http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6719226.ece
This kid is 1 year younger than me and I would bet my savings that he is not going to make it. I started drinking in high school but maybe had 2 cases of beer total before I graduated. After that I got my own place and a friend of mine who "liberated" cases of beer from his job needed a place to store it. He was "liberating" 4 and 5 cases a night and so we managed to fill an entire linen closet and my fridge with cases of beer. Since supply was my biggest problem in the past I was living it up. Getting very buzzed if not drunk every night, week day or weekend, didn't matter. That went on for 2 years till I got married at which point I slowed down till my 21st birthday. After I could pick up booze on the way home from work it made it a lot easier. At my low point I was doing a 12 pack every single night. Shortly after I had some bloodwork done for something unrelated my doctor noticed my liver function was through the roof. From then on I switched to pot and have not looked back since. Something about waking up refreshed and not killing myself really did it for me.
The UK is seeing a lot more of extremely heavy youth drinking I think more because of the lower drinking age but also the cultural acceptance. Hell living in the south I am seen as "less of a man" if I don't have a beer in my hand at the BBQ, I can remember chatting with male relatives and them talking about the "fag" that just walked in with a soda.
This kid is 1 year younger than me and I would bet my savings that he is not going to make it. I started drinking in high school but maybe had 2 cases of beer total before I graduated. After that I got my own place and a friend of mine who "liberated" cases of beer from his job needed a place to store it. He was "liberating" 4 and 5 cases a night and so we managed to fill an entire linen closet and my fridge with cases of beer. Since supply was my biggest problem in the past I was living it up. Getting very buzzed if not drunk every night, week day or weekend, didn't matter. That went on for 2 years till I got married at which point I slowed down till my 21st birthday. After I could pick up booze on the way home from work it made it a lot easier. At my low point I was doing a 12 pack every single night. Shortly after I had some bloodwork done for something unrelated my doctor noticed my liver function was through the roof. From then on I switched to pot and have not looked back since. Something about waking up refreshed and not killing myself really did it for me.
The UK is seeing a lot more of extremely heavy youth drinking I think more because of the lower drinking age but also the cultural acceptance. Hell living in the south I am seen as "less of a man" if I don't have a beer in my hand at the BBQ, I can remember chatting with male relatives and them talking about the "fag" that just walked in with a soda.