This Would Ruin Your Day

menzies said:

Why do you keep returning to driving and operating. And using the 0.08 limit?

As in my examples about - cook-out on July Fourth, Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, what is excess?

We are discussing excess in general not driving around looking for a kid to knock off her bicycle.

So what is excessive drinking?

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Wifey: No, we were discussing boating and operating a boat, not your personal drinking habits. The issue was boat operation and then it went to anchoring which has the risk of needing to operate.

What do I personally consider excess and a problem with alcohol? Here's a good questionnaire:

What are symptoms of an alcohol use disorder? - Rethinking Drinking - NIAAA

On a one time basis, I consider it excess if you do things you regret and wouldn't have done without alcohol. I consider it an issue if you pass out or don't remember all that took place. If you get kicked out of a place, get arrested or get in trouble with family, I consider it excess.

On an ongoing basis, here are some things I associate with addiction. I consider it excess if you drink to intoxication level or impairment level every day or if you put your desire to drink ahead of other tasks or responsibilities, especially anytime you put it ahead of friends or family. If it leads to regular fights or disagreements within your family or with your spouse, I consider it excess. Also, if you and your spouse are doing it and fighting while intoxicated. I also consider it excessive if it's damaging your health, if you know that, and you continue the same. I consider it excess if you get intoxicated at every holiday and every major even. I consider it a problem if you can't think of a party or the word party or fun in general without alcohol involved.

Those are personal things and not anything I'm trying to regulate. They really have nothing to do with this thread or this forum. I've seen alcoholism up close and personal as has my hubby. I'm amazed my father never killed anyone with his drunken driving, just totaled cars and destroyed property and eventually led to him being disabled from the accidents. I also saw his abuse of my mother while drinking and since he was always drinking, he was always abusing her. But I'm not equating having a couple of drinks to him. Not even many drinks. We occasionally have parties at home where I do get intoxicated but never to the point of passing out or not knowing what I'm doing. However, we have those infrequently, maybe three times a year. Also, when we have them, everyone who drinks surrenders their keys and doesn't get them back until the end of the following day. If they need to go anywhere we arrange transportation. We very seldom offer or serve alcohol on our boat and never away from a dock.

Based on so many posts I have read here...there is plenty of impaired boating whether alcohol is part of the problem or not....

Baker said:

Uhhhhhhh.....disrobing and running around your family cookout naked. I think that is a behaviour that could be associated with excessive drinking.

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Wifey B: Ut oh. It perhaps could be associated with drinking, but with some of us it might just be done quite sober. Skinny dipping? Hot tub? What about nudists?

How about if you do the above you described and you would not do that if you weren't drinking?

BandB said:

Wifey: No, we were discussing boating and operating a boat, not your personal drinking habits. The issue was boat operation and then it went to anchoring which has the risk of needing to operate.

What do I personally consider excess and a problem with alcohol? Here's a good questionnaire:

What are symptoms of an alcohol use disorder? - Rethinking Drinking - NIAAA

On a one time basis, I consider it excess if you do things you regret and wouldn't have done without alcohol. I consider it an issue if you pass out or don't remember all that took place. If you get kicked out of a place, get arrested or get in trouble with family, I consider it excess.

On an ongoing basis, here are some things I associate with addiction. I consider it excess if you drink to intoxication level or impairment level every day or if you put your desire to drink ahead of other tasks or responsibilities, especially anytime you put it ahead of friends or family. If it leads to regular fights or disagreements within your family or with your spouse, I consider it excess. Also, if you and your spouse are doing it and fighting while intoxicated. I also consider it excessive if it's damaging your health, if you know that, and you continue the same. I consider it excess if you get intoxicated at every holiday and every major even. I consider it a problem if you can't think of a party or the word party or fun in general without alcohol involved.

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That is very well said, Wifey!!!! That absolutely nails it in my opinion!!!

psneeld said:

Based on so many posts I have read here...there is plenty of impaired boating whether alcohol is part of the problem or not....

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Wifey B: There sure is and many causes. Alcohol is just one.

menzies said:

As in my examples above - cook-out on July Fourth, Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, what is excess?

We are discussing excess in general not driving around looking for a kid to knock off her bicycle.

So what is excessive drinking?

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I understand your question, and the distinction you are making with drinking while operating a vehicle. I think it is a very interesting question however, the confusion comes I think because we have drifted a long way from the original thread. Since the discussion that you and I have been having in recent posts isn't necessarily about BUI, it is probably off-topic here, even if I do find the question interesting.

BandB said:

On an ongoing basis, here are some things I associate with addiction. I consider it excess if you drink to intoxication level or impairment level every day or if you put your desire to drink ahead of other tasks or responsibilities, especially anytime you put it ahead of friends or family. If it leads to regular fights or disagreements within your family or with your spouse, I consider it excess. Also, if you and your spouse are doing it and fighting while intoxicated. I also consider it excessive if it's damaging your health, if you know that, and you continue the same. I consider it excess if you get intoxicated at every holiday and every major even. I consider it a problem if you can't think of a party or the word party or fun in general without alcohol involved.

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Interesting. Excess for me is well below those levels.

dhays said:

I understand your question, and the distinction you are making with drinking while operating a vehicle. I think it is a very interesting question however, the confusion comes I think because we have drifted a long way from the original thread. Since the discussion that you and I have been having in recent posts isn't necessarily about BUI, it is probably off-topic here, even if I do find the question interesting.

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I think the original conversation was exhausted - operating a boat from the Bahamas to Florida, at night, drinking to least to twice the limit. There really wasn't much to discuss as to whether or not that was unacceptable.

Then should we drink or not at anchorage? That has been discussed here and in other forums many many times and the attitudes are all over the place. Yours obviously differs from mine.

So I was discussing the definition of "excess" that was being used. Not from a vehicle/machinery operation standpoint, from from a general standpoint.

Seems the definition of excess is very broad. From your couple of drinks and starting to feel out of control to B&B's description of passing out, starting fights, impacting family etc. etc. which I would equate more with alcoholism or certainly near-alcoholism.

Interesting.