Don't take it too seriously. Nobody really thinks all of you do. It's like saying all Canadians are yellow-bellied simpletons who eat this strange stuff (poutain?) and like to cut trees. That's just Cow (Mad Cow), the rest are decent.

Two people in this thread so far have said they've never met a Brit who doesn't have a drinking problem. I don't think I'm taking it too seriously.

How many times have I heard "I've never met a smart American". Do you see me caring?

To quote Palahniuk (or at least...something he inspired):

"Just let go."

I'm a Brit and I take offense when people say things along the lines of all Americans being stupid. Why? Because I have American friends. I'd hope you would extend the same courtesey when a false stereotype of us is being spread.

Sad thing is it's not that false Detty. British people seriously do have a drinking problem en masse. Proof? Look at the article that started this thread.

I'm sure there's a reasonable margin of error, but still, when ~50 per cent of your population has what most would call a drinking problem, you gotta rethink calling it a 'false' stereotype.

Just like I'll admit most Americans are fat, you gotta realize what is and isn't hyperbole.

And if we use stupid to mean someone of significantly lower intelligence than ourselves, i'm sure it's true that most Americans are in fact stupid.

Most people I know who drink a lot don't NEED drink in order to enjoy themselves. I would say people who drink because they can't cope without it have a problem, most people drink because they enjoy it, i'd really hope i'm not the only person in the country who can resist peer pressure and say "no" when I don't feel like drinking.

I'll tell you one thing though, it's easy to drink a lot. It's easy to not drink at all, it's very hard to drink a little bit.

I agree that most Americans are stupid--but when someone says ALL Americans are stupid, that's a very different matter.

*Gets back from the pub*

Woah! A thread! err... actually, I only had four pints last night, (although the government call more than three binge drinking, but that's just bollocks), I'm not *that* bad, though I do play it up, and yeah, we party hard come the weekend.

And ^^ up there, I too have american friends, and stereotyping is bad.

The words "drinking problem" are subjective though - like Detty, I can go clubbing sober, I definitely don't need a drink to have a good time, but I do enjoy a drink, and I admit, I do enjoy drinking to "excess" from time to time. It doesn't mean that I'm an alcoholic and waste away my days in a vegitative state!

But I did take a beer into the shower the other day. And I do declare that it was good.

I only had 3 pints last night, so you have a problem and I don't :p

According to the Health Secretary

Absolutely... I enjoy a night out as much as anyone, but it's easy enough to say "no". Pretty much everyone I know is the same way.

The first thing my dad taught me about drinking was "If you don't want it, don't drink it - no exceptions".

Rings true every day.

My old man just says "drink, but don't get drunk or I'll kill you".

You should have seen how much Stella we got through in one week.

The north of england? Damn geordies!

And drinkiing is even more common in Glesgie (Thats glasgow for all you non-scottish folk)

booze is quality

Not all are. Some are just downright nasty (American "light" beer).

Quality = scottish for great

Light beer in general is piss.

The Netherlands, Germany, Hungary ... everyone drinks. And in Czechia they drink the most of beer. Cool Nations drink a lot

And I don't have a problem with alcohol... only without. And I never really drank because of problems. I had problems when I was drunk, but they were problems of coordination, articulation... We have a nice little song here in Germany "No alcohol isn't a solution, either"

<3 happydud

im from hungary, and i love hungarian wine and rum.