The great British booze problem: how a few glasses a day has led to an epidemic for the NHS 

I do not give a long speech about why I don't drink alcohol. I just say very plainly and bluntly "I do not drink. I have made a choice not to drink." If all your friends are teasing you because you do not drink alcohol you need new friends. You change the peer pressure when you change your peers.

I really appreciated how they gave a non-drinker’s perspective on just how alienating it can be not to drink, especially as a man. The stigma of sobriety is often overlooked or minimized.

I honestly doubt that Derek was only drinking two cans a night.

"In England alone" - shows stock footage of Temple Bar in Dublin. Come on lads.

The problem with this culture is that we “need” a drink to have fun or socialise..

There's a guy in our group who doesn't drink. He just orders ice tea at bars. Most of the time I forget he's not even drinking with us. He's just as much fun as my friends who drink. He gives me inspiration that you don't have to drink to have fun. New year and I haven't had a drink yet. Goal is to limit to 5 or less drinks a week.

I stopped drinking 3 years ago. I really struggle to socialise with people who are drinking now. Was also not expecting peer pressure in my 30's

this man is incredibly jaundice thats crazy

I am trying so hard to stay sober after my wife died I hit the booze very hard and now I see the damage it was doing to me, its an uphill battle and I'm suffering but so far I'm sticking to it.

I am totally shocked at how yellow the first man's eyes are. That is obvious jaundice.

Went dry for weeks this year. Taught me that pubs and other people are pretty unbearable without booze

The hard truth is, that the only way to succesfully abstain from alcohol is to sever some of your relationships. Especially when many of those are built around alcohol.

For about 12 years I drank a bottle of wine every night, and then after years of wanting to quit, I decided to finally stop drinking July of 2020. It's been almost a year now since I last drank, December 30th will be one year of sobriety and I'm glad I quit

6 years sober. Hoping I never drink again. Nearly killed me. I’m so much happier being sober.

I developed a drinking problem at university as the college I was in had activities centered around drinking. I spent the whole summer binging and feeling so ill. I quit drinking at 21 and I'm never looking back

I was a regular, not heavy, drinker. I did binge a bit occasionally in my early 20’s playing rugby, but being a slim guy couldn’t really take a ton of beer. From there I just drank socially and wine with meals. In my 40’s, I started to travel a lot and felt that drinking alone, even if it was just a glass or two, was pointless. Plus I put a bit of weight on. Not much, but definitely a little beer gut and middle aged spread. I wasn’t having that. I love food too much so if I needed to shave off some calories, two things were going to happen. The first, more exercise. The second, ditching booze. I gave up completely nearly three years ago. It was hard. Not because of addiction, but because of the social pressure, however subtle. The guy in the film says it well. The burden of proof is on the person not drinking. I felt like I had to explain. And to tell people I wasn’t alcoholic (although that’s the default assumption). In my case, I took up running. Pretty seriously. I now run 2500 miles a year, race regularly and ran the Boston marathon this Monday having qualified through pace. I’ve done 5 marathons now and a few half marathons in the last 2 years. I look back now and wish I’d done it years ago. Better late than never.

I've never been a really big drinker. But after losing my mom nearly 4 years ago to cirrhosis I haven't touched alcohol in about 4 years. It put me off.

A childhood friend died a week ago because of his drinking, he was younger than me. Near death, he looked at least 20 years my senior. It's frightening what effect's booze has. RIP Paul.

I really hope Derek is doing ok. So scary what alcohol can do

Hope he made it,my son didn't. He died 6th January 2016 aged 41.He was a really lovely man,kind and sensitive and a talented musician.

I quit drinking a few years ago, and I don’t miss it at all. I feel so much better physically and mentally.

You don't turn the colour of custard off 2 cans a night

It was acute pancreatitis that stopped me drinking thanks to the NHS and my determination to get better I’ve been 9 years sober now greetings from scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 I drank at home.And I still do my job that I’ve done before i became an alcoholic

I am absolutely gobsmacked at the level of drinking mentioned here that is considered “normal”. Why does anyone want to drink like this day in and day out? It reeks of inner emptiness.

