# How much do you drink? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [April 6, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277 "2023-04-06T22:03:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/41 "2023-04-07T02:57:10Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > 4 in one session as the bar for getting drunk? What? 4 spaced out in an evening and the average person would still be legal to drive. Yep. I only drink Saturday nights and as the designated driver have about 3-4 beers over 4 hours. Fine to drive and never have a hangover. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/42 "2023-04-07T03:10:39Z")
Although I enjoyed the taste of a good beer, wine, or whiskey, I never was much of a drinker. So it was no big deal when 20+ years ago my doctor advised me that alcohol would not play well with my medications, and I’d be better off not drinking at all. On rare occasions I’ll take a tiny taste of something everyone else is raving about, but otherwise I don’t drink at all and don’t miss it. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/43 "2023-04-07T03:56:09Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I have to admit that I am surprised by how little the respondents here, in CS, where we have multiple threads and various sorts of alcoholic beverages, drink. Probably has a lot to do with our age demographic. We have plenty that admit to 1-2 glasses of wine a day, and a few that cut loose on the weekends. But a lot fewer binge drinkers (although several admit to problems in the past). But most of our booze threads tend to have an emphasis of quality over quantity. If we had a number of, say 21-30 year olds, I bet the numbers would look quite different. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/44 "2023-04-07T04:06:09Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > If we had a number of, say 21-30 year olds, I bet the numbers would look quite different. I wonder if this poster is in that range, given that they’re defending “5 or more drinks… in about 2 hours”: > [@Sitnam](#): > > For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about 2 hours… > > In order to feel the affects of alcohol according to these people that person ‘binged’? > > Nope. Perhaps it is because I am from Wisconsin, but that is absurd. Saw my neighbor pick up a 12 pack of Natty Ice so he is definitely an alcoholic. Well, if he has no friends and is slamming that entire 12-pack “to feel the affects of alcohol”, then maybe. As a fellow Wisconsinite, I’ll admit that we have a skewed view of drinking. Kids can drink as youngsters if with their parents in a bar (thanks, Tavern League lobbyists!) and by the time we’re high school or college students, our tolerances are higher than normal mortals. And so many UW students do binge drink (even on weeknights) just to “feel the effects”. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/45 "2023-04-07T04:07:32Z")
I chose “None” and “Never.” I’ve been sober for 18 years. Before that, though, boy howdy. Way more than either poll had options for… 15-16 beers every night. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/46 "2023-04-07T04:14:41Z")
First and last options. I don’t drink on a regular basis but I enjoy getting drunk a couple times a year. I drink so little now that I could get drunk on just 4 drinks. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/47 "2023-04-07T05:15:13Z")
I’ll admit to being something of a lightweight nowadays, but even in my youth, 4 drinks in 2 hours would have made me look for someone else to drive (and back then, the legal limit was .10, not .08). If my stomach is being friendly, I can just about handle two glasses of wine with dinner, but my stomach and I are often not on friendly terms. The last time I actually got **drunk** drunk was sometime in the mid-2000’s at a weekend-long music festival with a large group of friends. I started drinking in the mid-afternoon and didn’t stop until late that night. It’s a wonder I didn’t vomit on anyone’s shoes, although I did embarrass myself in other ways, and the next day’s hangover was one for the books. Ever since then, if I drink enough to start feeling tipsy, there’s a switch in my brain that just clicks off any desire to drink more. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/48 "2023-04-07T08:05:43Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > Ever since then, if I drink enough to start feeling tipsy, there’s a switch in my brain that just clicks off any desire to drink more. I’ve got one of those, too, more or less. I like the taste of some alcoholic beverages and enjoy them, but I don’t enjoy feeling drunk, or even significantly “tipsy”. Apparently not everyone has one of these, judging by the blank stares and disbelief I get when talking about this. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/49 "2023-04-07T09:23:44Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > It’s none, now. Alcohol and I have some history. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Ditto. Back when I was a drinker, something like 30 drinks a week. And that’s before things spiraled out of control. Four drinks in a session might get me mildly buzzed, or even just feeling “normal.” > [@GESancMan](#): > > I chose “None” and “Never.” I’ve been sober for 18 years. Before that, though, boy howdy. Way more than either poll had options for… 15-16 beers every night. When I was at my worst, I’d drink 3 liters of wine a day. The first was just to reach ground floor, i.e. kill the shakes withdrawal created. So: None ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/50 "2023-04-07T09:47:31Z")
