How bad is it to drink Vodka once a week?

Ahleckz said:
Your below quote states that it's not indicative of responsible social consumption. Please, tell me the difference between that and social responsible drinking. Social responsible drinking does not exist, not does responsible social consumption. It's up to the person drinking to decide what is appropriate for them.
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It is not indicative of drinking socially, but drinking to get drunk....where the consumption of alcohol is predicated not by the social inclusion of having a few drinks with friends, but drinking alcohol with the primary intention of getting drunk. It has nothing to do with social responsibity, which is a totally different thing not necessarily even related to alcohol.....

It is up to the person to decide what they want to drink and how much, but that doesn't mean it is appropriate.....it just means it is up to them.

Ahleckz said:
Yes, initially I said that it wouldn't do him harm which I stand by. I also then suggested that he should seek medical advice and monitoring.
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You don't know that, neither do you know whether your binge drinking is having long term effects on your health either as LFTs at your age do not really indicate very much as the short term damage binge drinking does to your liver is exactly that, very short term (not drinking for two weeks would give you a normal LFT) but binge drinking for 20-30 years is something else entirely and by the time LFTs show that kind of damage you already have a problem. (It should also be mentioned that LFTs are not exactly fool proof either as liver damage can be asymptomatic and LFTs can miss problem drinking particularly in the young and those who abstain prior to testing)

The best way to deal with drinking is to get into responsible habits early and foster a healthy relationship with alcohol, drinking socially (as opposed to getting drunk before going out socially) is a good start.

Next time you go on a bender, go and have a LFT a day or two after and see the difference in your results.....

You are right that it will not kill him, but it also isn't a healthy way to drink in the long term. It isn't as if I am a paragon of drinking virtue btw, I have some good awful drinking habits particularly when I was younger.
 
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I think you're both arguing largely the same point. Be careful and check with a medical professional if you're really worried or for peace of mind.

Bro hugs, please :)
 
You're fine OP, that level of drinking, though of course is not 'good' for you, has such a negligible level of increased risk to your health, that it isn't worth worrying about. Be more worried about crossing the road ;)

DotA said:
Its when you start doing that 3, 4 or more times a week that i would be worried what you are doing.
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^ This. Remember the unit guidelines are set quite low, serious liver damage is likely when you are consistently consuming in the 70+ units / week range.

As to whether your drinking is socially responsible, well to me that is just determined by how you conduct yourself once on the night out, not by an arbitrary amount of vodka you drink in a certain amount of time. If you go out have a good night and come home happy and have caused no trouble, what's the problem? If you go out and cause trouble, puke up and harass people, then yes your drinking is socially irresponsible.
 
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Castiel said:
It is not indicative of drinking socially, but drinking to get drunk....where the consumption of alcohol is predicated not by the social inclusion of having a few drinks with friends, but drinking alcohol with the primary intention of getting drunk. It has nothing to do with social responsibity, which is a totally different thing not necessarily even related to alcohol.....
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I'd argue that drinking 3/4 of a 30/35cl bottle of vodka is not drinking to get drunk on account that it wouldn't get me drunk. I refer back to my previous point that everyone's body is different.

You're inferring that he's drinking to get drunk and nothing more which is unfair. He hasn't given us that information for you to make such a claim.


Castiel said:
You don't know that, neither do you know whether your binge drinking is having long term effects on your health either as LFTs at your age do not really indicate very much as the short term damage binge drinking does to your liver is exactly that, very short term (not drinking for two weeks would give you a normal LFT) but binge drinking for 20-30 years is something else entirely and by the time LFTs show that kind of damage you already have a problem.

The best way to deal with drinking is to get into responsible habits early and foster a healthy relationship with alcohol, drinking socially (as opposed to getting drunk before going out socially) is a good start.

Next time you go on a bender, go and have a LFT a day or two after and see the difference in your results.....

You are right that it will not kill him, but it also isn't a healthy way to drink in the long term.
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The long term health argument is flawed, if we followed that then we wouldn't do many a thing.

I only mentioned LFTs as I've been having them for some years, and my alcohol intake has remained pretty static. Plus, my doctors are totally aware of my alcohol intake. Indeed, they suggest that I should lower it but they've also stated that with regular monitoring and with me being honest with them then at the minute there's not a problem. If my LFTs came back with cause for concern then I'd address that but for the time being they have not. Again, I refer back to my statement that everybody is different.

I'm going to make a claim that drinking the volume he is in vodka, once a week, is unlikely to do any long term damage. The medical journals that I have read (unfortunately I don't have the time nor the inclination to retrieve them right now) have suggested that the volume he is drinking in the timeframe he is doing so is unlikely to have any negative effects beyond that of someone who sinks 4 pints a night. I have no intention of lowering my alcohol intake at the time being.