He's not an alcoholic, he just drank like one.

I am both a former binge drinker / boarder- line alcoholic and work for the NHS. From the age of 16-31 I was totally hooked on booze, towards the end I was going out 4-5 times a week and sinking 10 pints easy, the rest of the week was just a blur of exhaustion and hangover. It was in the back of my mind that I needed to stop, but what gave me that push was that, at the time I worked in the Hepatology (Liver) clinic and I met 1 or 2 very poorly people, who had caused their illnesses with drinking. It suddenly clicked “your over 30 now, your body can’t do this, carry on and this is your future” and after a few failed tries I just stopped - I found I had to totally avoid the pub and certain people, and in truth I’ve never really gone back there unless for a meal (I just find it boring now) so yes I’ve lost friends and had to find new hobbies (got back into gaming for one thing). However what I have got in the trade,is a wonderful partner, my own place not rented and I’ve been promoted 3 times at work. I’m nearly 7 years sober and as I knock the door of 40 never been happier - I honestly believe I’d have been seriously Ill by now if I’d carried on.

I used to average a 6pack a day sometimes 12 I'm glad I stopped

This genuinely looked a lot like my dad before he passed, the complexion, the hair, it is truly terrible disease. Some of these comments are just disgraceful. Liver disease is a truly horrible disease that you would never wish on anyone

been sober for 10 months and stopped smoking best thing ive ever done

I have been in both sides.. The healthcare professional, looking after these patients. After covid started, I went on in those habits, and now I am the patient... still figuring a way out.

When you look like a Simpsons character, it's time to give up the sauce my dude.

2 years in April teetotal from 23 years of drinking, Diabetic now with Chronic pancreatitis no looking back, to those of you giving or wishing to give up YOU CAN DO IT!!! It's very very worth it, peace and Love to you all you are NOT hopeless cases, I'm 54 and starting a new life.

Late night coffee shops and tea shops decaff should be open later where people can socialize

I still cannot understand that alcohol is legal and cannabis isn’t.

Having been unlucky enough to get hepatitis E and waking up one morning jaundiced, I can safely say that seeing yourself 'yellow' in the mirror is a very sobering scene indeed.

She's wrong to say he's not an alcoholic. If alcohol is killing him, he IS an alcoholic!! I know what alcoholism is, because I am one.

I gave up drinking at 19.......best decision I ever made. My grandparents got divorced back in the 60's (relatively rare back then) due to my grandad being an alcoholic. Not only does alcoholism have the potential to ruin individuals lives, but also the lives of their loved ones and friends along the way. As my nana would say "it's the drink of the devil my boy".

People who can’t enjoy life without alcohol or have to “unwind” in the evening with a bottle of wine, really do have a problem.

My life got dramatically better when I stepped away from the bottle. I got my power back.

The best thing that ever happened to me was being set free from the addiction of alcohol... I never thought I had a drink problem either, but actually I was blind to it, I am so thankful my eyes were opened... I am very confident and happy to say I don't drink alcohol and I simply don't care what others think about that either, I only have one body and I will choose to look after it!

"He has alcoholic liver disease but he is not an alcoholic" ^The level of denial is strong in this one

This happened to my grandfather, but he was 80 before he figured out the damage. He drank a firm 8 to 10 beers every day and died from liver cancer right before his 81st birthday.

Guy looks like he did a bit more then 2 cans every day.

That dude drinks more a week than I do in a year.

8 months free for me. I was close to liver problems.

I buried my best friend since birth today and it was liver disease which killed her and she was only 42! I won't ever touch alcohol as I know first hand the effects!

As a recovered alcoholic I can tell you that what we admit to drinking is rarely what we are actually consuming. If you have alcoholic liver disease guess what? You drink way too much.

Derek's claims of drinking regularly but moderately may not be completely accurate. Vomiting large amounts of blood in drinkers is usually related to esophageal varices, and it takes years of heavy drinking for those to form as an alternate pathway to supply the liver with blood after scarring and cirrhosis damages its natural supply.

Had my last drink on St Patrick's Day 2023. Suffered a mental health spiral in the week after, and decided, right, I'm not going to touch that again. Already had friends say "Go onnn, just have one." This video has reminded me why it is so important not to give in to peer pressure. Teetotal and proud.

