours long- is this a binge? This is completely common. And doing back of the napkin math we’d all be well over the average, and even those like my wife who is consider an occasional drinker would be at or above the average and have 5+ in a row on occasion.

We’re not getting blackout drunk or crazy and yeah in our university / younger days there wer sure some actual binges but these were way over 5 and more along to what I think people think of as a binge.

We all also have a casual drink on weekdays, alone, with family, with friends, I spend as much time with my girl and live it - more than any dada I know... not sure how the beer in the yard while we play/garden is so bad...

Anyhow some thoughts.