I’m in Italy right now. One of the most noticeable things besides the different language and everyone is tan, is how people drink.
It’s never really just drinking on its own, there has to be food involved or friends. You don’t go to the bar just to have a pint. And also the people that do are seen as strange. Although this doesn’t seem that strange coming from England and the US, many people drink alone in both ways. Double alone, although maybe sometimes there are peanuts.
I don’t know what this would do biochemically to people. The
alcohol
maybe hits your blood faster without food in your stomach. There could also be something to eating while drinking that maybe you extract more vitamins from your food. But that seems like wishful thinking, and wouldn’t explain other things.
I say this because Italy has one of the lowest rates of alcoholism in the western world, although their consumption of alcohol remains relatively the same if not more. It’s also a place where people tend to live longer lives.
This could be the social systems, or it could just be how people eat and drink dictated by tradition.
Although some of the traditions maybe don’t make sense, like not have a cappuccino after lunch. Some could be why Italy has a seemingly good relationship with alcohol.
prob not. even though the hours are.