Dear LPG readers,

We can be such friendly animals.  Whenever a group of people get together in a place where they can hear themselves talk, we have a habit of starting a group conversation. The talk usually gets personal if we ever get past the subjects of the weather, politics and current affairs. 

I have recently discussed how utility bills are rising, which UK high street grocery shop is the best, and where to go for the best holiday. There are many more, but the conversation will only go one way, no matter how bizarre the subject becomes.    If the discussion continues long enough, even the most knowledgeable participant will run out of recognisable facts and add their own experiences.  After all, that is what we old people have most of when making verbal contributions.  This has to be when you discover those quirks that remind us that we are all different.

Not so long ago, I found myself, when attending a dinner party, politely accepting a non-alcoholic drink, having been offered something much more substantial.   My action sparked a whole conversation on the pros and cons of drinking, and I even learned that the scientific name for alcohol is ethanol before the focus became the habits of the people around the table.  One guest commented that I was a ‘lightweight’, at which point I explained my reasons for being so, and then others around the table began to add their reasons for their current drinking habits. 

But the chat planted one question in my mind, and I needed an answer. How lightweight am I when it comes to being teetotal? I later found some statistics online that tell that I am one of an average 19% of ladies between the ages of 65 and 74 who never touch the stuff. One thing that I found interesting is that those same statistics tell that no matter which age group you take a look at, we women are more likely to abstain.

On the other hand, I found some online information that 24% of all UK adults drink more than the recommended government official amounts. While I am only likely to come into contact with the stuff in a boozy cake or dessert occasionally, the report I came across had some depressing findings to impart.

So, while never doing it works for me, I also know that there is a thin line between managing what you drink and overdoing it, which brought me to the other obvious question: ‘How can you tell if you or someone you know is overdoing it?’

I found some information on the subject and thought it worth sharing…

SU, Lewisham.

SU offers some diverse liquid facts…

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