Someone explain to me...

[Cain]

Perhaps the drinking habits of the American public?  I have no idea if binge drinking is as big there as it is in the UK, but I wouldn't be too surprised to find out it was the case.  Depending how big a dose is in the drink, and how much they themselves drink, that could be sufficient to bring it on, yes?  Probably not that commonly, as you said, but maybe more so than it would in Holland, or most other places where they seem to be able to intoxicate themselves without going crazy about it.

[Jenne]

BAI, that's pretty much a nationwide standard.

Cain, I think most of the binge drinking happens in college towns/with the college crowd.  I'm betting the 16-25 crowd has the most incidences, and RWHN can probably throw some stats at us on that one.

[Cain]

Over here, its the middle age crowd, drinking at home, because their life sucks and their boss hates them and they've worked in a cubicle manipulating numbers for the past 20 years and they're trapped in a loveless marriage "for the sake of the children" and because beer was on special at Lidl.

[Cain]

As a former employee of Lidl, I highly suggest no-one EVER buy alcohol from them.

Or indeed anything.  Because I hate their guts and hope they go out of business.  I have only ever hated two jobs, and that was one of them.  But also their alcohol selection sucks, I had never even heard of their scotch before.  Or since.

[Jenne]

There seems some evidence to suggest that's the case here, too: 

http://www.allbusiness.com/population-demographics/demographic-groups/12672137-1.html

http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/quickstats/binge_drinking.htm

So yeah, we have a lot of those, too.  But I guess it's this statistic that I was remembering:

The proportion of current drinkers that binge is highest in the 18- to 20-year-old group (51%).3

(from that second link)

[AFK]

BAI, that's pretty much a nationwide standard.

Cain, I think most of the binge drinking happens in college towns/with the college crowd.  I'm betting the 16-25 crowd has the most incidences, and RWHN can probably throw some stats at us on that one.

Yeah, that's about right.  Right now the big push is to address the 18-24/25 crowd.  The rates of underage drinking in high school aged youth and younger have been declining somewhat, as well as binge drinking.  The one thing I'm seeing is that whatever it is that is bringing down drinking among our youth seems to be more effective on males than females.  At least, that's how the numbers look in Maine, I'm assuming they are similar across the country.  So now the focus is on those college aged/young adults.  And they are a very difficult population to work with. 

[Jenne]

BAI, that's pretty much a nationwide standard.

Cain, I think most of the binge drinking happens in college towns/with the college crowd.  I'm betting the 16-25 crowd has the most incidences, and RWHN can probably throw some stats at us on that one.

Yeah, that's about right.  Right now the big push is to address the 18-24/25 crowd.  The rates of underage drinking in high school aged youth and younger have been declining somewhat, as well as binge drinking.  The one thing I'm seeing is that whatever it is that is bringing down drinking among our youth seems to be more effective on males than females.  At least, that's how the numbers look in Maine, I'm assuming they are similar across the country.  So now the focus is on those college aged/young adults.  And they are a very difficult population to work with.  

Yeah, they're "let loose" so why be square and not party?  Plus the parents don't really want to put a big leash on them (which I agree with in the main unless you're a fucktard parent who didn't give your kid the necessary tools to make good decisions), either.  So influence on that age group tends to be predominately peer-based.

Present company excluded, of course.  I realize a lot of posters on this board are in that age group.

[Triple Zero]

BAI, that's pretty much a nationwide standard.

Cain, I think most of the binge drinking happens in college towns/with the college crowd.  I'm betting the 16-25 crowd has the most incidences, and RWHN can probably throw some stats at us on that one.

same here, at least a few years ago I saw shit about it on the news, "coma drinking". it may be one or two years younger though, cause kids are allowed to drink beer at 16 (and strong liquor at 18).

I just wonder, see. The way you hear about methanol generally, is that you shouldnt even as much as *try* home distilling without quality expensive equipment or you will create pure poison. And basically what I figured out is that, if I'm just a tad bit sensible about it myself, there is no risk whatsoever.
And my problem is that it goes for a lot of shit that isn't outlawed just the same. OTC drugs anyone?

And then I dont get to experiment with making all sorts of interesting liquors, which is a creative craft that I am sure I would enjoy a lot.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

they all look like that because they've been drinking too much badly distilled moonshine?

No, those are the people that will make it.

[fomenter]

There HAVE been cases of methanol poisoning during U.S. Prohibition, all (most?) cases were either of legal methylated spirits being used as a cutting agent or someone attempting to "de-methylate" meth. spirits.

This led to a perception that distillation produced a dangerous product in the hands of an amateur (which, obviously, the ATF hasn't killed itself trying to disprove). In reality, it'd be hard to produce a dangerous liquor, though the first and last portions of distillate should always be tossed as good operating procedure.

also probation era moonshine was very high proof i am guessing alcohol poisoning (the regular kind) happened as well

i looked at home stills  years ago and it seemed to me the distillation tower's they were selling then were not outrageously expense, and were the only professional part you needed for consistent quality distillation. plans for how to build a professional tower were also on line and wouldn't be to hard if you had the materials and some skills..

[Kai]

another quote from the libertarian:

"For those of you who enjoyed cigarettes with candy, fruit and clove flavors. They are banned now. You can thank Uncle-Fucking-Sam and his big-ass nose that doesn't belong in the economy. ;D Sacrifice the principle and you will lose more than you bargained for."

I'm seeing a trend here.

[Cain]

Tell me, does your libertarian friend ever get upset about shit that matters?  You know, torture, Guantanamo Bay (now Bagram airbase), warrantless wiretapping, the President having the ability to order the murder of suspected terrorists...things which some people might consider actually totalitarian?

[Kai]

Tell me, does your libertarian friend acquaintance ever get upset about shit that matters?  You know, torture, Guantanamo Bay (now Bagram airbase), warrantless wiretapping, the President having the ability to order the murder of suspected terrorists...things which some people might consider actually totalitarian?

No, as far as I can tell.

I haven't asked, but he's never mentioned it.

[Cain]

Still, it seems rather telling.

We need a word for people who are economically libertarian and socially apathetic, if not actively totalitarian.  I mean, other than "fucktard".

[Iason Ouabache]

I thought that that was what the word "glibertarian" meant.