Peak revelry: the history of the drinker generation

The beginning of a beautiful friendship

With alcohol, I met in the late eighties. It happened in the morning after the party, which suits parents. My sister - her 9 I 10 - woke up before everyone else and went to explore the living room for discarded cans. Was important methodical approach: lift, shake, if something inside gurgled - drinking. I still remember the taste of stale lager with hints of metal and cigarette butts.

Sometimes we were able to seize the moment and my father sip of cognac, although the taste was, frankly, so-so. The heavy glass bottle kept in the depths of the chest, a glass of father poured himself evening and walked into the room to talk on the phone. During the holidays (birthdays, for example, or Christmas dinner) parents allowed us to legally drink: usually half a glass of sparkling.

Truly I tried alcohol as a teenager. Get what they want was a matter plovym, even in the UK and it is forbidden to sell alcohol to persons under 18 years of age. The large chain pubs require identification, so we went to the smaller taverns where are the subject without much scruple. My boyfriend was older, so in the pub opposite the supermarket, where I moonlighted on Saturday, it was he who bought me a schnapps and lemonade.

Birthday parties and trips to music festivals - the same booze, sometimes gets the most bizarre forms and grow into a living hell.

Our menu was liqueurs and alcoholic cocktails. Appearance and taste are not distinguished from the lemonade, but rather acted these things beer.

The most interesting thing started at the university. Here is my relationship with alcohol reached a new level. I remember the first week after the start of study: social phobia, and attempts to get rid of it with the help of cheap alcohol. It was only a harbinger of the coming four years. A typical Friday or Saturday night in the dormitory of the University of Leeds: in the air are the flavors and fragrance styling products, and we are neighbors with the five of us sitting on the kitchen floor, and drink from glasses and promiscuity mugs. Warming up cheap beer, and then passed on as a cheap vodka and red wine.

It turned out the booze makes everything easier. Not that alcohol is completely delivered me from the fear of communication. Morning puts everything in its place: social phobia returned, and with it - a headache and a nasty taste in the mouth chicken coop. And yet the alcohol helped me to communicate with people, and sometimes even dance. Sometimes, an extra glass of carried me beyond good and evil. Once I kick that went nose vomiting. In a diary entry remained - four words scrawled turquoise handle, "Piana + sick / Ball newcomers." That's life: you or shove someone in a taxi, or to shove you. In the course were home parties: Hawaiian Pizza box and smelling of cigarette smoke hair.

The university was over, I was living in another city, but the habit still remained with me. One drunken escapades completed the acquisition of a black eye and a tetanus shot - staggering legs disappoint. Nothing has changed and a serious relationship. With my husband, I began dating in 2003, and the official sponsor of our communication was lager and vodka. We walked to the nearest pub, pumped beer, and when it is already on the gate, switched to hard liquor.

In general, nothing special about it. I can not say that I or my friends some problems with alcohol. Yeah, we drink, and sometimes getting drunk in the trash, and then suffer the consequences. Do exactly the same thing, that should do the youth.

And yet, with over 20 years of alcoholic experience, I began to wonder if my generation called relationship can be normal and alcohol?

Statistics said that until then norm far. The peak of our drinking fell in 2004. British 12 months mastered more than a century before and ten years after. These dramatic results - the merit of those who were born in the eighties. Relatively speaking, if we were somewhere in the region of twenty. More no generation not to drink so much alcohol at such a young age. What is wrong with us?

Referring to the statistics and consider the amount of alcohol consumed per capita of the United Kingdom. The calculation is carried out in liters of pure alcohol per person. It is clear that very few people drink undiluted alcohol, 1 liter of it - about 35 glasses of strong beer. In the fifties, on average Briton had 3.9 liters of alcohol. In the next decade figure crept up to the seventies and made it more and more confident. In the eighties, the upward trend gave way to calm to the end of the nineties again jerk upward.

revelry peak came in 2004, when the average Briton mastered for the year of 9.5 liters - in terms of the wine turns out more than a hundred bottles.

