Q100’s Bert Weiss says he has been a ‘binge drinker,’ but not an alcoholic
Bert Weiss made a confession last month about a drinking problem. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ajc.com
Q100 host Bert Weiss told listeners this morning that he has been a binge drinker but feels he is not an alcoholic.
“I’m not the guy who craves alcohol every day or even every two weeks,” he said. “My problem and my concern is when I do go out, if I’m with a whole bunch of friends, it’s difficult for me to put the brakes on. That means I’ll be hung over the next day. I’ll do stupid things and I’ll spend a large amount of time the next day texting apologies.”
Weiss dubbed himself a “binge drinker,” saying he’s been following this pattern going back to college. But now he’s in his mid-40s and feels it’s time to grow up.
Last month, he first told listeners about the issue and 11 Alive talked to him about it. “I’ve got two kids now, I’ve got a 10 year old and a 5 year old, who I’m just getting more present to — I just want to be a role model to them when they’re not around,” Weiss told the station at the time.
He attended some Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and members gave him a general litmus test. Can he take one drink at a bar and walk away. Then can he come back and do it again? He said so far, the past few weeks, he’s been able to put the cap on, saying it’s been easier than he thought.
“I’m in a different part of my life,” he said. “The way I’ve partied the last six months and some stupid things I’ve done has shaken me. I don’t want to be that guy anymore.”
But he said the problem will not go away so he has to be aware of it the rest of his life. and he’s going to stick more with club soda than alcohol at parties from here on out.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says binge drinking is the most common problem with alcohol, which is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above. For guys, this means men consume five or more drinks, and when women consume four or more drinks, in about 2 hours or less.
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse, as many as 43 percent of men and 29 percent of women say they binge drink at least once a year. One in six binge drinkers do so an average of four times a month.
The CDC web site notes that “most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent.”
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70 comments Add your comment
Stuart
January 9th, 2013
4:23 pm
I don’t listen to the Bert Show. Come to think of it, I may have listened once or twice in 12 years. It is nice if he wants to admit to a problem in a roundabout way but hopefully it isn’t in a way to get ratings and be preachy to others. Neither is cool.
Ted Striker
January 9th, 2013
4:24 pm
Props to Mr. Weiss for being open, admitting his problem, admitting his fears (which he clearly did when Channel 11 requested to interviewing him) and for attending AA. Not everyone who struggles with alcohol problems would be willing to do that.
I don’t listen to his show however it’s my opinion such actions speak to courage and responsibility, not anything approximating self-serving behavior as some have suggested.
To those folks I would say this: You can judge a person’s actions however it’s a slippery slope and an imperfect exercise when judging a person’s motivation and intentions.
Good luck to Mr. Weiss and all who struggle with alcohol or any other issue that keeps them from being the best they can be.
missnadine
January 9th, 2013
4:25 pm
Also, I even asked Rodney why he didn’t cover the story back then, and he told me exactly what he said above. What Renee says above is exactly how I feel as well. The older you get, the more pathetic it is to drink to oblivion. There really are few things less attractive than a middle-aged drunkard.
K-Ster
January 9th, 2013
4:25 pm
Rodney: What is it about Bert that draws so much traffic? Is it a fan base or a makeshift ‘The Vent’ section used to beg ATL radio to bring something new to Q100? I am only ONE of the masses that flock to your blogs. I can attest that the only reason I click on TBS-related articles is to see the trash get dumped. It has been a down-hill roller coaster for TBS for quite some time, as evident on their co-host mass exodus and Bert’s cheap attempts at making a name for himself in a dimming environment.
Personally, I prefer the morning shows on STAR 94 and The Bull. Why? They don’t beg for attention nor reek of desperation. Plus, their callers aren’t gullible ditzes. And hey, when Bert has to RE-USE cries for attention (e.g. ’stories’), you know he’s up stream with no paddle. Hell, Princess Diana never had to wear the same dress twice! SHE EARNED RELEVANCE.
Ted Striker
January 9th, 2013
4:35 pm
And Rodney Ho: Keep writing about any topic you deem appropriate. Your hits are many and your misses are few. The page hits don’t lie.
Jeffro
January 9th, 2013
5:28 pm
this is an attempt to have some “hot topic” for these guys to talk about
now that they are down to 3 staff members and the Ryan King is on V103 mornings they HAVE to work EVERY angle…
no different then when the last morning radio shake up happened, he announced his wife had a pill problem…
GROW THE F%&K UP!! IDIOT
January 9th, 2013
7:18 pm
With the fantastic job you have, is a job you should be fired from. How can you put your business out there and act like it’s ok to do what you do. If just one person hears what you say and keeps doing the same thing and says it’s ok because Bert does it… Come on man. You are a jerk of the worst kind. Maybe if you kill a family, that may be enough to make you think about quitting.
