When does drinking become excessive?

When does drinking become excessive? The problem is that people have a drink and enjoy it and then don't realise it is a problem if they drink excessively. We have medical recommendations to limit our alcohol intake but there can be no hard and fast rules because we are all different. Some people act as if they are drunk after one drink.

The difficult part is to know when a very social activity becomes a problem. It may be a problem because it is medically harmful and it may also be a problem because it hurts the wallet. There are more serious social aspects. Do you go out for a fight after a drink or could it lead to domestic violence? Could it be the cause of drink driving which leads to a death?

Before we can deal with excessive drinking we have to decide what is alright and what is not. Is it OK to get really drunk if it is just once per year at Christmas? What about once per month or once per week? Is it alright to drink fourteen pints per day if you are a teenager (like William Hague)?

I think acceptability does vary with age but so too does response to alcohol. If you sing better, get more sociable or play better snooker then alcohol is good. The bottom line for limiting excessive drinking is how it affects others. If you hurt others either physically, financially or even cause them to pick you up off the floor then it's time for restraint.

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