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Old 10-14-2014, 05:03 PM
 
Location: Brisbane
5,037 posts, read 7,451,414 times
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For Australia

What estimated proportion of the adult population drinks? - Maybe 80% would drink at some stage

Is it socially acceptable to drink, and if so, how much? - Yes, how much depends on the occasion.

Is a bottle of wine or liquor a gift you would give to most anyone and assume that that's OK? - Yes

What social problems if any are associated with drinking and how bad are they? - We have big problems with Binge Drinkers, so you get fights etc as a result, though the number of car accidents from drinking is coming down

What are your alcohol and drinking laws and how strictly are they enforced? - 18 is the age, it is quite strictly enforced at pubs/clubs and bottle shops, which does not stop under-aged people from obtaining alcohol from their parents or friends over age.

When do young people typically start drinking (with and without parental permission)? 14-20, some maybe younger.

To dispel a couple of old Stereotypes that might be still around from the 1970's, Australia is per capita a mid ranking Alcohol consuming country among the OECD (and the same as the UK and Switzerland), and Alcohol consumption from beer has fallen quite dramatically over the last 40 years, in 2014 an Aussie will be just as likely to have a glass of wine as a beer.


List of countries by alcohol consumption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The rise of Australia as a wine nation
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Old 10-14-2014, 05:12 PM
 
Location: San Diego, California Republic
16,580 posts, read 27,294,048 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Back to NE View Post
This recent study surprised alot of people in the States. On the one hand almost half of Americans barely drink at all! (begging the question: how do they survive socially?) while a robust 10% drink more than 10 drinks a day! (begging the question: how do they survive physically?).

So nearly 70% are teatotallers, 20% drink responsibly, and 10% are sloppy drunks heading for an early grave. Who knew I'd be a little proud to be in the 20%. Hate to suggest it, but with data like this, DNA surely must have alot to do with it.

By Christopher Ingraham September 25
Interesting info but how much is "a drink?"
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Old 10-14-2014, 05:15 PM
 
Location: San Diego, California Republic
16,580 posts, read 27,294,048 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack View Post
That's one thing that really surprises us when we go to the U.S. For all the reputation of party animals (Spring Break, American Pie, Bourbon St., Animal House, frat parties, etc.) the average American doesn't really drink that much. Or at least a majority of them certainly don't.

It never ceases to amaze how in decent restaurants a significant number of tables don't have any alcohol at all on the table.
Alcohol also has a negative stigma attached to it. Not seen all the time but it's there. When an American drinks as much as any European, he has a drinking problem and needs to seek help. The average Finn would be an alcoholic all day in the US.
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Old 10-14-2014, 05:42 PM
 
2,887 posts, read 5,115,721 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ariete View Post
I love being drunk, but definitely don't appreciate people being totally wasted. Being tipsy has maybe another meaning here, as it means less drunk. If Finland is known for anything in this world it's Mika Häkkinen, Nokia, and being severely drunk.
Here's my "drunk Finn" story. I spent a day in Helsinki in May. I arrived by ferry from Tallinn at 9:30 (AM) and my return trip was scheduled for 19:30. I walked all day and got back to the ferry terminal a bit early, around 18:20 or so. I noticed another ferry that seemed to be leaving soon, so I went to the guy at the Tallink counter and asked him if I could exchange my 19:30 ticket for the earlier one. He said "no, don't do that, the 18:30 one is the 'booze cruise' for Finns who want to get drunk. It leaves earlier and arrives in Tallinn later than the 19:30 regular ferry, but alcohol is cheaper so it's always full".

I thought it was strange, I mean Tallinn is a good place for a drink (or ten)...
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Old 10-14-2014, 05:48 PM
 
2,887 posts, read 5,115,721 times
Reputation: 3663
Quote:
Originally Posted by Back to NE View Post
This recent study surprised alot of people in the States. On the one hand almost half of Americans barely drink at all! (begging the question: how do they survive socially?) while a robust 10% drink more than 10 drinks a day! (begging the question: how do they survive physically?).

So nearly 70% are teatotallers, 20% drink responsibly, and 10% are sloppy drunks heading for an early grave. Who knew I'd be a little proud to be in the 20%. Hate to suggest it, but with data like this, DNA surely must have alot to do with it.
Looks like those conclusions were flawed because of data extrapolations that are very likely to be incorrect. The distributional differences between big drinkers, small drinkers and non-drinkers are likely much smaller.
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Old 10-14-2014, 06:56 PM
 
Location: Gatineau, Québec
26,785 posts, read 37,774,664 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ABQConvict View Post
America's 'dryness' is exaggerated. Only 5% of the country's population lives in dry communities including those that are partially dry meaning that alcohol sales are prohibited only during certain times, usually Sundays.

That said, Americans are a bit more temperate than other nations. Americans consume 8.6 litres of alcohol yearly per capita. Comparatively, the Dutch drink 9.4, The U.K 10.0, the Germans 11.7, and the French 12.6.

