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Will you be partaking of a glass of wine this Valentine's Day?

2/14/2015

9 Comments

 
Wine and roses—considered the epitome of romance, may be changing to sparkling water and roses soon in England as the nation sobers up.

The history:

Merry old England showed the state of inebriation in the 1800s. Early on, various non-conformist groups, notably the Methodists, Quakers and The Salvation Army, lobbied parliament to restrict alcohol sales due to what they saw of men and women's behavior in the streets. In 1876 the British Women's Temperance Association attempted to persuade men to stop drinking. From 1880 to 1882 the cause of abstinence was revived by the Gospel Temperance or Blue Ribbon movement, based in America. They sent a member to promote their cause in England through mass meetings held up and down the country.

The Temperance Movement in the USA in the 1800s many people took a pledge never to drink alcohol. Widespread drinking was a way of life in the USA like the UK. People accustomed to hard physical labor often drank when working and were often paid with drink as well as money. In many parts of the country few drinks existed that did not contain alcohol, and it was often considered healthier to drink fermented and distilled beverages than water, which was often contaminated.


PictureWaggon and Horses - Elstree
Now, teetotalism has become a major force in British life again after a dramatic rise in the number young people shunning alcohol.

More than one in five adults (21%) do not drink alcohol at all, according to the Office for National Statistics’ Adult Drinking Habits in Great Britain report released on Friday.



The number of under-25s opting for total abstinence from drink has jumped by 40 per cent in just eight years as young people overtake the elderly as the most sober generation.

Alcohol consumption in a population can be measured by analyzing production and sales statistics, or by asking people about their drinking habits through surveys. New figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that more than a quarter of young people do not drink alcohol at all and binge drinking is also in decline.

In London, which is both the youngest and most ethnically diverse region of the UK, one in three people is teetotal. The rise in total abstinence has coincided with the growth of the Muslim community in Britain. A series of studies suggests a wider shift in attitudes among the young, who hold more conservative views on drinking, smoking, gambling and sex than their predecessors.

Until recently, drink played a large part in the British way of life. The number of old inns and newer pubs is testimony to that.

When we first moved to Elstree, Hertfordshire, there were four pubs within walking distance. The building next door, The Artichoke, is now a synagog. Past that to the left of our home, the old Holly Bush has closed. At the top of the hill, The Plough now operates as a Chinese restaurant. The only one remaining on the old Roman built Watling Street, the medieval Waggon and Horses remains open although the establishment has changed hands every few years for as long as I can remember.

With many customers unhappy about new laws banning them from smoking inside pubs, drinkers have taken to buying in bulk from supermarkets and sitting alone in front of the television. Hardly a representation of merry old England.

Well, if that's the image the British were once proud of, I'm glad of the change.

On the same subject, television programs and films from around the world show the characters with a drink in their hand, or pouring themselves a drink in scene after scene. Surely that's not the norm. If filmmakers need to have their characters do something in the daytime or even at night, let it be gulping down a clear glass of water. That would send a better image to our youngsters.

My husband used to drink a lot of alcohol. I didn't like the way it affected his behavior. The problem is, drinkers like the buzz the drink gives them and can't see the impression they leave on everyone else. He doesn't drink at all now, partly because he can't afford it now he's retired, and partly because he's ill.

I know—all you people who like a glass or two to relax you will say you're doing no harm.

'Fess up. Do you plan to drink alcohol to celebrate Valentine's Day?


9 Comments
Mary Burris link
2/13/2015 07:52:23 pm

Honest confession here. I used to drink. Not a lot, but socially. My now ex-husband drank like a fish. Daily. To the point that he either passed out or fell down. Every Day. Neither he nor his family saw a problem in this. It's one of the main reasons I am divorced. Now I don't drink at all.

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Debbie D. link
2/13/2015 10:38:46 pm

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day (it's a fake, commercial holiday) but I'm from Germany and hubby is from Italy, so alcohol is a normal part of our lives. We usually have a glass of wine with dinner, plus the occasional cocktail and liqueur with espresso, that kind of thing. We were taught from childhood how to handle alcohol and don't abuse it. Alcohol in moderation has been shown to be good for your health. That said, my father was an alcoholic, so I am certainly aware of its potential evils.

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Amy Bovaird link
2/13/2015 11:13:25 pm

Ha ha! I rarely drink. It's pretty removed from my life at this moment. So, no I won't drink today. But I do, on the odd occasion, drink a wine cooler or glass of wine to be social.

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Joan Harrington link
2/14/2015 01:25:47 am

Hi Francene,

No wine for me today lol I am not a drinker :) Great post!

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Alana link
2/14/2015 05:05:30 am

Despite my post yesterday about a wine and chocolate pairing event, I don't drink all that much. If I do, it's a glass of wine with a meal. My dessert tonight has some bourbon but it was cooked, meaning the alcohol cooked away. I remember when social drinking meant cocktails, and lots of them. My son may have a beer when he visits us, but nothing more. Great post, Francene.

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SnarkyMommaWithLove link
2/14/2015 05:19:29 am

Nope, no alcohol for us today. The Mister was a bartender for almost two decades. That typically leads to a problem with alcohol, which it did. So we are doing the sober thing right now and loving it. I was never a big drinker anyway. Typically once or twice a year. But We live in a place that consumes mass amounts of it. So there are bars every corner almost.

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Suzy link
2/14/2015 11:02:42 am

I don't drink so alcohol is never on the menu for me :)

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best sweet moscato sparkling wines link
2/16/2015 02:02:23 pm

They sent a member to promote their cause in England through mass meetings held up and down the country.

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Caitlin link
6/23/2016 01:27:01 am

It depends on the purpose of drinking alcohol. A glass of wine or two (especially on a special day for couples) is a good idea for me cuz it makes me and my partner feel more passionate and romantic :)
Good to know that your husband no longer drinks too much now. Congrates and thanks for the post!

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    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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