Advert for Christmas on the tv the other day for a popular supermarket. Every person had a alcoholic drink in their hands.in the uk
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Here in the UK wine o’clock is aimed at mum’s, with the trend for Prosecco and Gin really taking off in the past few years. Looking at the Christmas gift selection in my local supermarket yesterday so many of the gifts for women had slogans on about Prosecco and Gin ( Let Christmas be Gin), cushions( Its Prosecco O’clock) and mugs ( may or may not contain Gin). The trend amongst teenagers here is to be teetotal so it does seem that the over 30’s are the biggest drinkers…
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I WORK in a culture of alcohol and substance abuse. Ironically, even though everyone is doing it, I have lost some professional credibility since the DUI. Sometimes I think the lack of respect is because I wasnt “smart enough” to get away with it. I’m put in an invisible box now. Like a special needs child in classroom of “regular” kids.
This is hilarious to me.
Sobriety will only make me BETTER at my job. Certainty better than many of my colleagues.
The alcoholic mindset is so pervasive in California.
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I think it has reached epidemic proportions… alcohol is promoted at every event and for every situation. To pull a paragraph out of This Naked Mind by Annie Grace (If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend)…
“How do we allow the advertising industry to spend more than two billion dollars to tell us (and our children) that ingesting an addictive substance that drastically shortens our lives, destroys our confidence, causes cancer, and is responsible for death, abuse, violence, suicide, and general unhappiness will make our lives better?”
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I agree that there is a WHOLE LOT more than it being just “commonly accepted”. I think it’s stress from the “you can have it all” bullshit. I think it’s “I’m just as good as any man and I can drink just as much without appologizing for it too”. I think it’s also “I’m so alone”. So many more reasons too. But those mommy juice memes are everywhere and it makes it seem like it is comletely normal. Heck I used to belong to a Facebook group called “OMG I so need a glass of wine or I’m going to sell my kids” and that was all it was. Sharing stories about how much our kids drove us nuts and how much we drank to deal with it.
Unfortunately it wasn’t long before I was drinking at home alone with the baby…no playdate needed.
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Agreed 
!
Uhh sonds like a toxic invironment. And you are probably right about stigma,you werent smart enough to get away with it. Cant be easy to work there everyday.
But I thought things like this was more acceptet among men?
In the UK it’s 24hrs for alcohol, it’s seen as socially acceptable to drink everyday, but not so acceptable to be drunk and violent.
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I hate the drinking culture in England. Finish work at 5pm out by 7pm, the bar closes at 2am so everyone smashes back what they can in those 6/7 hrs. Sure may be different now mind, havent drank here in a long time.
Living in ČR It was acceptable to drink for breakfast, lunch and dinner; land of beer that drinks more beer per capita than any other country.
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Since the legalization I’ve anecdotally noticed zero difference in cannabis use. I’m sure it increased, but it’s been de facto legal for so long (at least in BC) I’m pretty sure most people who would use cannabis were already using it.
Weird… heck you can even order your favourite products online from the government store and have it shipped to your house now. Talk about competing with the black market.
I also suspect that the availability of other drugs and the pressure to look a certain way are driving factors for declining alcohol use in younger age groups here in Canada too.
In Ontario you can ONLY get it online…for now
Ah ok. There are physical stores here too, government and licensed private ones. Supposedly just like liquor stores except that ID is checked at the door instead of at the register.
The government are only just realizing that there is a problem with alcohol in this country. I wasn’t considered to have a problem with drinking even after I self referred two years ago to the service im working with, initially I was rejected from the service, binge drinking twice to three times a week wasn’t seen as a problem, and I wasn’t drinking enough when I did drink. I only got in the service because of social care involvement. Messed up really
Relevant:
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I live in the UK and honestly “going to the pub” is basically the only social thing we do 
it’s boring.
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I’ve heard that a lot, it sounds so depressing! Going to a cafe as a group of 2-4 people is more my social wavelength (usually just one on one).
In the Netherlands it’s not allowed to buy alcohol if you are younger then 18. They also cannot buy it in café’s or so. But there are many parents who let there children drink at home. Even at age 14 or maybe younger. Alcohol is well embeded into our lives 
But it is started to change a little bit. People are more aware of the downsides of alcohol. It’s like the cigarette culture. 20 years ago a lot of Dutch people smoked and you could smoke everywere! I even had a teatcher who smoked during our lesson! Now you cannot smoke at public places. The even want to forbid it at a terras outside. I think alcohol has a long way to go, but I prelude (and hope!) it’s going the same way as the cigarettes. But it takes time!
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True story . People here get drunk before they go out to get even more drunk because it’s cheaper 
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My experience in the US is that it’s completely normal and shamed if you don’t drink. My work culture in particular is like this. I haven’t even told anyone at work I’ve stopped drinking yet because I don’t want to hear the shit - that I’ve shamefully said myself - said to me. You really are considered boring if you don’t drink.
Alcoholism is talked about openly, not like it’s a problem, but like it’s funny. I’ve said myself many times I’m an alcoholic and given examples and only gotten laughs and similar stories in return. Next even a slight sense of intervention or concern.
Most social situations, reality TV, places of entertainment, are alcohol centered. Also on the west coast here and the IPA epidemic is no joke. I was (am? It’s only my 5th day) part of that crowd. It’s “hand crafted” and has this and that much IBU. Really I just loved IPA’s for the high alcohol content. The taste grew on me, but I was in it for the buzz. It’s crazy how quickly I grew my tolerance with 7.5-9% beers.
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