I’ve been having some dental issues recently which led to me being prescribed antibiotics twice. The second time the Dentist winced as she warned me that I couldn’t drink any alcohol whilst taking the 7-day course to which I immediately replied that I didn’t drink. Actually, I drink very rarely, perhaps once every 6 months and it’s normally a cocktail or Prosecco with friends but the Dentist’s expression got me thinking about alcohol, drinking and our current culture around drinking.
As someone who doesn’t drink I found it sad that my Dentists worried that I would be unable to abstain from alcohol for 7 days to treat my infected tooth. However, I understand her apprehension, I have personally known people who have failed to remain sober while taking antibiotics. Which to me is a worrying sign but not surprising. Britain is obsessed with alcohol and although statistics show that younger generations are less likely to be routine drinkers it’s hard to ignore the power alcohol holds over the British people. Our social lives revolve around it as does our economy. Lines formed outside pubs the evening before COVID lockdown restrictions were lifted so that customers could buy a pint at midnight. It was pub owners you saw on TV most regularly lamenting the effect of COVID and Brexit on their businesses. There are 11 pubs within 5 minutes of my home which doesn’t include wine bars etc. Alcohol is everywhere and its consumption is rarely questioned.
When you’ve been affected by a family member suffering from alcoholism and have chosen not to drink it’s hard not to see signs of the glorification of alcohol everywhere. I have searched through multiple gift cards to find one that doesn’t mention drinking, some even encouraging the overconsumption of alcohol. I have seen pub signs and other marketing that suggested that alcohol would solve any problem and I have been questioned over my choice to abstain from alcohol.
It’s a pet peeve of the “sober community” to be asked why you don’t drink because at the end of the day, no is a full sentence. It seems to be one of the only acceptable situations in which a total stranger feels entitled to your personal information. My reply heavily relies on my mood. If I’m feeling shy and awkward I’ll just say “I don’t like the taste” or “It’s just not my thing”. If I’m feeling confident and bold I’ll say “Generational Alcoholism” and let me tell you nothing sucks the air out of a room like bringing up your family’s history of addiction. Part of me wishes people would just stop asking and another part wants to show people the consequences of alcohol. How it can harm families and even kill people because my life has been mostly made worse by alcohol.
My journey with alcohol will always be affected by my experience of my Dad’s alcoholism. In many ways I was lucky, my Dad was not the kind of alcoholic I’d seen on TV. He wasn’t violent, he didn’t stumble around or slur his words and overall he was a kind, attentive and loving Dad. He simply drank. He’d begun drinking young as most men from East End London did. It was part of the culture as it is now although back then it was much more male and working class to go to the pub after work. My Dad did what everyone else his age was doing but he had the bad kind of genetics. The kind that meant he lost himself in alcohol and no matter the changes that occurred in his life alcohol would be the one constant. My Dad did get sober in the summer of 2012 after an incident but he would die a few months later in October 2012. Shortly after going into treatment, he was diagnosed with Cancer and less than 3 weeks later he was dead. I was 15. A Doctor commented to my Mum that my Dad must have had cancer for at least 5 years, possibly longer, due to the advanced stage it was in. It didn’t take long for us to realise that my Dad had fallen into the trap of many addicts. He knew something was wrong with him and instead of facing it, he turned to his constant companion, alcohol. In my mind, Cancer may be the official cause of his death but alcoholism was the killer that had stalked him till his final breath.
I know that my views on alcohol are forever tainted by my experiences watching it destroy members of my family but it’s a bigger issue than just me. Between the years of 2021 to 2022 over 900,000 admissions to hospitals in the UK were alcohol-related and in 2022 there were 7,912 alcohol-related deaths. Over 300,000 crimes were reported to be perpetrated by someone suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. Also, according to DrinkAware “In 2022/23, there were an estimated 122,030 people in treatment for alcohol. The number of adults in treatment for alcohol increased from 49,958 to 122,030 between 2005/06 and 2022/23.” These numbers are not insignificant especially when you think of how addiction affects not just the afflicted but also their loved ones and it’s probably all worse than we think due to having to rely on self-reporting and/or people recognising that alcohol was a cause of illness, crime or death.
As I mentioned more young people are choosing to abstain from alcohol and there is a greater awareness around it within my generation and the ones that have followed. I would never expect everyone to quit alcohol completely. It’s hard even for those of us with significant trauma but I hope that we continue to become more critical about alcohol. I also hope people begin to realise that not all alcoholics look or act the same. Anyone can develop an addiction and addictions can be quiet. Alcohol isn’t going anywhere but how we interact with it can change. What makes the UK stand out when it comes to drinking is our higher-than-average rates of binge drinking and public drunkenness. So perhaps it’s best to start there and work our way to the more nuanced discussions. I see the allure of alcohol but as someone stained by the darkness it can cause I’ll forever be vigilant. I know alcohol can destroy me so I’ll stick with fizzy drinks when I go out.
If you are looking for more information on alcohol and drinking here are some links to websites I used during my research:
If you are looking for support as someone who’s been affected by a family member living with alcoholism here are some links to support webistes:
Sources:
Alcohol Consumption UK | Drinkaware
Drinking trends in the UK | Alcohol Change UK
NancyLostinLife 
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