Many nations drink less. The Canadians 8.0, Swedes 7.4, Italians 6.9, and Israelis, a mere 2.4 litres per annum.

I would say the chief differences in American drinking culture is daytime drinking. Americans rarely drink beer with lunch except on weekends and holidays. Also, Americans are more likely to imbibe a larger proportion of their alcohol in the home rather than at restaurants and bars. I believe this is due to the inflated cost of alcohol purchased in such venues as well as the increasing severity of penalties for drinking while intoxicated.

With America's thousands of breweries, wineries, and distilleries, it is unlikely that anyone from any drinking culture in the world could come to America and be disappointed in the multitude of offerings.
No, it's definitely not a dry country, and I've never been disappointed with the offerings down there. After all, you've given us California wines, tons of great microbrews. And Bourbon Street!
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Old 10-14-2014, 06:59 PM
 
Location: Gatineau, Québec
26,785 posts, read 37,774,664 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ABQConvict View Post

That said, Americans are a bit more temperate than other nations. Americans consume 8.6 litres of alcohol yearly per capita. Comparatively, the Dutch drink 9.4, The U.K 10.0, the Germans 11.7, and the French 12.6.

Many nations drink less. The Canadians 8.0, Swedes 7.4, Italians 6.9, and Israelis, a mere 2.4 litres per annum.
.
It depends on the regions of a country and what kind of alcohol too.

Quebec for example is at close to 25 litres of wine per year per capita. Canada as a whole (incl. Quebec) is at 15. The US is around 10. France and Italy are somewhere around 40 or more.
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Old 10-14-2014, 07:38 PM
 
Location: Cambridge, MA/London, UK
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I no longer live there, but I will chime in for Jamaica:

What estimated proportion of the adult population drinks?

I believe I once read that 70% of the adult population consumes alcohol regularly. For occasional drinkers, the number would be higher.

Is it socially acceptable to drink, and if so, how much?

Completely socially acceptable. There is not a gathering that you will not consume alcohol of some sort, typically Rum and Beer. Most times of the day are acceptable as well, from lunch on ward.

Is a bottle of wine or liquor a gift you would give to most anyone and assume that that's OK?

Yes, a bottle of 21 to 30 year old Appleton is always a good bet for a gift to someone.

What social problems if any are associated with drinking and how bad are they?

Alcoholism has always been an issue for males on the Island. It is tough to find a family that does not have at least a few alcoholic family members that everyone knows about. Most tend of be fully functioning alcoholics, but many slip through the cracks and you find it having an adverse influence on their lives.

What are your alcohol and drinking laws and how strictly are they enforced?

18 is the official drinking age, but it is never enforced, except on the resorts. Alcohol consumption is allowed basically anywhere in public as there are no open container laws like in many other countries. There has been a pretty tough crackdown on driving under the influence though and the legal limit is 0.08%. You are allowed to drink in a moving vehicle though, the passengers can be drinking in front of a police officer and they would not care, as long as the driver is not over the legal limit (He can have a beer in his hand as well)

When do young people typically start drinking (with and without parental permission)?

Pretty young. You can basically start going out to clubs when you are a young teen and order a drink and in your home even younger. I remember picking up beer for my uncles from the store at age 10 and was asked no questions at all. So I would say 10 and up is the general age range.
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Old 10-14-2014, 07:48 PM
 
Location: Gatineau, Québec
26,785 posts, read 37,774,664 times
Reputation: 11561
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gentoo View Post
Interesting info but how much is "a drink?"
The general definition of one drink is I believe one of the following:

- one bottle of beer
- one glass of wine
- a shooter or cocktail with one ounce of alcohol
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Old 10-14-2014, 10:23 PM
 
Location: Duluth, Minnesota, USA
7,641 posts, read 18,070,462 times
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[quote=Acajack;36871664]Wondering about the use and abuse of alcohol around the world.

What estimated proportion of the adult population drinks?

67% (USA)

It it socially acceptable to drink, and if so, how much?

This depends on what people you hang out with, their age, profession, etc.

Is a bottle of wine or liquor a gift you would give to most anyone and assume that that's OK?

Not really. There's about a 25-40% chance that the person never drinks.

What social problems if any are associated with drinking and how bad are they?

The usual...

What are your alcohol and drinking laws and how strictly are they enforced?

No drinking under 21 (enforced, but only a small proportion of "drinks" get caught!), no driving with a BAC of 0.08 or higher (DEF enforced!), no liquor sales on Sunday, no liquor sales in grocery stores, etc.

When do young people typically start drinking (with and without parental permission)?

Depends on the kid, really. It is rare to drink before 13. I would say more adventurous and rebellious kids start to drink from 13 to 14, normally without parental approval, while more kids start in high school, usually hiding the fact that they go to drinking parties. Some "cool" parents though even host parties at this age! Age 18-20 is probably the peak of most people's drinking career, and parents reluctantly accept the fact their children drink underage.
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