People drink coz they are unhappy. Like literaly - drinking hits the dopamine receptors in the brain.

He's been drinking regularly since his teens and would probably have progressed to more than 2 cans a night, I feel sorry for him, hope he gets sorted.

I genuinely don’t understand how Dereck is “not an alcoholic” when his weekly unit consumption is in excess of 43 when the recommended maximum for a week is 14? What?!

This should be on prime time TV in the UK twice a day. What's wrong with this highly educated people? Life can be great without Alcohol!!!

My grandfather drank 24/7 and lived to 91. He also smoked pall mall non filter cigs. However he walked everywhere he went. I think that made a difference. To this day I'm amazed.

I don’t believe for one second he drank less than 35 units a week. He’s not being honest with himself.

17 days no alcohol or drugs! I feel great!

Strange how this happens to some people. I went 6 months as a chronic alcoholic drinking a 70cl of vodka straight every day and stopped drinking completely years ago and luckily came out of it with no lasting health problems ( apart from life long mental health problems that are manageable). I feel for this guy.

One year alcohol free after deciding to see how long I could go without a drink. There was alcoholism in my family and it concerned me that my weekend wine had progressed to weekday evenings too. It creeps up over time. So glad I stopped. Haven't missed it at all.

9 years sober thanks to AA.

I used to work in the City 1994/95 for one year. I was SHOCKED of the alcohol consumption and the normalization of alcohol in the UK. 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳 Never saw anything like that in Germany. Never ever.

3 yrs sober in july. I used to drink a bottle plus of whiskey every night. 9 drinks 4 fingers deep every time i went to the bar. Last night i drank was almost a full gallon of whiskey by myself in four hrs. I shouldnt be alive. Im thankful for my sobriety and will never go back to who he was. If youre out there struggling and wanna get sober- it is possible. You can do it. You can beat it. Its hard. And youre gonna have to practically put your soul back together into something greater than the where of why you drink this way in the first place. Its work. But omg the view is so much better from here.

I used to have a drink problem up until paying off my mortgage but now I can afford as much as I like. 😊

I'm sorry but I outright refuse to believe two cans of beer a night can cause this, that just can't be true or I would be dead by now.

Derek! .....It’d be wonderful if The Guardian wrote a comment telling us all how things worked out for him... Hopefully he is doing ok.

I drank a lot in my teens and early 20s but stopped around 25 and I'm 36 now. Feel great!

It has been medically shown that the part of the brain that alcohol first affects is in the primal brain stem area. In that region is where your brain's self-evaluation center lies. That is your own ability to self evaluate your own behavior, and to modify it to appropriate and correct. Without that functioning, you are open to acting in ways you otherwise would choose not to. It also clouds your ability to accurately judge anything going on with you or around you. You feel less inhibited because you literally are. However, that leaves you open to all the problems your own behavior causes, as well as allowing others around you to take full advantage of you. And your lack of ability to physically act/react within the physical environment. It is the "devil's drink". It is utterly dangerous.

Couple of cans a night yeah right! 😅

I was a party girl and binged on the weekends until I was 42. I am now in my 70s and don’t drink. I went back to school and worked full time. No time to party. Plus it keeps me awake at night. Sleep is more important.

As a German working in London I was shocked at this habit of lunchtime drinking in pups, after that there was not much more work possible in the afternoon. Very ,very bad for the economy . I was not surprised about Boris Johnsons drinking habits ,its normal for Londoners

I don't drink, much happier without alcohol. Let my liver relax and enjoy life :)

Heart breaking story, I am from Australia and our culture is very similar, it doesn't seem to matter what the event Alcohol is included and accepted and non-drinkers are the outsiders, more education in needed to explain and warn people just how dangerous Alcohol can be.

“… the reason Brits drink so much is because there’s very little alternative means of pleasure.” This is so true! If you listen to the reasons people are giving in the interviews at the pub as to why they drink, it’s as if they can’t imagine doing anything other than the things they already do. Total lack of creativity.

There is no way that dude with liver disease got it by drinking that little......

