My main consideration in giving up meat was that there is plenty of delicious and succulent vegetarian food, and in fact it sometimes would prompt you to be more creative with making your food so that you make it equally as delicious as a meal with meat.
On the question of alcohol, I simply could not give up being able to have a nice glass of wine with a meal, or go out with mates for a drink at the pub, or at weddings being able to hang out with my brother and drink brandy and smoke cigars. So giving up alcohol, I would have to give up many activities I enjoy, whereas giving up meat I wouldn't be giving up delicious food, just a particular type of food