http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15265317

I would like to see a complete change of focus, with all alcohol-education and awareness campaigns designed specifically to challenge these beliefs – to get across the message that a) alcohol does not cause disinhibition (aggressive, sexual or otherwise) and that b) even when you are drunk, you are in control of and have total responsibility for your actions and behaviour.

Anyone seen this? Having spent a good 10 years going out on the town at least once a week, I have never heard such a load of BS.

You try telling the person slumped in a pile of their own sick unable to walk straight that they are in full control of their actions and behaviour!

Go out on a pay-day Saturday night and see some of the reality love!

I believe it. They did tests to show you can sober yourself up in minutes if you need to.

My drinking is well and truly under control. Self discpline is key.

I know that when I’m lying on the floor in a starburst of my own vomit, there’s only room for a couple more pints before I start on the shorts.

I firmly believe that alot of the behaviour is to do with accepted social conventions, as Fox says. Some people have been conditioned to believe that you behave a certain way when drunk, and therefore they often conform to this.

The peer groups people surround themselves with has a hell of a lot to do with it.

Seems perfectly plausible.

What Mikey74 said

i recomend reading the article in full as it makes some good points about how culture affects behaviour when drinkling.

i recomend reading the article in full as it makes some good points about how culture affects behaviour when drinkling.

agreed.

picking one one sentence in the whole article to rubbish is is a little unfair, especially when “even when you are drunk, you are in control of and have total responsibility for your actions and behaviour.” is kinda true 😛 i’ve never cheated on a partner despite many offers when i’ve been severely intoxicated, cos i’m still able to make a choice 🙂

Did you read the article before posting?
The point was that aggresiveness abnd sexual promiscuity are seen as normalised behaviour when under the influence of alcohol, so that’s the way people behave when they drink. This was backed up by
a – the placebo effect mentioned in the article, and
b – the differences between “ambivelant” and “integrated” drinking cultures, and particularly that “integrated” drinking cultures have a higher pro rata spend on alcohol but fewwer of the discussed problems.

The point, and I thought it was a good one, was that we can start treating some of the problems caused by alcohol, especially amongst yourng people by not demonising and trying to educate people into mature attitudes toward alcohol, the way the drinkaware website doesn’t. After all demonising anything, booze, fags, fast cars, just makes it cool to the kids, as well as to those “adults” not capable of forming their own opinion.

I can’t comment on the bit about people lying puddles of their own vomit becasue I don’t frequent that type of establishment.

Go out on a pay-day Saturday night and see some of the reality love!

She doesnt deny drunk people fight/shout/shag.

She’s saying it’s a British thing. Compared to a lot of countries we drink less but have more anti social behaviour commited by drunk people. The difference isn’t the alcohol, its the attitude towards it. There’s studys of people being given alcohol free beer (and told its not), they then go onto get “drunk”, fight, shout etc untill they are told it’s alcohol free, at which point they get a bit sheepish.

They did tests to show you can sober yourself up in minutes if you need to.

I empirically confirmed this by breaking my ankle when plastered, I’ve never sobered up so fast in my life.

When we were kids we would share a can of lager then all act drunk, as that was what we thought we should do. It didn’t seem weird at the time to all be giggly and aggressive off a few sips of Skol.

People sober up really fast when the strimmer hits the cat poo. I’ve always thought of alcohol as a personality magnifier, rather than a disinhibiter. when i’m sober I tell boring stories, like sex, want to eat bad food and get grumpy. same as when im drunk, only when im drunk im louder!

i blame thatcher

Yeah I did read it. Its just too broad a brush, you can’t deny alcohol makes people act outside of their sober parameters. I’ve never been in a fight but I’ve been attracted to girls I wouldn’t normally find attractive, and it is nothing to do with society telling me I should snog mingers when I have been drinking. I’ve seen alcohol turn very sensible intelligent people into foaming at the mouth lunatics who end up breaking bones, I don’t think they were doing it because they feel that is what they should do when drunk.

I guess a lot of the meatheads who are out and do end up in fights etc feel that is what they should do, but I really hope and don’t believe that is the majority.

I know that when I’m lying on the floor in a starburst of my own vomit, there’s only room for a couple more pints before I start on the shorts.

noice!

I reckon alcohol has an effect on (dis)inhibition but you’d be pretty stupid to imagine that there are no other factors capable of interacting with the workings of a fairly complex organ – placebo, conditioning, underlying mood, whatever. Denying that there’s any effect seems an unnecessarily contrary standpoint

Any studies of people being fed stella but told it’s a new alcohol-free lager ?? (ING*ATS)

*Googling

Addit:
UK seems to me a fairly nasty aggressive place anyway – try looking at someone the wrong way at 10am when they’re sober and plenty will start off with the aggression. IF that’s true, then it’s arguably just that we become more nasty (as the received wisdom might suggest) rather than departing from our normal gentle and loving nature to fill each other in once we’re pissed

I’ve always thought of alcohol as a personality magnifier, rather than a disinhibiter.