I really enjoy being sober - I do however find it harder to be social and definitely feel more awkward in a 'pub' type of situation. The pressure to drink here in uk is pretty intense sometimes.

tWO CANS OF LAGER A NIGHT YOU MUST BE JOKING MORE LIKE 20 CANS A NIGHT

I'm like Andy- grew up with a domineering alcoholic father and stayed away from alcohol, because of this I've had friends fade away from me.

If you can't enjoy a football game without a can of lager then the problem is with the football (its boring) and not the drink.

I completely sympathize with those who feel excluded by their friends when they go out if they're a non-drinker. But as another teatotaller (who's rarely been to a British pub) couldn't one *order a coffee or tea* and feel more like they're also 'nursing a drink' and not so obviously not participating? Do they serve coffee & tea in pubs in the U.K.?

He’s defiantly been drinking more than 2 cans a night

I got it at age 69. Been sober ever since. All my so called friends don’t want to socialize anymore. It doesn’t bother me to be around it. I think I drank because everyone else did and it became a habit. 2 1/2 years now. Don’t miss it.

Drinking everyday multiple units of alcohol doesn't qualify him as an alcoholic?

My brother died two days ago because his liver was so damaged. Came in to the hospital 10 days ago sick and during these days his kidneys stopped working, blood in his lung, heart problem and after the doctors did everything they could his body was unrepairable. Alcohol did this to him/us. 37 years old.

No amount of alcohol is safe. The Canadian government now says 2 drinks a week should be our limit.

You can see by his face at only 44 that he drank a lot more than a few beers to relax.

15 yrs sober now. Best thing I ever did was to give up booze.

"Hes not an alcoholic, he drank a few lagers every evening and a few bottles of wine on the weekends". Mam, thats definately an alcoholic.....

I am French, and I agree while playing rugby I felt pressured to drink, I rarely drink on other occasions. I had to drive all the time to justify not drinking. I do not have this issue in the Netherlands.

He was definitely drinking more than he said he was!

I disagree with the fact you need alcohol. No one needs alcohol to have a fulfilling life. Watching my uncle dying from liver disease has made me grateful for my decision to never drink.

I have nash or nonalcoholic fatty liver. I have never drank in my life. Very scary and sad.

2 cans a night ! Are we believing that ? NO , WE AREN´T .

I'm so pleased that I hardly ever drink alcohol. It's always been a British problem. A letter back in the 12th century said that 'the English are a drunken, incontinent race.'

I'm 69 now, and 12 months ago I decided not to be a victim of the mantra of always drink for sociability and to "relax." I rarely drink booze but 0.25% alcohol beer when I can't get the 0.0% for a cheap price. No loss, and my partner admires my resolve.

After 35, I basically quit drinking. Not for moral reasons; I just didn't get anything out of it (the joy of drinking?) anymore.

Wait, are you trying to say that drinking alcohol leads to issues relating to alcohol use?

He’s got severe jaundice and looks in his late 50s, yet is only 43. Are we to believe a few cans a night made him look like this gradually over the years, or is he lying about his alcohol intake? It’s also exasperating they don’t talk about his diet. Food can either help heal or damage your liver depending on what you eat.

I'm straight edge and know the stigma of a non-drinker. it's tough.

I think there is misinformation about who is an alcoholic person or not. In my opinion, everyone who drinks alcohol daily is an alcoholic person, even if it's just a single beer.

In rural Australia, binge drinking is a massive problem. I lived in a small town where it wasn’t unusual for kids as young as 11 to start consuming alcohol and not just occasionally. And often their parents either condoned it or simply chose to ignore it. Culturally we have a very tolerant view of alcoholism, tending to either glamourise it or excuse it. Adults panic and tut-tut over drug-use amongst young people but they have no problem with alcoholism which is more widespread, causes more damage and claims more lives. This hypocrisy was borne out in the early 90s when a teenage girl who tragically died of a drug overdose at a party drew nationwide media attention. Yet as one observer pointed out, that very same weekend, there were multiple deaths of young people as a result of drink-driving yet the latter was barely mentioned.

When an addict tells you how much they consume, double it at least.