And the people you work with should be all in your azz, if they are not, they are jerks too. I can’t believe you. Maybe you’d enjoy having your children come to Jackson State Prison to visit your azz once a month. You have way to many blessings to be acting like this. I’d love to break my foot off in your azz, because your an idiot. Get it toether man. Your station should outlaw anyone joking about drinking. The general manager needs a good butt whipping too. JERK!!!!!
Chris Cornell
January 9th, 2013
8:51 pm
Yeah, Bert, suuuuuure. Let me guess Dauler isn’t a fatass, but rather just a binge eater?
finally
January 9th, 2013
9:03 pm
Bert was going on a while back about Ambien…not supposed to drink with that. I always felt kinda odd about 40 something DJ’s trying to party it up with people half their age, when I was in my 20s I didn’t hang out with 40 year olds and always thought they were alcoholics if they were still hanging out at the bar or club. Sure go out and have a nice evening with your peers, take a taxi and tie one on if you want to but don’t try to act like you’re fresh out of college when you are as old as the college kids parents. Just creepy.
Ed
January 9th, 2013
9:38 pm
I am an alcoholic. There is no gray area. When alcohol controls you, you know it. And you either ride it out to death or prison or you get sick and tired and get help. You dont lie or whine about it on the radio for attention. Bert is not a man. Bert is an insult to anyone out there who truly struggles with addiction.
I use to get up every morning at 5 so I could drink for 2 hours before I had to catch the bus to work. Otherwise I would shake so badly I couldnt hold a pen. I would drink cologne or aftershave in the bathroom to mask the smell of vodka on my breath. I blacked out nightly. I got in fights every time I left my apartment at night, and I dont even know what they were about. One night I beat a man so badly that he permanently lost sight in one of his eyes. I lost everyone and and everything I cared about because of my drinking. And even then I struggled to ask for help.
Meanwhile you fake a problem and whine about it on the radio for attention. You are a piece of trash, you sad little midget.
Yankeegirl
January 9th, 2013
9:40 pm
Publicity ploy for sure….did anyone else think his wife calling the show about Mark Wahlberg sounded scripted. I heard it for the first time this morning and it sounded like an act…again, something for publicity. I only listen to them a little while before they are on my nerves. They are always on vacation anyway, so it shouldn’t be hard to replace them.
Just For Today
January 9th, 2013
11:34 pm
If you end up at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, chances are there’s a good reason. Even people who call themselves “binge drinkers” can be and, in many cases are alcoholics. Bringing AA up on the radio is not appropriate. Bert is smart enough to know that, yet he did it anyway. Keep coming back, Bert. It works if you work it.
Del Lotto
January 10th, 2013
6:08 am
@Yankeegirl: YES, Stacey was very scripted, as was Bert’s faux “pissed” and “disappointed” act that followed. Bert wants people talking about the show (and adding to this blog). He’s successful at it!
Name (required)
January 10th, 2013
6:39 am
If my wife looked like a tranny, I’d drink that much too.
Buckeye
January 10th, 2013
7:26 am
Enter your comments here
Buckeye
January 10th, 2013
7:26 am
Bring back The Greaseman!
Baby
January 10th, 2013
8:03 am
Good for him for seeking help. No one can determine you’re an alcoholic but you, but if I had to guess based on what he said… yeah. There’s no shame in being anything, just shame in not trying to get yourself help. I think it’s good he’s introducing this subject, lord knows a lot of people think they are alone which is why thy don’t seek help. I’m not a listener but this man just earned my respect.
Baby
January 10th, 2013
8:10 am
Ed- Alcoholism comes in all forms. Not all drank cologne like you, got fired from jobs, got DUIs, or live under a bridge. Many are high functioning alcoholics, which is why many are denial they have a problem. Even taking a break through the week, but actively awaiting the weekend (the obsession) so you can binge drink are signs of alcoholism.
Section 236
January 10th, 2013
8:31 am
As little as he is, it probably only takes a few beers to get him plastered.
Hopscotch776
January 11th, 2013
3:03 am
Listening to Jeff take 10 minutes to tell a story, Cassie talk about “food porn”, producer Tommy’s God awful rapping or Kristen’s obnoxious laugh (I’m convinced is from the front gates of hell) would cause anyone to binge drink. Poor guy is seeing his show go down the tubes in slow motion.