I recently ran a poll about how many pints people drank in the pub per week. Tandleman is doing one on bottled beers at home which nicely compliments this one. Perhaps total units per week of alcohol would be next.Anyway, interesting results. Most importantly lets try and convert to units. Assume 2.2 units per pint which is just under 4%. Yes I know some will drink weeker beer, but others, like me, also like stronger stuff.
I've rounded and adjusted figures a little as going on the original question left holes like twelve and a half pints per week. Perhaps not completely scientific, but hey, it's just for fun anyway.
Percentage of polled by units of alcohol
2% zero
25% <12
34% 12-27
14% 27-45
20% 45-88
0% > 88
Interesting? Well it looks like more than 50% of you are below the government recommended maximum anyway. Some drink no beer in a pub, it would be interesting to know why you read my blog. That's not a complaint though, I like people reading my blog, whoever you are.
If you drink more than 8 units a day or 50 units a week then you are at high risk, according to the NHS. oops, that's me then.
Personally I think it has a lot to do with overall lifestyle. If you smoke, always eat greasy fried processed food, eat very little in the way of vegetables and fruit and don't exercise then this level of alcohol is probably going to contribute to an early death. But that's your choice, be happy if it is. It could be argued that not drinking or smoking or eating unhealthy food makes for a long and miserable existence.
If you eat a reasonably balanced diet, exercise a little and try not to smoke you will probably get away with 50 units a week. I hope so cause that's about where I am.
Of course I didn't specify pints of beer in my question. Did everybody assume I meant beer? Also it doesn't include drinking at home. Do people really do that?
6 comments:
Interesting results. I don't have the luxury of living near a pub which is even remotely worth visiting and the closest is 10 minutes drive away. I generally go out drinking once a week, only sometimes will I go more than that. Most of my drinking is out of the bottle and at home. I'm working on moving nearer a great pub though, it's right near the top of my list of priorities!
Possibly it's significant that, on a blog which is presumably mainly read by people who are a lot more interested in pubs than the average, about two-thirds said they drank 12 pints or fewer in the pub in a typical week.
Everyone lies about their drinking. It's a reflex. I'd take it with a pinch of salt and probably why they set the drinking units so low.
I think Mark's on to something here - not everyone lives near a good pub and the readers of this blog are likely to be discerning, so they may decide the pub's not for them.
Others have families and whatnot - they're hardly likely to be out painting the town red more than twice a week.
On top of that, pubs are increasingly just one facet of social life. For example, and I've said this before - most of my fellow 20-somethings do not treat the pub as, perhaps, I do. They don't know the name of the landlord, or build rapport with a set of regulars (some *do* of course, but not most). They are not going to be in the pub every night - they have friends over, go bowling, take in a film, eat out at a restaurant, blog, go to the gym, etc. And, as has been said many times before, the home itself is an ever more enticing place to be, with on demand TV and internet stuff.
So I'd guess your straw poll is more or less right. Even as someone who adores pubs enough to spill forth my views via my own blog, I think it unlikely I ever hit 12 pints in a pub in a week.
I belong to a brewing group and brew my own beer using all grain, so I put no pints in a pub in a normal week, I do however drink many at home from my shed, if you want to see my shed find my photo among the members of this blog. In my few visits, these days, to local pubs I just come to the conclusion that I can produce a superior product at home for a fraction of the price, I can do 5gal for the price of a few pints. I do still go to pubs when I can, but for one reason or another (kids) it is becoming rarer.
I am 23 I only go to the pub when they have the £1 a pint night (£1.50 for a decent pint + £1 for a shot to compliment it), other than that I must have about 24 cans of 4% lager(sorry camra members) a week. I think thats 48 units at home + 12 units at the pub. However I eat really healthy and run. so I should be safe.
To be fair to the comment further above me, I don't see why people would lie about how much they drink in a week. I personally feel ashamed when I open a can of lager at 11am on a saturday moring whilst in the bath, but i have made peace with that, almost. Happy Drinking!
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