Middle Class Drinkers

I know others have picked up on this story, but I wanted to look at the Telegraph’s coverage; not least, because there is an interesting sub-text.

According to the researchers, many middle class drinkers insist they know what the safe level of alcohol consumption is.

They probably do – it’s just that this does not comply with “government-set” limits. Any reasonable person would ask; just who does the government think it is to set limits anyway, just what fucking business is it of theirs what people drink? The answer, of course, is “none”. I would suggest given that “government-set” limits are a product of a vivid imagination and thin air, those middle class drinkers are intelligent enough to decide for themselves what is appropriate; they are adults after all.

This suggests they do not believe they are drinking too much and that simply having a large glass or two of wine each evening is an acceptable way to unwind after a stressful day at work.

They aren’t and it is. Oh, and it’s no one else’s business – or did I say that already?

The study, by the Office for National Statistics, also claims that middle class drinkers are more likely to indulge in “heavy” drinking – this equates to drinking double the recommended daily limit on a given evening.

And the scientific basis for the recommended daily limit? Forgive me if I don’t hold my breath on that one…

The figures have raised fears that it is now much too easy for people to drink more than is good for them,

And what business is that of anyone other than the person involved? Oh, that’s right, no one.

However, many middle class professionals are unlikely to regard half a bottle of wine a night as heavy drinking.

That’s because it isn’t. In France, this would be regarded as warming up the evening nicely following dîner.

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrats’ spokesman on health, said: “These statistics lift the lid on the very serious scale of middle-class alcohol consumption, and the potential health risks that this involves.”

Bollocks! What this tells us is that the Liberal Democrats are just as much puritanical control freaks as Labour. Did I mention that it is none of their business?

The majority said they usually drank with their spouse and bought their alcohol from a supermarket or off-licence – suggesting they were finishing a bottle of wine between them over a meal or while watching television.

The figures illustrating the extent to which the middle classes are now drinking to relax in the evening came despite an accompanying survey of drinking behaviour finding that most believe they know how much they can drink before risking their health.

What this tells us is that people are quite rightly treating the “government set” limits with the rich contempt that they deserve. People are relaxing with a tipple following their meal and there is nothing wrong with this. There is no evidence whatsoever to support the “government set” limits; it is a figure they have plucked from the ether and people are intelligent enough to realise this – that  is what this survey is telling us. In other words, this is good news.

The survey found that 95 per cent of middle-class drinkers believed they knew what units of alcohol were, and in total 70 per cent of adults were aware of daily benchmarks, up from 54 per cent a decade ago.

You see? people know all about units and are sufficiently bright to make a decision for themselves. It’s bollocks and they are ignoring it. The puritanical control freaks just don’t like the findings.

Of course, there are always those who want the government to “do something” even though it is none of their business:

Public health campaigners said the drinking levels disclosed in the report suggest they will lead to serious health problems in the coming years such as cancer, liver disease and mental health problems.

They urged ministers to stop supermarkets selling alcohol cheaply and to improve labelling on bottles and cans.

Who, I wonder, are these “public health campaigners” when they are about? A fake charity, perhaps?

Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “On the basis of these figures it appears unlikely that we will stem the rising tide of alcohol-related health harms in the near future. While people’s awareness of the health risks associated with drinking above the recommended limits is surprisingly good, knowledge of those limits is still poor, despite 10 years of concerted work to raise awareness levels.”

No, Professor, people understand and realise that it is bollocks, so continue to do their own thing – long may it continue.