Why don't people drink?

I'm genuinely interested why people do hesitate to drink or don't at all, even at the age of 19 whilst at university!

Right then, I've taken like a year out of TSR and just come back and had to post a reply here...

I've never drunk in my life. I have just finished my final year (of 4 years) at uni and still never drunk. Several reasons:

1) It's ridiculously expensive... (I'm one who has just spent 30p on toothpaste) I can go out on a night out with £10 and come back with change yet my friends would go out with £50 and not remember how they spent it. What a waste of £50 lets be honest.

2) Why would you want to make yourself ill (And paying all that money to do it) the headache, the dizziness, the memory loss, the injuries, the lost mobile phone, whatever else comes with a hangover. oh btw, its called dehydration so erm...drink some water. ( I have also felt the headaches and fuzziness in the morning but obviously can't class it as a hangover you would say)

3) If you can't remember it, how can you possibly say it was a good night. Anything could have happened, thank-fully you have some (just as drunk) trusty friends to keep you out of trouble.

4) It tastes horrible. Vodka tastes like bleach! (This was an accident when I had a lemonade in my hand and holding a friends Vodka and lemonade in the other while they went to the toilet...it quickly ended up being spat on the floor). I've smelt a lot of drinks over the years and trained my nose into which are which and yes, ill be honest, theres some nice ones out there. But for my own morals, I will just not drink it.

5) I don't like the feeling of being out of control.

6) I will stand by my morals and what I honestly believe in.

7) FACT!!!! Being drunk is to the most part, psychological!!!! I have been asked countless times "Are you drunk?" from people who know I am completely tee total. well the answer is clearly no ofc. It is about the environment/atmosphere and the great friends you are with and your mood to have a good time/ let of some steam as you may say. I have seen people go from completely wasted in the club to fairly sober on the walk home/ after the early morning Asda visit/ when talking to people outside/ a situation arises like something silly as "wheres my phone", "where has so and so got to", "we need to wait for whoever".


And before you all start judging me... I AM CERTAINLY NOT!! ANTISOCIAL. In both my second years I was out twice a week, and mostly every week in my final year (gotta love free entry for being in my sports team). And I'd have the greatest time time ever! but ofc, you drinkers wont believe me. I'd also be that trusty friend who gotta everyone home at night (I refused to take a taxi when I had a car and free car park). I would never discourage anyone from drunking, I'd actually encourage it. I was never pressured into drinking it and I do not feel like I have missed out on any of my uni experience. Because guess what guys? If they're actually your friends and human beings then theyre not going force you. Just ask for reasons and say fair enough.


I am living proof that you don't need to be drunk to have a good time, if you want a good time then you will. If you go in thinking, I am not drunk enough for this then you are not going to have a good time.

Hope this has answered your question

Why do you feel people need to give you a reason as to why they don't drink? It's a personal choice. Why does it annoy you?

"whether you like it or not it's fun"- no. people have different concepts of what having fun means.

My parents don't drink a lot on a normal day but at parties my dad especially goes crazy. I didn't really grow up with habitual drinkers so it isn't something I do regularly maybe once every few weeks. I have been on nights out where I don't drink at all and nights out where I drink. I didn't see a difference in the amount of fun I had tbh they have all been fun. Sometimes the way people try to convince non drinkers to drink can be patronising. I remember in school I never drank at all and people used to gasp and think I was weird. It was annoying having to justify why I didn't. You said something about not understanding if it wasn't for health or religion, some people just don't drink just like not everyone eats chocolate but you wouldn't really ask someone why they don't eat chocolate. At the end of the day it is your choice, as long as you aren't hurting anyone, why should people feel bad for not drinking at all?

I'm 19 and at university - and I don't drink, so let's see

Plenty of my extended family have died through alcoholism and drinking-related diseases. I've watched my dad drink himself into a poor state of health and I've watched him drunkenly start fights and arguments within the family. I've cleaned up after and looked after drunk friends for years.

I feel the cons outweigh the pros. I've seen it do irreparable damage to the family, on top of it being expensive and relatively unnecessary.

By not drinking I'm content, healthy, in control of my actions, and have more money in my pocket - while my nights out are still fun. Good for you if you want to drink, i'm not sold on it.

just my moral of not wanting to drink. Ill stand by it no matter what people say just as someone could have a moral of being vegetarian. Moral is probably the wrong word then.

Now, a lot of you will see this thread and be like ' You don't need to drink to have fun ', ' Do I need to make an idiot out of myself to be liked?. ' The answer to both of those questions is no. But most of us know, drinking sure as hell adds a lot more fun to the game. I know a fair few people who don't drink, and fail to give a reason for it - if it was for religion or health problems I'd understand. Otherwise I don't understand it!