To clarify, I have LFTs monthly and have done so for a couple of years now. My doctors & regular nurse are aware of my intake and I've had spikes which have been attributed to my alcohol intake. Saying I have a leading professor (you like that sort of stuff) monitoring my results, he hasn't raised the issue at all beyond a friendly suggestion that it would be advisable to lower my intake of alcohol.
 
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[FnG]magnolia;23048810 said:
How many units per week do you consume Ahleckz?
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When I've been asked this by a doctor, I've replied that it's best to assume that I'm a binge drinker. I haven't ever done a "booze diary" so wouldn't want to estimate. I regularly exceed the recommended allowance of alcohol. It's something that I'm aware that I do, and I'm aware of the dangers.
 
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Just to be clear. I am not asking if I have a drinking problem.

I'm just wondering if the amount of Vodka I drink is going to be harmfull over the long term, if 'm doing it 3-4 times a month.

I think the size of the bottle is 375ml. Its basically the size down from the full bottle.

I have in the past drank the whole thing, but since scalled it down to just 3/4.

To be honest I probably dont need to drink that much, and could get away with a bottle half the size.

When I drink this amount, I am fully in control of my faculties, I'm just a little bit 'looser' with the ladies.

It got me thinking, becuase a few months back I went in for a knee op, and during the pre assesment, they ask you do you smoke do you drink etc... I said yea I drink, and they where very intereted to know how much and what of etc...
 
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Ahleckz said:
I'd argue that drinking 3/4 of a 30/35cl bottle of vodka is not drinking to get drunk on account that it wouldn't get me drunk. I refer back to my previous point that everyone's body is different.

You're inferring that he's drinking to get drunk and nothing more which is unfair. He hasn't given us that information for you to make such a claim.
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As I said, it is indicative of getting drinking to get drunk.....and alcohol tolerances are different, by the way he put it across is that he drinks the vodka before going out to save money, to me this indicates he is drinking to get drunk rather than have a few drinks socially (he said he buys a beer to hold in his hand, again which leads me to think that the vodka is about getting drunk, not because he likes drinking vodka). I also think that 12-14 units of alcohol consumed in a short period of time is enough to get most people drunk, particularly younger and/or less experienced drinkers. (Also being drunk is a bit different to feeling drunk)...drinking 30cl of vodka over an entire evening is somewhat different than drinking 30cl of vodka in an hour or two...

Ahleckz said:
The long term health argument is flawed, if we followed that then we wouldn't do many a thing.
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It isn't flawed in this context because that is the question he asked....I gave my opinion, as did you.

Ahleckz said:
I only mentioned LFTs as I've been having them for some years, and my alcohol intake has remained pretty static. Plus, my doctors are totally aware of my alcohol intake. Indeed, they suggest that I should lower it but they've also stated that with regular monitoring and with me being honest with them then at the minute there's not a problem. If my LFTs came back with cause for concern then I'd address that but for the time being they have not. Again, I refer back to my statement that everybody is different.
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Ask your tame Professor about the cumulative effects of Liver scarring (isnt necessarily indicated by LFTs, at least not until it has already become a problem) and the long term damage heavy drinking (binge rather than regular) can have on your body.

Ahleckz said:
I'm going to make a claim that drinking the volume he is in vodka, once a week, is unlikely to do any long term damage. The medical journals that I have read (unfortunately I don't have the time nor the inclination to retrieve them right now) have suggested that the volume he is drinking in the timeframe he is doing so is unlikely to have any negative effects beyond that of someone who sinks 4 pints a night.
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I don't think that 4 pints a night is really recommended either tbh.

Ahleckz said:
To clarify, I have LFTs monthly and have done so for a couple of years now. My doctors & regular nurse are aware of my intake and I've had spikes which have been attributed to my alcohol intake. Saying I have a leading professor (you like that sort of stuff) monitoring my results, he hasn't raised the issue at all beyond a friendly suggestion that it would be advisable to lower my intake of alcohol.
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I think that if you feel the need to have regular LFTs to monitor your liver at 23 because of your drinking habits then you also have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and you are aware of it, in fact you have said as much.....Either that or all the literature on the dangers of binge drinking and rapid consumption of alcohol is simply lip service, particularly with regard to drinking habits which can lead to a harmful relationship with alcohol. Edit: it seems you have a particular medical reason to have LFTs so disregard the unhealthy relationship bit..:).

Don't get me wrong, everyone is free to drink however they want, and I am certainly not in a position to judge anyone on drinking that is for sure, (at your age I was probably putting away double my weekly recommended on a Saturday night and as a teenager, a bottle of Thunderbird in as quick as possible before nappy night..:eek:) however the chap asked a question and I replied what I maintain is sensible advice, he should look at his drinking habits and the reasons why he is drinking and how he drinks, he doesn't have to listen and I am not telling him he is a bad person or irresponsible (personally or socially, drinking socially/social drinking is nothing to do with social responsibility, it simply means you drink in a social setting rather than just drinking to feel drunk), only that he should take a look at what he is doing.

