Anna Louie Sussman talks about being teetotal.
I don’t drink alcohol for the same reason I shun yoghurt – both taste like delicious, sugary things that got left in the sun and went off. I’m not averse to all fermented foods or beverages, but alcohol’s predominantly sour and bitter qualities don’t sit well with my palate, which tends to prefer sweet and salty foods. Because of this, I’ve never been drunk, and I can’t say I feel the worse for it.
This echoes with my experience. I tried it and didn’t like it. For me that was the end of it. I never tried smoking as it just didn’t appeal and I’ve never tried weed or any other narcotic for much the same reasons; they didn’t appeal. In some ways, I’m like Sussman:
To those, I’ll add several personal reasons why I don’t drink or do drugs. First off, I make enough bad decisions when I’m sober. The last thing I need is artificially impaired judgment. Secondly, I like to remember things. I understand that alcohol makes one forget things.
While I’m relaxed about what other people get up to – none of my business what you put into your body. Leave me alone and I’ll return the favour, when it comes to my body, I need to be in absolute control at all times. Yes, I want clarity of recollection the morning after, but that’s just me. Again, let me do things my way and I’ll reciprocate.
I’m fortunate that, being naturally outgoing, I’ve never needed alcohol in social situations.
I’m an extreme introvert who abhors social situations, but I still neither want nor need alcohol to loosen me up – despite people telling me that I must in my earlier years. In my working life, I have to stand up in front of a group of people and deliver training or assessment activities. I am expected to take the lead and be assertive – despite being unassertive by nature. I have learned to control my nature and that is best done without artificial help. Besides, I really don’t like the taste.
Still, when such matters are discussed, there is always the cretin who comes up with half-baked self-righteous cockwaffle:
Personally I don’t trust people that don’t drink. Something fishy about them. But there you go, that’s just me.
I think you’re an ignorant twat who cannot see outside his own narrow perspective, but there you go, that’s just me. And, of course, I’ve had this experience:
The real wankers are the ones who put vodka in it, thinking I won’t notice.
On the occasions that this happened, I always noticed. If you don’t see the liquor sticking to the side of the glass, you can smell it or taste it – you always notice. Although, to be fair, the character who last tried it on me thought I wouldn’t notice rum swilling about in my coke… There’s always one.
Bravo! I drank pretty heavily in my youth and mostly enjoyed it and its effects, but for the last 20 odd years I haven’t been able to have any alcohol at all (not even that used in cooking) as it interacts so horribly with my medication. Once in a rare while I feel wistful, but mostly it’s of no relevance to me whatever, and this in a household where others drink wine daily.
I don’t make judgements on other people’s preferences (except to note that very drunk people are very boring to the sober), but other people feel they can freely insult me for being ‘boring’, ‘a prude’, ‘spoiling everyone else’s fun’ and ‘scared of letting my hair down’.
There is, it seems, a powerful stigma attached to not drinking, which drinking folk will never experience. But, japesters, be aware that slipping a vodka or gin into my soft drink will earn you an instant lapful of vomit. You have been warned!
I like a drink and a smoke, but I wouldn’t spike someone who didn’t, or hold it against them. Live and let live and don’t be a dick is the general rule.
I’ve told one or two people in the past that I have a very dodgy liver and that the Doctor has told me that my next drink will be my last. Seriously. Works just as well as a smack in the mouth, just without the warm glow of satifaction.
I smoked dope for a good few years (mainly in the evenings) and sometimes miss it a little when sat beside the fire watching a cosmology documentary. But being married is better – Mrs M! doesn’t like that sort of thing.
My only worry about the dope was ending up with a tobacco habit, but I seemed to be able to give it up very easily, despite my concerns that I may have had a psychological dependance on the dope.
Generally don’t like drunks. Some can be fun, most are boring, some are just a liability to be around. Which is why I only went to pubs for the Biker “do’s”. They seemed to be a more accepting bunch.
Yes, I forgot to mention that drunks are bores, which is amusing as that is the very accusation they like to throw at abstainers 😀
Needing alcohol. Speaking personally I do not: either at social functions or any other time.
When using the car, I happily drink fizzy water on such occasions But I do like wine with meals, occasionally a beer as a thirst quencher and a gin and tonic some Summer evenings to refresh.
Coincidentally these drinks have alcohol in them which contributes to their taste and mouth-feel. Give me them tasting the same without alcohol and I should be thrilled.
I have tried various non-alcoholic beers, wines and gin and tonic and they taste unpleasant.
This echoes with my experience. I tried it and didn’t like it.
What, yoghurt?
Nah, yoghurt’s okay.
My habits are pretty much the same as John B, but replacing the G&T with a nice glass of cider.
Fully agree with his point about taking away the alcohol but none of the taste – that cider tastes too much like fizzy pop!