Discussion
The aim of this research was to contribute to contemporary
understandings of alcohol use in later life and its implications for
the health of older people. UK adults in later life who were asked
to talk about alcohol and health oriented strongly towards the
opposed identities of normal or problematic drinker, the latter
being highly stigmatised. These identities were defined primarily
by self-control and propriety, rather than health considerations. In
data from focus groups, participants could be seen to negotiate
consensual views on alcohol and its implications for both health
and propriety, providing support for their views being socially
constructed in response to a particular context. These older people
portrayed drinking less alcohol as an appropriate response if one
experienced impaired health. However, continued heavy drinking
could be presented as normal behaviour for someone experiencing
relative wellbeing in later life, or if their experience of ill health was
construed as unrelated to alcohol consumption. This normalisation
was supported by treating general health advice on alcohol as
questionable or individually irrelevant. Drinking patterns did not appear to be strongly defined by gender, although some gendered expectations of drinking were evident.