Thoroughly to find out the causes of the rise and fall of this chart is hardly possible, but I spoke with researchers who have studied our relationship with alcohol. In their current state of influenced by many factors, from economic issues and marketing to sexism. In many ways, this story is not about how much alcohol we consume, but about who, what and where to drink. So, it all started more than half a century ago in the pub.

In the late thirties group of researchers set out to describe what is happening in British pubs. The result - the book "The pub and the people." Part of the pub, which gathered representatives of the working class, called the shelter: "At the bottom of the bar desk, topped with battered top made of red wood, stretches a strip of sawdust 15 centimeters. Visitors to spits, throw cigarette butts, matches and empty cigarette packs. " The guests are busy pub? Talk, think of any, smoke, spit, play, make a bet, sing, play the piano, buy and sell all kinds of things - from pies to the laces.

And drink, of course. In post-war Britain, the consumption of alcohol most often occurs in pubs. Sat there mostly men, who usually drank beer. In the two decades after the publication of "Pub and people," the situation is not particularly changed. Quite another spree began in the sixties when there have been fundamental changes in the British culture of alcohol, and on the horizon loomed still more clearly already familiar revelry peak.

Lager against ale

Some of these changes were due to the fact that the British were finally appreciated drink, which has long shunned. Josef Groll (Josef Groll) brewed the first batch of Pilsner, light golden lager, in 1842, it happened in the Czech city of Plzen. The fame of the new beer has spread very quickly, as it is itself, for what thank is rapidly developing rail links in Europe. Soon German brewers have been producing their own variations on the theme of Pilsner, so the name is a word pilsner beer has become a symbol of a new type of beverage.

Lager exciting world, but the British fans of alcohol remained faithful light ales home cooking. They were weaker lagers with a five per cent alcohol content and is quite consistent with the English drinking traditions. "Mild (mild, light beer type. - Approx.. Lane) contained about 3% alcohol - the author writes articles about beer Pete Brown (Pete Brown). - Men who worked in the factories and mines, could drink a pint for a pint after work, quench thirst, but without getting drunk. " This is connected with nalogoobrazovaniya system operating in the United Kingdom, where the tax on beer was related to his fortress. On the skeptical British did not affect even the example of Prince Albert, who during a visit to Germany came to the delight of lager.

But the development of the alcohol industry does not stop. After the Second World brewers actively took up the popularization of lager. Appreciative audience they found in the generation face matured by the end of the sixties and greedy for anything new.

"Lager literally blew up the market after years of unsuccessful promotion - says Brown. What has changed? - We are still often drunk in the pubs, the company was still predominantly male, and beer enjoyed the same strength. Once brewing company called their product "refreshing" - the first time in British advertising. "

The first time after starting the advertising business, Brown said, were "normal." But two unusually hot summer - in 1975 and 1976 - have attracted the attention of consumers to the unique quality of the beer. lager sales went up rapidly.

Commercials promised consumers lager that "refreshes like another beer can." Here, for example, the story of one of them. A man sits in a chair and does the reading a newspaper, surrounded by furniture, covered with covers. Hearing something he pretends with his head immersed in reading. Beginning his furious wife: she is leaving, but the repairs to be completed by her return. Hearing slammed the car door, the husband gets stashed mug foam, but this time his dog whistling, paints the wall clamped in leg roller. It looks crazy, but that the British way: a contentious woman, naughty husband and bobtail - a reference to the dog from a popular advertising in the UK paint brand.

Advertising costs paid off. From 1971 to 1985, the first annual sales of ale and stout fell by 10 million barrels, while sales of lager in this regard have grown by 12 million barrels. Now it is three-quarters of all beer sold in the United Kingdom. The drink has managed to become an integral part of British identity: lager - this is for the guys who love the fun and football. Alcohol industry realized its ability to influence the drinking traditions, which partly continues to do and still.

