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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   1810 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for July 31, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I continue to find it a travesty that alcohol is significantly more expensive, and restricted in terms of access, when comparing Scotland to England.

Going to restaurants and getting a pint for 4 quid? 2 beers and a double vodka for 16.50? The 10am to 10pm rule no longer applying when purchasing liquor at off-licenses? Jesus.

I'm sure this has some effect on the margin, but I regularly meet people who are drinking themselves to death at work nonetheless. At least most of them are patients. I'm mildly annoyed that this gets in the way of wallet-conscious, reasonably responsible drinkers like myself. Alkies ruining a good thing for everyone else, clearly.

How do you justify anything more than light drinking to your future body?

Someone needs to invent a less dangerous form of alcohol, ASAP.

I don't drink heavily in the first place. I avoid keeping or consuming alcohol at home, because as someone who hasn't been having the best time, and who is well aware of the risks of alcoholism - I know how slippery that slope is. I recall a time, last year, when I self-administered an alcohol use questionnaire, winced at the "hazardous drinking" and cut down immediately.

My consumption pattern is mostly social. A pint or two on the way back from work 1-2 days a week. Twice to thrice that, half as frequently if I'm seeing buddies or visiting someone. I go weeks without a sip of booze.

Is it better to not imbibe at all? Yes. Is my current pattern of consumption particularly hazardous? Not really. It's a price I pay for stress relief and to lubricate socialization.

There are, of course, other drugs that serve similar purposes. And which are easier on the liver. But they tend to have their own risks, and I'm not advocating for anyone to start a coke/ket/benzo habit. If you get by without drinking at all, kudos to you, and keep it up.

I did not have the risk of addiction in mind. I assume you've seen the research coming out in the last 5-6 years on the cancer risks etc? "No amount of alcohol is a safe amount"?

I presume I've read them at some point, though from memory it's the increased risk of HCC that comes to mind. And the "ideal" amount of alcohol is ~zero. I just think the minor damage to my health is within my risk tolerance - I say, sipping a nice mango beer in Manchester. It's been my white whale for years.

I completely understand the appeal. And I understand the trade-off: 'taking the edge off' (or social lubricant, for that matter) can perhaps reduce the harmful effects of stress to a larger degree than the alcohol harms the body/mind. I just wish we had a safer intoxicant (do not suggest weed), so that I wouldn't have to gamble on a higher risk of an early, horrible death while taking the edge off or enjoying a fine wine with a nice dinner.

I can’t vouch for them, but GABA Labs seems to be trying to market just that.

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