Binge drinking, an activity once confined to college students and the characters on TV's Mad Men, is a growing trend in the lives of a different group: Baby Boomers. That's right, government data shows that "23 percent of men between the ages of 50 and 64 admitted to binge drinking in the past month, as did roughly 9 percent of women." (The definition here for binging is five or more drinks on one occasion in the period of a month, which, you know, really?) Boomers blame their troublesome tippling on the stress of having growing children and elderly parents and mortgages and debt and concerns about the future-a condition some experts refer to as "life"-but there's another possibility: People like to drink. And they can. So they do. Something to think about.
Monday, August 17, 2009
16
"five or more drinks on one occasion" pretty much describes every Sunday I've had since, like, 1997.
I know, I felt a little guilty. Then I had another Tom Collins and it was fine.
But is there still another category like "Really Gross and Sloppy Nuclear-Level Binging," so I'll be able to feel better about myself after the next several rounds?
I wonder how many people who drink actually follow the public health community's recommendation of no more than 1-2 drinks per day. I mean, what fun is that?
I'm pretty sure they are using the 1 drink = 1 shot metric. So this 5 drinks they consider a binge is really more like 2.5 drinks in a bar. We are always already binge drinking!
I was going to protest but then remembered that I drink my G&Ts from a pint glass. So never mind.
I think it's time to move the goal posts on this one.
If I drink enough, the goal posts seem to move on their own.
This is hilarious because, pretty much if you read the news for the last nine months, the following things all cause increases in binge drinking: being a British youth; the recession; mid-life crises; post-millenial 21st century ennui; ingrown nails; being a teen GLBT person; freshman and sophomore years of college; &c.
So yeah, I'll take a pint of Hoegarten and a shot of J.D.? And keep them coming every 12 minutes, please.
Does it count as 'a drink' if its just liquor on ice? I mean, it seems like it should have to at least have a little soda water to qualify.
That Reuters link made me thirsty.
In related news: liquor stores exist for a reason.
Wait, I don't get the last vignette: she drank two glasses of wine a night? For several years? That's not binging. That's just commitment.
Damn, I'm thirshty. Who the fuck getsh to define a boozbinj anyway? Ffffffffffffuck I use a really BIG glash, and my drinksh have more than one type of booze anyway, showhut. They alsho have lime joosh, mint, and shum other frooty shit and tonic water, thatsh good for ya. Sho ssshhhtick that in your booze... binge... balancing... thing and shmoke it or whatever. Jaysush Kraisht, if they'd let me drink more often there wouldn't be bingesh, now would it?
sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You're disturbing the other commenters.
Thank you. I'm so glad this place hired you. I was trying to enjoy my Twelfth Scotch, like that Shakespeare play, and that wicked, handsome monkey was reminding me of Drunken Emails I Have Sent. Disquieting!