Wine and women

While patrons of pubs tasted the first pint of lager, a fair amount of English drinkers discovered another novelty import - wine. In 1960, it took only 10% of the total consumption of alcohol in the UK. Over the next few years, the government has simplified its sales conditions for the outlets, which is why the situation has changed radically. A recent study showed that 60% of the 4000 adults surveyed prefer the English wine other alcoholic beverages.

Another advantage of the wine - it is usually consumed at home. This is one reason why the pubs are no longer just about the only place where you can drink. "The growing popularity of wine reflects one of the most noticeable changes in British drink culture of the last fifty years - and it thanks to sales in stores, "- writes James Nicholls (James Nicholls), director of the charity Alcohol Research Foundation Research UK.

The story of the distribution of wine in the UK - is the story of women drinkers. Pubs are traditionally not very kindly disposed towards the fair sex. As noted by the authors already mentioned the book "The pub and the people", some parts have been completely closed for the ladies: "Asylum and beer hall they were not allowed to enter, and there, where they were allowed, a pint of beer cost a penny more expensive". The language itself, which was used authors of the study, we would now be considered sexist. For example, the waitress nicknamed "chubby chick razmalovannoy".

"More recently women had no access to drinking establishments," - says Clare Herrick (Clare Herrick), a geographer at King's College in London.

It was believed that if the ladies and drink the sweet sherry or half a pint of beer, but not an entire pint. According to Herrick, it all happened because of the fear that women who consume alcohol on a par with the representatives of the stronger sex, and themselves become too manly.

Echoes of these beliefs I met as a student. Once in the pub the barman poured a pint of my friend, and I, without specifying anything handed half-pint.

Today, the fact that a woman in the UK can go free in pubs and order anything, is perceived by us as a given. This is largely the result of changes that have occurred in the financial and social status of women in the last half-century. This is one reason why so many of my generation of drinks. In the three decades preceding the peak of the revelry, the fair sex began to drink almost twice as much, hence the increase in the overall level of alcohol consumption.

New generation

The eighties began an unusual time for the alcohol industry. After thirty years of continuous growth in alcohol consumption levels decreased significantly in 1980-1995, respectively. Perhaps the reason for that was sweeping the country a wave of unemployment. But industry representatives were not going to press the brake. They have a new purpose - grown next generation of future heavy drinkers. So, it's time to change the format of pubs. These changes became fuel for powerful jerk up drinking. This in the twentieth century was not.

One of the initiatives of the industry - bringing to market a new drink, which had its roots in culture, directly threatening the alcohol industry.

I did not go to raves: the desire and opportunity schoolgirl from Kent were modest. And after all the rave culture has become an integral part of the youth of my age, though, we were limited to only buying glow in the dark bracelets and T-shirts with emoticons.

ravers beer is not interested in their favorites were psychoactive substances. This is one of the likely reasons pubs attendance fall by 11% between 1987 and 1992. alcohol industry, the answer is not long in coming. It all started with the selection, which the government is strongly suggested to make the organizers of parties. Phil Hadfield (Phil Hadfield), a consultant in the area of ​​alcohol policy, formulated as follows: "Either you are working within the system, or not working at all." Some chose the latter option, but there were those who agreed with the requirements of the government. Began to appear legitimate dance floors.

Industry, of course, will not miss her. According to the alcohol market researchers Mishem Fiona (Fiona Meashem) and Kevin Bruijn (Kevin Brain), liquor manufacturers saw this as a chance for the repositioning of the product and turn it into a competitor's favorite party-goers substances. There were drinks, aimed at heterogeneous culturally youth: strong lagers bottled new beers and ciders. And, of course, alcoholic cocktails. After a few years in the beverage appeared stimulating additives - caffeine and guarana. It was all part of a plan to transform the alcohol from dull depressant in a delicious and refreshing drink of youth. That's music, note Mishem and Brain, has revolutionized the alcohol industry.

