h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Do you drink 'responsibly'? How much do you drink? Do you think you might drink too much? Do you care?

Yes, I do drink responsibly. I have maybe 1 bottle of wine in a week. But usually much less than that.

Did you give up drinking for January? Do you believe in de-toxing?

I hardly had anything to drink over Christmas, so I have no need to either give it up or detox!

If you do drink, why do you drink? What's your tipple of choice? Conversely, if you don't drink, why not?

I enjoy the falour of wine with a meal. Sometimes the hit of alcohol helps me to relax after a particularly hideous day at work. I am partial to Vodka and Tonic, and anything that is fermented and comes from a grape!!

Do you think we drink too much as a nation? Do we drink differently to, say, the Italians or folk in Europe in general? Are we more 'northern European' in our drinking habits? If so, why is this?

I think we are very prevalent binge drinkers, and I would postulate that this has always been the case. Have access to alcohol, will get totally legless. The French and Italians tend to drink while eating, whereas there is a trend here to drink to get drunk.

Have our drinking habits changed over the years? Do we drink differently now than when we did in the 1970s?

I have no idea because I was only born in 1973 - so I probably did a lot of drinking of milk! I can tell you that at University in the 90's I used to drink a lot, all the time. And I mean a lot. 10 pints a night. Not any flipping more, let me tell you. One glass of wine and I am potentially hungover the following day.

Are folk drinking more at home these days due to cheaper supermarket booze? Is this a bad thing?

Yes, i beleive more people are drinknig at home. Partly because it is cheaper to do so, but partly because they can smoke if they want to wothout going outside and getting cold. That would indicate that the pubs are closing because people aren't drinking there anymore.

Is pub culture dying off?

I think the pub culture will continue, with food being the main ingredient. I have not seen many gastropubs going out of business!

What are the best and worst things about drinking?

Best things about drinking - the taste, the way that alcohol makes you feel, the social side of it. The worst things about drinking - the sick in the street when people have had too much and the hangovers afterwards. Ick.

May I please apologise for the standard of spelling?! Good grief! I need to look over what I have typed before I post it!

No worries re: spelling. Good answers as always, Crickett