[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by DemolitionRed

Spending half our life in France means new wine is as cheap as a loaf of bread during the wine season. I used to have a glass of wine with my meal every evening and thought nothing of it. I considered a good meal wouldn't be the same without my glass of wine.

When my partner suggested I was a wino I protested; one glass a day does not make a wino does it? He then asked me if I was prepared to walk a mile in the rain for a bottle of wine and although I told him I wouldn't, the reality is, I would. Coming off that one glass of wine was actually quite difficult but once I realised it had become a need and not an occasional indulgence, I knew I had to stop.

I started a thread about this haha... Is every French person an alcoholic if they have a glass with their evening meal, or is is a cute cultural custom?

[DemolitionRed]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I started a thread about this haha... Is every French person an alcoholic if they have a glass with their evening meal, or is is a cute cultural custom?

The French drink wine because like bread its seen as a necessity!
They rarely drink it without food though but that's why their meals go on for hours and hours

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I started a thread about this haha... Is every French person an alcoholic if they have a glass with their evening meal, or is is a cute cultural custom?

Not EVERY French person obviously, some can have a drink with every evening meal as part of the meal (I've heard people bang on about how it interacts with flavours and such... dunno, I don't like wine!) and they're not using it to destress.

That said... Apparently, whilst binge-drinking is a much bigger issue in the UK than in France, France does actually have a higher incidence of classic "drunk every day" alcoholism. One of the highest in the world, I think, or at least it was at one point.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Not EVERY French person obviously, some can have a drink with every evening meal as part of the meal (I've heard people bang on about how it interacts with flavours and such... dunno, I don't like wine!) and they're not using it to destress.

That said... Apparently, whilst binge-drinking is a much bigger issue in the UK than in France, France does actually have a higher incidence of classic "drunk every day" alcoholism. One of the highest in the world, I think, or at least it was at one point.

And so it is here, not everyone drinks to excess and not everyone who drinks regularly but in moderation is an alcoholic.
Same with sweet drinks, there are those who drink a can once a week maybe, some who have 2 or 3 a week or a litre or two a day! They are having similar reactions occurring in their livers due to the sugars just with a caffeine buzz and not an alcohol one.