Ok fine, don't drink excessively because that can cause health problems. However, a messy night once a week or once every few weeks and a nice drink here and there is fine! I'm genuinely interested why people do hesitate to drink or don't at all, even at the age of 19 whilst at university! Drinking is a part of your teenage years and beyond whether you like it or not, it's fun! Personally I love drinking, its nice to relax and forget about your troubles for a night an just have a good time. Who doesn't want that? It's also an amazing way to socialise an develop friendships, relationships and what not.

This thread will annoy so many of you haha, but its the risk I'm willing to take to understand the answer to my question!

Chill out, I didn't say it annoys me. I just wanted to understand it, and if you feel I do not have the right to understand it then please do elaborate. Of course people have different concepts of fun, but drinking for the most part when experienced is fun. Have I hit a sensitive subject with you here, because it certainly sounds like I have. I only posted this thread for those who also would like to discuss it, I didn't want or demand a valid answer. Its a discussion.

Now, a lot of you will see this thread and be like ' You don't need to drink to have fun ', ' Do I need to make an idiot out of myself to be liked?. ' The answer to both of those questions is no. But most of us know, drinking sure as hell adds a lot more fun to the game. I know a fair few people who don't drink, and fail to give a reason for it - if it was for religion or health problems I'd understand. Otherwise I don't understand it!

Ok fine, don't drink excessively because that can cause health problems. However, a messy night once a week or once every few weeks and a nice drink here and there is fine! I'm genuinely interested why people do hesitate to drink or don't at all, even at the age of 19 whilst at university! Drinking is a part of your teenage years and beyond whether you like it or not, it's fun! Personally I love drinking, its nice to relax and forget about your troubles for a night an just have a good time. Who doesn't want that? It's also an amazing way to socialise an develop friendships, relationships and what not.

This thread will annoy so many of you haha, but its the risk I'm willing to take to understand the answer to my question!

Next week will be my last ever week as a first year student and then I'll be able to say I survived first year without one drink.

It's crazy the amount of pressure I've had laid on me. My flatmates during freshers wouldn't give up and thankfully they've stopped buying me drinks and saying "I bought it, now you have to drink it" or buy themselves one and say quite casually "want a sip?". The answer is simply NO.

Why, you ask?

The answer is honestly I don't know. I'm not religious. Nobody in my family are alcoholics (nobody in my family are teetotal as well!). As for I don't like the taste of it? Never tried it haha! I guess alcohol has never appealed to me, I don't like the way it can change you and make yourself a different person. I like to control everything I do. I remember once when I had drinks (soft drinks) with a guy who I knew really liked me and once he had two pints that was it - he was a completely different person. It's just not for me.

Of course its your choice to drink or not to drink.
But this I dont understand too, I dont drink often. Although, I like a good party once in a while.
There should be time to relax too and socialise with your peers. Uni is not just a place to study, but to get friends/connections of some sort.

something that is perfectly achievable without alcohol.

well, yeah. Bars serve still water and lemonade too.

I stopped drinking for a while because I'd had a bad experience (my own fault ) and I worked myself up so that the thought of drinking made me feel ill. I eventually got over it but didn't drink loads- just a few on nights out. I have stopped drinking since January due to a health condition which doesn't require not drinking but might require me to go to a&e, and I don't want to be drunk if that happens. To be honest though I also can't really be bothered with drinking much now anyway. It just feels like you spend money, feel a bit meh when you sober up and feel ill the next day if you drink too much. It seems like too much effort now. I think it's just cause I'm getting older that I feel like this, the people I'm around go out less and drink less, and I've enjoyed the nights out I've had sober, so I'm happy not drinking for the moment. Of course I completely understand why people do, it can be fun, it's just not for me at the moment.

Xxx

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From your OP it just sounds like you're the type that creates social pressure for those that don't drink, that's what annoys me. Different people have different reasons. If somebody doesn't smoke would you ask why?

It also sounds like you want to go to uni just so you can spend your three years there getting sloshed.

You said that you've asked a few people why they didn't take up the offer of a drink on a few occasions, but that they failed to come up with a valid reply. I would say that asking this question in real life will be seen as intrusive (whether you intended it to be or not) and in turn people will just reply "I just don't fancy it". Doesn't mean that they don't have their reasons. They may think, and rightly so, that it is none of your business, and that if they don't want to drink you should just accept it.

Next week will be my last ever week as a first year student and then I'll be able to say I survived first year without one drink.

It's crazy the amount of pressure I've had laid on me. My flatmates during freshers wouldn't give up and thankfully they've stopped buying me drinks and saying "I bought it, now you have to drink it" or buy themselves one and say quite casually "want a sip?". The answer is simply NO.

Why, you ask?

The answer is honestly I don't know. I'm not religious. Nobody in my family are alcoholics (nobody in my family are teetotal as well!). As for I don't like the taste of it? Never tried it haha! I guess alcohol has never appealed to me, I don't like the way it can change you and make yourself a different person. I like to control everything I do. I remember once when I had drinks (soft drinks) with a guy who I knew really liked me and once he had two pints that was it - he was a completely different person. It's just not for me.