Pubs are not the same

The next step - the transformation of British pubs. Zaplovannym establishments with a floor strewn with shavings, are gone. Large chain pubs began to rebuild the old buildings - from banks to theaters and even plants - drinking establishments in the new format. In place of the glass panels have come a brick wall. All of this restructuring, and say Mishem Brain, has been started in order to attract people who prefer to spend their free time on the dance floor, in the gym halls and shopping malls. In short, not only men in years.

The new pubs became particularly popular shots. Whiskey and beer - an old Scottish game, but the shots on their own for the United Kingdom were a novelty. Another innovation - the so-called vertical drinking.

Visitors should drink, not to sit around, so instead of tables and chairs had small high tables.

Drinkers who literally kicked out of the ground under their feet, had to grab hold of stronger glasses. The new pub is noisy, but you do not shoot the breeze came here, so do not be distracted and drink. "Bars remove extra furniture and interior walls to accommodate more" vertical drunks at maximum volume "(as they fondly called their guests) "- written by sociologist Simon Uinlou (Simon Winlow) and Steve Hall criminologist (Steve Hall), explore the night life Great Britain.

Discounts on alcohol during certain hours, and other marketing tricks practiced in pubs, inspire us to drink more and more. In 2005, when the amendments to the law will allow pubs to work late, some managers suggested Award up to 20 000 pounds, if they will use sales techniques to increase revenue institutions. For example, instead of double servings to sell more common. All this was made possible because the real cost of alcohol from 1984 to 2007, declined. One specialist in liver disease told me that his patients who drink 100-120 Units (1 unit - 10 ml pure alcohol) of alcohol per week, can now afford three times more alcohol than the middle eighties.

All of these changes, from the fall of the price of alcohol before the spirits, warmly greeted the audience, gave rise to a phenomenon that researchers call "deliberate drunkenness." Middle-aged can enjoy the evening, but the consumption of alcohol is not a process for which the main objective. Unlike those who are twenty or somewhere around.

Youth believes spirits indispensable component of a good night, say the authors of the book "Alcohol, drinking and drunkenness."

Young people deliberately seek to achieve intoxication, which are beginning to rub in advance, even before the exit of the house. They are in the course of alcoholic games and experiments to mix everything with everything.

Since the beginning of the new century, alcohol has become more affordable and cheap, it began to try to impose stronger than in previous decades. In 2004, the British drank two and a half times more than half a century ago. Nation come to the top of the peak binge and flag hoisted there my generation. Notice that something is wrong, we had no time.

Drunk and Dangerous

Gemma died young. We went to school together, and then she, like me, went to university. In 2001, the sister told me that Gemma is no more. The car in which she was faced with the who left the oncoming van. blood alcohol concentration exceeded his driver are allowed in the more than four times. I remember that it seemed quite incredible that some of our contemporaries passed away. Of course, Gemma is not the only one: more than 500 people a year are victims of drunk drivers. Drunken reckless drivers - it's mostly young people, with the majority of - men and women make up one-third of the victims.

From a lot of drinkers and other harm. Alcohol awakens in man is not the best quality that many of us have become short-tempered, foul language and break through to destroy everything around. The slightest disagreement - a reason to give a face, not without reason, about half of cases of physical violence associated with the consumption of alcohol.

In "On the needle" a scene when one of the characters, Begbie, runs in human glass mug. This problem has become so widespread that in some pubs abandoned in favor of the usual cups, plastic utensils or tempered glass, which is not so easy to razobosh. The images from the film were used in an advertising campaign on the occasion of the decade a network of bars - it says a lot about the British drink culture. A study conducted by the University of Cardiff in 2014, believe that the effects of alcohol - the most powerful factor provoking violence and abusive behavior.

