So, who doesn't drink?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know, now that I think about it, it is odd that people are like " you don't drink? Why don't you drink?" I used to smoke pot, but would never ask someone why they don't smoke pot. I used to smoke cigarettes, but never thought to ask someone why they didn't. Though, my cousin who is a vegetarian gets "You don't eat meat? Why don't you eat meat?" A lot.

It's a reasonable question, since people have a variety of reasons for it--religious, ethical, health, etc.

[Anonymous]

I drink only occasionally, never at home. Now that my daughter is 13, I realize what a good thing this is. Not only am I showing her that alcohol isn't necessary for a good time, it's never in the house where she might or her friends might succumb to temptation.

[Anonymous]

I find it exceedingly strange that anyone gets questioned about their drinking, such that they have to come up with explanations or defenses. I just can't imagine the boor who would interrogate someone on the subject. I don't know if I would even notice in a large group setting who's drinking alcohol and who's not. So for non-drinkers, what's the problem with saying "ehn, I just don't like it" or "no reason, it's just not my thing". What kind of uncomfortable response could a person possible make to that??

[Anonymous]

DH doesn't really drink. Maybe 1-2 drinks/year. I've seen him drunk 1x in 10 years. He drank a lot in college, but doesn't really like the taste, doesn't want to waste the calories, and doesn't like the way it makes him feel.

Selfishly I wish he did drink more. I would love to go to wineries or share a bottle of wine over dinner (I have 1-2 drinks/month.)

[Anonymous]

Me! I do not like it and I never drink, not even one glass, believe it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it exceedingly strange that anyone gets questioned about their drinking, such that they have to come up with explanations or defenses. I just can't imagine the boor who would interrogate someone on the subject. I don't know if I would even notice in a large group setting who's drinking alcohol and who's not. So for non-drinkers, what's the problem with saying "ehn, I just don't like it" or "no reason, it's just not my thing". What kind of uncomfortable response could a person possible make to that??

I'm the pp with an alcoholic father. A lot of the time when I use the "I just don't like it" excuse, the person then goes on to say 'well have you tried this drink, or that drink, or you need to try this, or I learned to develop a taste for wine this way...' as if they can convert you. I think people in general treat those who don't drink as an oddity.

To the PP who said there are ethical, health, religious reasons for not drinking and it's an acceptable question to ask... it's hard to answer if your reason is for ethical or health reasons without coming off as judgemental or snobbish. In general I feel it is just an awkward thing to ask. The answer could be too personal or awkward for the person to answer.

[Anonymous]

I never drink. I've never been drunk in my entire life. I just have no desire to get drunk, no need for a drink to relax me, etc.

[Anonymous]

I saw a story about 15 years ago that D.C. had the secoond highest alcohol intake of any metro area after Las Vegas. So it is an ingrained part of the culture here. I think that could be part of the "oddity" part of it. Personally, I drink and love it!

[Anonymous]

Had tons of older friends and I drank like a fish before I turned 21. After I was legal, the thrill of sneaking into a bar was gone and the desire started to peeter out. We would go out dancing on Fridays and Saturdays and I would get sloshed but even that stopped after I graduated from college. Fast forward and I meet DH. He doesn't drink socially either. He is a wine guy and has a glass almost every night, but in our twelve years together, I've seen him drunk three times and he's seen me drunk twice.

Growing up, mom was a drunk and the gossip of the town. Stepfather was/is a recovering alcholic. Such a lovely combination to be around. Father drinks too much, stepmother drinks too much. My youngest sister is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Other sister doesn't drink. My older brother in law is a recovering alcoholic. Younger brother in law is a bit of a pot head and has had a DWI. DH's parents drink in moderation, wine to relax at night.

[Anonymous]

Neither DH nor I drink much at all. It has nothing to do with our history or our family memories or anything like that. No problems with alcoholism (or strict anti-alcohol policies, for that matter) on either side.

We're just busy people who find that alcohol makes us more tired than happy. We don't see much of an upside at this stage in our life. Sometimes we'll each order a glass with dinner if we're at a nice restaurant and in the mood, but it's really rare. Maybe 10 glasses a year, at most.

(I did have some fun, drunken benders back in college and afterwards with no harmful consequences. DH, too. but those experiences seem to of a different era for us -- more back-in-the-day types of memories from our early 20s.)

[Anonymous]

I drink and wish I didn't. I once read 40% of the population abstains. I wish I was among them.

[Anonymous]

I don't drink at all. Alcohol hurts my stomach so it just isn't worth it anymore. I haven't drunk since my late 20's == which was a while ago. I like the flavor of beer (some) and wine (sweet). I drink non-alcoholic beer on occasion, but even that hurts my stomach. Oh and I like strawberry dacqueries, but now I just drink the virgin type.

I grew up in a house were no one really drank. Started drinking beer and wine around age 21. My parents rarely had a drink, but would have wine once a year or so, maybe a special occasion.

I guess I have bad genes for becoming an alcoholic, I would have too bad a stomachache to ever get to that point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't drink, saw a lot of friends get messed up, some died, some became drunks, some are perfectly fine, I have in the past but just don't.

I like the reaction I get when people ask and I say oh it was a result of when I killed a family in a car wreck when I was drunk, their reaction is priceless then I just say because I don’t want to. I usually follow it up by saying “Let me ask you a question now, and ask them something as stupid as the question they asked me like when was the last time they had sex? They usually get the message that they shouldn’t pry into people’s reasons for doing things. Sometimes I don’t tell them that the car wreck was a joke just to watch them squirm more.

You are a kook.

[Anonymous]

I don't drink because I have an illness. Although before my illness was diagnosed, I had a "friend" who went around telling people I was a drunk (instead, it was symptoms from my illness). It got back to me.

Let's just say I don't look at that "friend" the same way. And the things some people do to feel better about their own miserable lives no longer shocks me.

There have been others we hang out with that really drink hard. Somehow, she has nothing to say about them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it exceedingly strange that anyone gets questioned about their drinking, such that they have to come up with explanations or defenses. I just can't imagine the boor who would interrogate someone on the subject. I don't know if I would even notice in a large group setting who's drinking alcohol and who's not. So for non-drinkers, what's the problem with saying "ehn, I just don't like it" or "no reason, it's just not my thing". What kind of uncomfortable response could a person possible make to that??

I find these posters who feel akward, uncomfortable, or searching for excuses exceedingly strange in their analysis. As a non-drinker I never get interrogated or made to feel uncomfortable. There seem to be a plethora of people on this site always feeling "offended" or unable to cope with common innocent questions they encounter in their daily lives. Al lot of drama created where there is none, seems to be a favorite hobby of many.