I typically drink 2 glasses of red wine or 2 shots of sipping rum in the evenings. Some evenings I drink 3, other evenings I drink none. I don’t enjoy being drunk, but a light buzz is a pleasant way to cap off the day. Never had a problem with it (well, maybe a little when I was young and stupid), but I monitor my liver enzymes just to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/51 "2023-04-07T10:05:35Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > After that laudenum, I could read the writing on the floor. I’m surprised you could read anything at that point. I technically fit into the “less than once a week” option in the new poll, but it’s even less than that selection implies. For me it’s maybe once or twice a year. mmm ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/52 "2023-04-07T12:01:12Z")
1-2 a month, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/53 "2023-04-07T12:45:24Z")
Every day, baby When the sun go down I get with my friends And I begin to clown I don’t care What the people are thinkin’ I ain’t drunk I’m just drinkin’ —-Albert Collins I have a few most evenings along with some cannabis. I’m in it for a good time, not a long time. Weekends I devote one day to landscaping/home repairs/etc. And Tuesdays are my day of atonement. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/54 "2023-04-07T13:31:38Z")
I might not have a hangover if I had 4 drinks in 4 hours - but I definitely wouldn’t be fine to drive and wouldn’t have been even in my 20s when I drank more often. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/55 "2023-04-07T13:37:24Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > I typically drink 2 glasses of red wine or 2 shots of sipping rum in the evenings. Some evenings I drink 3, other evenings I drink none. I don’t enjoy being drunk, but a light buzz is a pleasant way to cap off the day. Never had a problem with it (well, maybe a little when I was young and stupid), but I monitor my liver enzymes just to be sure. That’s not too far off my habit. Some days are zero, some 1, some 2, some 3, some 4 but spread out over several hours. There are several things I could do to be more healthy in my life. Changing this is not IMO the one with the most leverage. And it provides a certain enjoyment. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/56 "2023-04-07T13:43:39Z")
I went with three to seven a week. I’ll sometimes splash a couple of fingers of bourbon into a glass and sip on it a bit. This is only at the end of the night when there’s some TV to be watched and then bed to be enjoyed. No drunkenness, although I most recently made an exception on election night 2020. I don’t always have a bottle in the house, though. If I do have one, I’m probably going for something like six or seven times a week, but when the bottle’s gone, it might be two or three weeks before I restock. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/57 "2023-04-07T13:56:46Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > There are several things I could do to be more healthy in my life. Changing this is not IMO the one with the most leverage. And it provides a certain enjoyment. I know the op didn’t want to debate health stuff, but I’ve spent a lot of time reading recent meta-studies, and i think the real takeaway is that the curve is very flat until you get to heavy drinking, and then mortality shoots up. So my interpretation is that if your health (physical and mental) is okay, you should do what you enjoy doing. For me, that’s avoiding ever feeling a buzz, but drinking from time to time. For others, it’s drinking daily to get buzz. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/58 "2023-04-07T14:00:35Z")
I puked all over the Archbishop of the Diocese of Atlanta (or a representative) during my First Communion, effectively gave up alcohol then. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/59 "2023-04-07T14:02:35Z")
I have about one or two drinks per month, so I marked None in the survey (which really should have a “less than one per week” to separate rare drinkers from teetotalers). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277/60 "2023-04-07T14:03:37Z")
@JohnT two above … Yeah. No way to top that so time to quit. Just like Mark Spitz gave up swimming after his 7 golds. Always retire at the peak of your career, not after the inevitable decline. 😁 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-drink/982277.md?page=4)