It is tempting to link directly to the amount of alcohol consumed with a frequency of offenses committed in a state of intoxication, but the situation is much more complicated - there are still many other factors. The number of accidents related to drunk driving, is reduced from the seventies thanks to a large-scale promotion of safe driving. British roads have become safer and more due to the fact that we are now increasingly drink at home. Yet a steady trend that lasts for more than 40 years, turned backwards between 1999 and 2004 years. During this period has increased dramatically the use of alcohol - we climbed to the top of the peak of revelry. I do not know, this is a coincidence or not. Crime reports show the same dependence. The authors of the study at Cardiff in 2014 linked a decrease in the number of violent deaths in England and Wales, including with a reduction in alcohol consumption and the emergence of the plastic in pubs utensils.

generation that conquered the peak of revelry, may well harm themselves and their own.

Our body - not the best assistant: in the tissues of the liver is almost no nerve endings, so we do not feel, how it responds to a drunk.

But it is perfectly sees statistics: the annual number of deaths in England and Wales from the liver diseases associated with alcohol consumption, grew steadily until 2008, and then went down. Some experts have told me that it is changes in alcohol policy had a positive effect on the number of deaths from liver disease. Deaths associated with the consequences of the use of alcohol, whether damage to the nervous system or poisoning, in the next few years after the revelry of the peak became smaller. Again, we do not know, is there a causal relationship or not.

With the next generation, things are quite different. Not so long ago, I spoke at the invitation of a friend to the students of the university. Then there was a small buffet, but the students ignored him, giving up free booze. We had one option - first drink all that is poured, and then go somewhere else. In the first pub we tried several beers, then went on, and the end of the evening is lost in the fog. I remember a contest on eating chili, which, to my pain, I was defeated. Last memory - Bank of rum in my hand. The next day my friend and I crawled to the university at 9am she was a lecture. Slowly moved up the students. They looked, though not very vigorously, but certainly better than I do.

The current youth often do not just drink less, but do not drink alcohol. I do not know what is the reason: financial difficulties, the growing number of those who do not drink because of religious beliefs, or to increase the time spent on the web. We do not know and how much it will last. Dislike of the new generation of drunkenness was one of the reasons for the decline of alcohol consumption - only 7.7 liters per person in 2013. The lowest figure since 1996 and almost two liters less than in the memorable 2004.

In love with alcohol

For many of us, the conquerors of the peak of revelry, is absolutely normal on Friday after work to go to the bar. Weekend, starting on Thursday - too bad. Happy - you drink, sad - you drink in the refrigerator still have a beer, do not disappear as him. We are now over thirty, we have a family, children, work, and debts - so what? We are sympathetic to those who are sick in the taxi who drunkenly lost wallet, I slept in clothes on and get to work with a hangover hell.

Drunkenness - is not just a fine. In some ways, it's part of our identity.

It is difficult to guess that in some way to blame alcohol advertising on television and the abundance of cheap and so attractive alcohol in shops. Today, of course, advertising is rigidly regulated, but did not disappear culinary competitions, sponsored by wine producers, and t-shirts with the logos of beer companies. They seem to remind us that alcohol has become a familiar part of everyday life.

Not only a health risk and a potential danger of the crimes committed under the influence of alcohol, is fraught with the conquest of the peak revelry. All this left its mark on our thinking. I would not say that one of my close friends alcoholic, but the attachment to a glass of cool white or a gin and tonic at the end of the day we have a complex stronger than might be desired.

I want to know that the desire to drink - it is the desire, not necessity. I want to control what I do. But it is necessary to go to the party and not to drink there, as have polvechera fend off others, and to prove to them that I am not pregnant. The fact that a month without drinking was proof iron willpower, as well as a feature of some charitable campaigns ( "Sober January" and the like) - the best confirmation of how firmly rooted in alcohol our everyday life. He became a kind of grease, softening friction from contact with life.

It would be great if we choose to drink or not. Sometimes it seems that everything is decided for us.