Will I/you die of too much alcohol ?

[fifty5]

Mathematical BBC Radio 4 programme, More Or Less , yesterday had an item on drinking too much, inspired by 2 recent reports on drinking, 1 UK, 1 AUS.

The mathematical bit came in because of analysis in the UK report, which defined 2 levels of "too much", "hazardous" and "harmful". What Tim Harford, More Or Less presenter, was commenting upon was the point that almost all the media reported that it is middle-class, home counties drinking at home that tops the "hazardous" league table, and ignored the more serious "harmful" category, where poor Glaswegians etc. continue to do worst. "News-worthy-ness" continues (surprise to no-one) to concern editors far more than covering a whole story rationally.

Link via "richer, more detailed reporting seems to be less popular (with readers as well as editors?) than oversimplified sound-bites" to the Australian report, which does present detailed analysis, but still comes up with a very simple recommendation: drinking up to 1 unit (10gm) of alcohol per day has less than 1/100 chance of harm. (Less than 1 in 100 who follow this advice will die of alcohol related causes.)

There was also a link to the full, PDF-format report - inviting readers to assess their own risks.

So I did - and found that my alcohol risks seem to be at least 6 times higher.

But that means instead of being 99% likely to die of non-alcohol-related causes, I'm reducing that risk to only 94%!

Getting less flippant again, I - we all - are going to die. Aren't the most important questions: "Which way do you prefer to go?" and "How do you want to get there?"

I wish I could answer either of those. The only 'nice' deaths I've seen were the virtually painless lethal injections given to pets. Mind you, those are the only deaths I've actually seen...

Ho hum!

 

[Lisa Denton]

But that means instead of being 99% likely to die of non-alcohol-related causes, I'm reducing that risk to only 94%!

Ho hum!

Congratulations!! Have a drink on me.

I was just curious when I seen this thread if alcohol related causes of death include getting kilt by a drunk driver. Because then even though I don't drink my chances of dying a alcohol related death are still high as hell.

I have nothing against social drinking, and I heard once that a glass of wine a day is prolly more healthy than harmful, and I can believe that. In some instances when peoples ask what I want to drink and I say a coke or ice tea, I also say "but please, everbody else drink" sometimes they are more fun after 1 or 2.

If moderate to heavy drinkers would do so in a non-driving situation I have no problem with them getting totally plastered.

 

[cloudy]

Since I have a beer maybe two or three times a year, other than my chances of getting killed by a drunk driver, alcohol has zero impact on my life.

 

[elsol]

Best way to die:

Orgasm induced heart attack from a wet dream at the ripe age of having seen at least one grandchild graduate college.

 

[oggbashan]

Another best way to die:

After a special meal on your 80th birthday, surrounded by old friends who are all relaxing with good cognac and Cuban cigars, in the arms of your toy-boy.

Just rest your head back in your favourite armchair and drop off to sleep...

That's how one of my friends passed on.

Og

 

[fifty5]

Congratulations!! Have a drink on me.

Cheers Lisa!

I was just curious when I seen this thread if alcohol related causes of death include getting kilt by a drunk driver. Because then even though I don't drink my chances of dying a alcohol related death are still high as hell.

My bad. The report covers fatal accident and disease related to the corpse's prior consumption of alcohol.

I have nothing against social drinking, and I heard once that a glass of wine a day is prolly more healthy than harmful, and I can believe that. In some instances when peoples ask what I want to drink and I say a coke or ice tea, I also say "but please, everybody else drink" sometimes they are more fun after 1 or 2.

Bet on 2! I've seen in several sources (including this Australian report) that adult bodies break down about 1 unit (10gm) of alcohol per hour, which means that if you drink 1 unit per hour, you'll never, ever get more drunk than after the first.[/QUOTE]

If moderate to heavy drinkers would do so in a non-driving situation I have no problem with them getting totally plastered.

At a long party (8pm to 4am) I proved the truth of the above rule. By midnight, I'd had about 1/3 of a bottle of scotch (8 or 9 units), drove home at 4, got stopped, breathalised and passed. If you are going to drink & drive safely, you MUST count units and watch the clock. Trouble is that that can take more self control than not having any!

[/QUOTE] [/QUOTE]Why thank you, lady!

My underlying problem is that I don't know what I'm hanging about for any more.

Until earlier this year, I "knew" that if I wanted to do something, then all I needed was to make the decision and do it - e.g. taking on completely new careers at 53, then again at 58.

Now, I'm just as convinced that I can't, that I'm 'too old'. And worse still, I can't think of anything that I want enough to try.

I'm rarely badly depressed, just down, but it seems better to get so much licker inside me that when I stagger to bed, I know I'll be unconscious in moments, not just lying awake wondering what the hell?

And decaying in an old folks home seems a far worse prospect than liver failure.

 

[fifty5]

Another best way to die:

After a special meal on your 80th birthday, surrounded by old friends who are all relaxing with good cognac and Cuban cigars, in the arms of your toy-boy.

Just rest your head back in your favourite armchair and drop off to sleep...

That's how one of my friends passed on.

Og

Like elsol's, that sounds good, but both seem hard to plan and work for in advance. Drinking versus not drinking sound like plans for liver failure versus dementia and incontinence. Crossing busy roads without looking just after the bars close also strikes me as proactive, but not attractive - there's too much risk of becoming a cripple instead of a corpse.

 

[xssve]

Sorry to hear that, though the alcohol itself is probobly contributing to your depression. I'm hoping for a heart attack myself, painful but brief.

Buttered toast anyone?

 

[starrkers]

I say screw it and drink on.

My father-in-law was a heavy drinker and allergic to doctors. He spend the last year of his life needing care, due to mini-strokes. He was debilitated, could usually look after himself, but sometimes would leave the gas on in the kitchen and that kind of thing. He eventually moved into an aged hostel, where they did his laundry and housework and cooked for him but he could fill his days as he chose. He was finally carried off by a major stroke at the age of 76.

My father is a light drinker. He has a glass of beer before the evening meal and usually a glass of wine with it. He is 85. He went blind five years ago and issuffering prolonged chronic anaemia requiring regular blood transfusions. He has no energy to do anything, and can't see to do it anyway. He spends most of his days sitting in a chair, waiting to die and worrying how mum will cope without him (she's not well either).

Yeah, dad's lived longer than dad-in-law. But I don't think he's been any happier.

 

[fifty5]

I say screw it and drink on.

My father-in-law ...

My father ...

Yeah, dad's lived longer than dad-in-law. But I don't think he's been any happier.

My sympathy, starkers. Here are 2: 1 for each grave.

In fact you've touched on the essence there, if negatively. We - at least, definitely I - need something to look forward to. If there isn't anything, then the less the better: "It'll all be the same in a hundred years!"

By the way, don't get the impression I'm moping all the time. The worst is wasting entire days - from a diminishing pool - playing free-cell (and still not getting better than 90% first-time good, damn it!) A good book, or some real work that I can take pride in (I've recently found a bit) makes the day-times fine. It's lying in bed awake, with nothing to think about but the degradation before oblivion, that's my real horror. And the alcohol cures that...

 

[xssve]

Guess you haven't heard, STD's are rampant in those retirement homes, they apparently have the same attitude about sex as you do about alcohol, maybe I'll hold off on that heart attack.