Anyway I'm going to have a last wee dram and go to bed, night all....:)
 
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opethdisciple said:
Just to be clear. I am not asking if I have a drinking problem.

I'm just wondering if the amount of Vodka I drink is going to be harmfull over the long term, if 'm doing it 3-4 times a month.

I think the size of the bottle is 375ml. Its basically the size down from the full bottle.

I have in the past drank the whole thing, but since scalled it down to just 3/4.

To be honest I probably dont need to drink that much, and could get away with a bottle half the size.

When I drink this amount, I am fully in control of my faculties, I'm just a little bit 'looser' with the ladies.

It got me thinking, becuase a few months back I went in for a knee op, and during the pre assesment, they ask you do you smoke do you drink etc... I said yea I drink, and they where very intereted to know how much and what of etc...
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No it's not going to kill you, and its unlikely to shorten your life by very much either....just be aware that bad habits have a nasty way of gaining traction and if you start drinking more often, or more volume and in quicker periods then might be a time to step back a bit....:)
 
Castiel said:
As I said, it is indicative of getting drinking to get drunk.....and alcohol tolerances are different, by the way he put it across is that he drinks the vodka before going out to save money, to me this indicates he is drinking to get drunk rather than have a few drinks socially (he said he buys a beer to hold in his hand, again which leads me to think that the vodka is about getting drunk, not because he likes drinking vodka). I also think that 12-14 units of alcohol consumed in a short period of time is enough to get most people drunk, particularly younger and/or less experienced drinkers. (Also being drunk is a bit different to feeling drunk)...drinking 30cl of vodka over an entire evening is somewhat different than drinking 30cl of vodka in an hour or two...
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I don’t think he's drinking simply to get drunk, but rather a method of saving money. We used to do it during uni years, drink at home before setting off to the clubs/bars, saving money from buying expensive drinks at the bar, and just needing the odd alcopop/beer to keep the charge going through the night.
 
Craterloads said:
I don’t think he's drinking simply to get drunk, but rather a method of saving money. We used to do it during uni years, drink at home before setting off to the clubs/bars, saving money from buying expensive drinks at the bar, and just needing the odd alcopop/beer to keep the charge going through the night.
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That is drinking to get drunk though (keep the charge going indicates that) ......social drinking means that you are drinking for pleasure in a social setting rather than being drunk for pleasure (in a social setting) the difference being that drinking doesn't necessarily mean getting drunk. If you are knocking back cheap alcohol at home to save money in the Bars, it indicates that the feeling of being drunk is important to the success of the evening (or at least the perception of success).

I used to do it, particularly before I was old enough to get into bars/pubs etc, and then when I was younger with less cash to spend....I could have spent less cash with or without drinking before hand, only one way I would be drunk and the other I wouldn't be....:)

Anyway, I'm bored of this now so I'm definitely going to bed...night.
 
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Castiel said:
That is drinking to get drunk though (keep the charge going indicates that) ......social drinking means that you are drinking for pleasure in a social setting rather than being drunk for pleasure (in a social setting) the difference being that drinking doesn't necessarily mean getting drunk. If you are knocking back cheap alcohol to save money in the Bars, it indicates that the feeling of being drunk is important to the success of the evening (or at least the perception of success).
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When you're on a night out, clubbing lets say, you're going to get drunk, which is pretty much part of clubbing. Most of us need to get drunk before getting on the dance floor anyway, so if you know this before hand, its makes perfectly good sense.

If you were just going to a bar, with mates, to chat over a drink, fair point. But if clubbing, you're not really going to be chatting to anyone, apart from the odd fella drunk in the toilets :)
 
Craterloads said:
When you're on a night out, clubbing lets say, you're going to get drunk, which is pretty much part of clubbing. Most of us need to get drunk before getting on the dance floor anyway, so if you know this before hand, its makes perfectly good sense.

If you were just going to a bar, with mates, to chat over a drink, fair point. But if clubbing, you're not really going to be chatting to anyone, apart from the odd fella drunk in the toilets :)
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Clubbing was a bit different in my youth....drinking consisted of pints of Blackcurrant......and no we were not sober either...;)
 
Castiel said:
Clubbing was a bit different in my youth....drinking consisted of pints of Blackcurrant......and no we were not sober either...;)
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Guessing the highlight of conversing wasn't (if you were lucky) screaming in some poor girls ear, for you as well then? :D Which is probably the most social part of clubbing these days.
 
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