I think alcohol removes the conscience chip; it doesn’t mean you’d behave out of character. The sorts of people who think a good night out is a gallon of Stella and a glassing were aggressive thugs before they were drunk.

I’ve been far too drunk on far too many occasions, yet somehow I’ve managed to avoid bottling someone, getting someone pregnant, copping off with a bloke, or being arrested. Wonder why that is? Ah, yes, it’s because I’m not a sociopath to start with.

If it doesn’t cause disinhibition… then I’ve wasted a lot of money on drinks for women when I was younger… 🙁

But yes – the issue is that being drunk is not an excuse to behave badly.

I’ve been far too drunk on far too many occasions, yet somehow I’ve managed to avoid bottling someone, getting someone pregnant, copping off with a bloke, or being arrested. Wonder why that is? Ah, yes, it’s because I’m not a sociopath to start with.

Or not very attractive, sorry could not resist 🙂

I’ve been far too drunk on far too many occasions, yet somehow I’ve managed to avoid bottling someone, getting someone pregnant, copping off with a bloke, or being arrested. Wonder why that is? Ah, yes, it’s because I’m not a sociopath to start with.

😀

I’ve seen alcohol turn very sensible intelligent people into foaming at the mouth lunatics who end up breaking bones,

if some of the people i look after are anything to go by…. being sensible and intelligent doesnt mean that deep down you’re not a violent chap repressing some deep-seated issues that are harder to keep a lid on when intoxicated.

personally i think she makes some good points, but i do believe (and hopefully this is where i successfully point out i’m not arguing with you or trying to be difficult) she’s written it in a way that will provoke a response, and hopefully further discussion 🙂

In the spirit of it all I will now drink a bottle of vodka and re-read the article and get back you.

if some of the people i look after are anything to go by…. being sensible and intelligent doesnt mean that deep down you’re not a violent chap repressing some deep-seated issues that are harder to keep a lid on when intoxicated.

I was meaning breaking bones in the way of falling off walls/trying to climb buildings/play didgerdoo on a scaffold pole and remove front teeth style, rather than violence.

In Vino Veritas.

It’s actually my motto. 😀

Well, actually it should be In Beero Veritas really not a big whine drinker.

Yeah I did read it. Its just too broad a brush,

Funny then that you chose one sentance to start off your litle rantette.

I think alcohol removes the conscience chip

I think we live in a society where just not taking reponsibiity for your actions is ssen as a norm – Not my fault, I know my rights, etc, etc. We still have some idea whet is and isn’t acceptable, oh, no fekkit, i’ve had a half of shandy it’s the alcohol talking. Alcohol allows you to cast the cape of resonsibility aside because everyone knows thats what alcohol does to you anyway, and the impaired judgement that comes free with every glass just encourages you to think that way

I was meaning breaking bones in the way of falling off walls/trying to climb buildings/play didgerdoo on a scaffold pole and remove front teeth style, rather than violence.

Reading back i can see how that makes perfect sense, it was my interpretation of your words that was wrong 😳 apologies for that!

we’re both correct though, pass me the vodka 😀

Interesting article. I’ll try it out at the weekend 😆

No fighting in pubs this time please Emsz. 😐

But yes – the issue is that being drunk is not an excuse to behave badly

is it? i thought the issue was that we think being drunk is a reason to behave badly so that’s why we do it. typical human behaviour is that which meets the expected norms of the situation. see solomon ashe’s conformity experiments

God, I hope so. LOL

Might opt for quiet night in with wine instead.

Interesting article. I’ll try it out at the weekend

I know your sort, half a bag of wine gums and you’re off punching poor defenceless people in the fist with your chest.

*reminds self to stay away from STW when pissed*

*I* wasn’t fighting, I was just standing there admiring my GF’s arse while she was at the bar, all hell breaks loose at the other end because some random was pissed and took offence at some other random, and it all kicked off, and some-one pushed (he reckons, felt like a punch to me) me in the tit when I didn’t move out of the way quick enough.

I’m aware that it sounds like I drink in some Shameless copy pub, can I just add we was at Tash’s local, not mine!!

Brit’s just love getting pissed, stamping on heads, pissing in the street and shagging in doorways.

Do I get a prize for my thesis?

PhD from Witherspoons

*reminds self to stay away from STW when pissed*

Oh no please don’t; your intervention was fantastic. Perfect timing. 😀

Glad you weren’t seriously hurt though. Pub fights can be proper nasty. I’ve seen too many, and never want to be involved in another. Things can escalate so quickly, and there’s too much glass about.

I’m aware that it sounds like I drink in some Shameless copy pub

There’s a place just like that near me. I have never bin in there, and probbly never will. It’s proper grim.

Funny then that you chose one sentance to start off your litle rantette.

Well she put her message that she wants to get across into once sentence, so I quoted it. I could repunctuate so it is in two sentences perhaps.