You Can't Make It Up, Covid And Alcohol...

[Paigntonian]

According to the front page of the Sunday Times, a record number of people have been drinking more than five bottles of wine a week because of Covid. But the proportion of people NOT drinking has risen from 34.7% to 41.3%. The headline says 'we're drinking 50% more than in the first lockdown'. So that is simply not true. And, even funnier, if anyone thinks that people, when asked about their alcohol consumption, tells the truth they must be an idiot. So, all in all,how bloody stupid.

[KARL]

"...if anyone thinks that people, when asked about their alcohol consumption, tells the truth..." It is interesting that there seem to be increasing numbers of people who admit to not drinking - surprises me. How un-macho and, more, un-British.

[emmie]

i like to drink with friends, have a store of wine but no one to drink it with, so will sit there till there is

[Paigntonian]

Why would you 'admit' to not drinking. Hardly a crime and probably a good thing.

[emmie]

i like company when out for a drink same as at home.

[emmie]

it wouldnt surprise me if people were drinking more. to be honest

[Paigntonian]

To stress - whether it's alcohol consumption or Brexit, many people don't tell the truth.

[barry1010]

I know quite a few people in their early 20s who choose not to drink alcohol. For some, it's because they don't want photos of themselves looking 'worse for wear' on instagram (not just for the sake of vanity but it could affect their employment opportunities) but for others it's a health and lifestyle choice.

[bednobs]

"you can't make it up" but apparently you can

[archibaldy]

// people NOT drinking has risen from 34.7% to 41.3% // The headline says 'we're drinking 50% more than in the first lockdown'. So that is simply not true//

I can't comment if the numbers are true, but what those sentences mean is that the people that ARE drinking, are consuming 50% more alcohol than in the last lockdown.

[Mamyalynne]

I think I'm drinking someone else's share.

[shoota]

I can't remember when I last had a 'drink', with the exception of a tiny sniff of sloe gin at the last shoot, it has been a very long time.
Probably September when it was son 2's birthday (2 x bitter shandy's) thinking about it...

[237SJ]

When my friend's husband who worked in the City went to his doctor and the doc asked him how much he drank per week he decided to halve the amount. The Doctor said "I don't believe you, nobody can drink that much"

[fender62]

wine..what about beer, probably twice as much.

[Sunk]

// a record number of people have been drinking more than five bottles of wine a week because of Covid. //

We are British. We drink Beer and Ale (and the maidens sometimes Cider). 5 fooking bottles of white? They must have only polled southern jessies.

Talk about being selective with statistics. The writer of this piece obviously has no idea about what the British public drink. The very vast majority are NOT drink wine.

[fender62]

Sunk, i agree and i assume refreshing spritzers in the afternoon lol
dont drink wine myself, tastes like vinegar to me...but whatever gets
through the night, it's alright it's alright.

[THECORBYLOON]

The article also speaks about more folk drinking over fifty units of alcohol. As a 750ml bottle of wine at 13.5% ABV is the same as ten units, fifty units equates to five bottles of wine.

Not having seen the questions asked in the survey, it might be the "five bottles of wine" is being used as a comparison rather than what folk are actually drinking.

[jno]

as archibaldy says, the maths seems fine. More people aren't drinking at all (pub closures would account for that); but of those who are, presumably at home, more are now drinking five bottles a week than used to do so. Fewer people are drinking, but the drinkers are drinking a lot more.

Whether the actual stats are correct I don't know, but there needn't be any internal contradiction in the claims.

[emmie]

all i know is because pubs are shut, its winter i am drinking much less. i really prefer company if i do. My sil drinks wine, but not 5 bottles a week, it would mean she wouldn't get anything done. My brother drinks stongbow, but always has or perhaps the odd gin and tonic