Before you start reading I’ll just take a moment to remind
you that the writer is someone that dares
to be different. Right, so now we’ve got that clear, I’ll tell you why I
choose to do what almost no other nineteen year old in the United Kingdom would
choose for themselves – I live a teetotal life. That means I don’t consume a
drop of alcohol. I don’t drink.
If you didn’t already know, Britain is one of the countries
worst affected by binge-drinking. ‘Getting drunk’ is a pastime like playing
football. I’m not exaggerating: I’m a university student and I can tell you I
see alcohol in its worst light on a weekly basis. ‘Pre-drinking’ is a thing:
that’s when people drink copious amounts of alcohol in the corridors (and make
a big mess and a lot of noise in the process) BEFORE heading to the clubs where
they drink more still behind the bar.
Some 40,000 people die each year in the UK alone due to
alcohol-related problems. A&E services are clogged up with intoxicated men
and women (and boys and girls – under-age drinking is rife over here) each
week, talk less of the domestic abuse and street brawls that ensue – which can
lead to murder – as a result of drink.
1. Health
Health concerns seem the most obvious reason to stay away
from the bottle. We all know that alcohol poses a plethora of serious threats
to health. The list of complications that can be born from alcohol consumption
is way longer than my arm: there’s brain damage; liver disease; multiple
cancers; increased infection; high blood pressure; pancreatitis; stomach
problems; seizures; cardiovascular disease; reduced fertility; depression;
anxiety… And there is of course the danger of foetal alcohol syndrome for the
unborn child. So it seems obvious why I would choose not to drink alcohol
really – I value my life!
Remember that saying: ‘Your body is a temple’? That derives
from the Bible, which says, ‘Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who
is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own […]
therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ I
reckon the Holy Spirit deserves a much cleaner temple than one blotched with
liquor.
2. Loss of Self-Control
As obvious as it is that alcohol can be lethal health-wise,
of recent that has actually not been the main driving force behind sticking to
decision to be teetotal. Rather, it’s been seeing my friends drink and watching
the unimaginable change that comes over them as they bezzle the booze. They go
from articulate, intelligent people to kids with slurred speech. Inhibitions
are lowered. I’ve found myself in some rather awkward situations where guy
friends have forgotten about that social rule which treasures personal space
and have actually made me feel quite uncomfortable. When a guy has had a bit to
drink he’s much more likely to start touching you up. Decreased cognitive
functioning caused by drinking means people don’t make decisions with the same
clarity as they would were they sober. Sexual assault and rape are common
after-effects of inebriation. So are domestic abuse and homicide.
Some effects of alcohol are more sobering than others. Some
people just behave stupidly. Like, they start dancing like maniacs or they
chatter absolute rubbish. Sometimes
their behaviour is a bit more deviant than that… Examples: running in front of
a car; stripping completely naked in a public place; shouting nonsensical
things at 100 decibels… I’ve had a couple of unpleasant experiences at uni
where drunk people returning from a late night out clubbing have tried to get
into my room. The first time it was two guys who decided that they wanted to
bring people cookers from the nearby kitchens as a very strange 3am present.
The second time the dude that lived a floor above me was so drunk he couldn’t
tell the difference between his room and mine. That was at four o’clock.
I may be a pretty weird person on a day-to-day basis but I
like to be in control of my weirdness. I like to know what I’m doing and be in
charge of my thoughts and actions. And so I steer clear of drinking.
Some people tell me that they know their limits and will
only get a bit tipsy and then they know to stop. But really I haven’t seen any
evidence of this in real life. Most of the time my friends have absolutely no
recollection of their behaviour the night before they got drunk – other than
that they woke up fully clothed on their bedroom floor (or on someone else’s
floor) with a splitting hangover. They don’t remember the things they said or
the way they talked or how they walked. But apparently they had a good night.
What’s my point? My point is, how can you know when you need to stop when drinking
completely clouds your judgement and your memory? Can you really remember once
you’ve had a few that you’ve already downed four alcoholic drinks? Do you even
care by that stage?
As someone that’s consistently sober at social gatherings I
notice the changes in the behaviour of those that I know well – and I dare say
they don’t.
3. I don’t need to drink to have fun.
A lot of the people I speak to about my decision not to
drink stress that drinking is just a social activity. Here in the UK it’s
standard to go off to the pub to have a drink with your friends. Drinking makes
you more confident and that bit merrier, they tell me. Do you know what I think
of that? Genuinely I think it’s sad. Why should a person feel inadequate and
unable to have a good time with their friends without first having had a glass
of wine – or something stronger?
I think this excuse is all down to social pressure. Few
people want to be the only sober person at a party. And I can understand why; I
think I’ve already explained in enough detail how distressing it is for me
watching my drunk friends become different people right before my eyes. But
honestly I can tell you, when I have no need to worry about one of my friends,
I have a great time even without gulping down the strong stuff. I love spending
time with my friends because they’re lovely, interesting and funny. We can joke
together, recount stories and have a good laugh: and not one of those
activities has to be coupled with drinking.
Recently at my college in Oxford I proposed that we should
have non-alcoholic “posh” drinks at our formal dinners as well as the red and
white wine that is served – typically the only other option available has been
water. I appreciate that having a glass of champagne can make an evening seem
more special – I just prefer my spruced-up version to be a good glass of Shloer
or Valentino! Good old grape juice. I’m glad to say the motion was passed
unanimously and hopefully formals will have those options on their menu cards
soon!
4. My money can be better spent elsewhere.
I don't pretend to know the figures for how much alcohol can cost you in a week but I know it's a lot. Ironically, the same students that protest (within reason) about tuition fees being ridiculously high are prepared to while away their cash on the booze. I'm a student and we're always poor. I don't need to make myself any poorer.
Plus, the cost in terms of time lost as a result of drink is something else to bear. Reports show that almost 15 million working days are lost each year in the UK due to alcohol-linked problems. That's usually because the employee or student has a hangover and can't get out of bed.
5. It smells bad!
I’m being serious – that stuff stinks! Stand next to someone
with alcohol breath and tell me you don’t agree. OK so technically this isn’t a
reason I don’t drink – I’m already
put off it – but just the smell seems enough of an explanation. I’ll tell you a
true story which demonstrates the extent of my antipathy for that smell.
In the queue for supper at my college, where all meals
containing alcohol are usually marked with ‘ALC’, one evening I served myself a
sort of creamy sauce. I wrinkled up my noise suspiciously before serving it but
as there had been no signal that it contained alcohol I poured it generously
over my meal. But the whiff of that odour was so poignant that I still asked at
the till just to make sure it didn’t contain any alcohol. The catering manager
himself wasn’t sure and he went to ask the chef – after which I was informed
the sauce (and the only other available sauce) both had alcohol in them. The
catering manager kindly offered to serve me another dish without the sauce.
Now I know what you’re likely thinking at this moment – My gosh Ruth that was so OTT! You know you
can’t get drunk on a bit of
white-wine based sauce! I know – I’m not that naïve – but it is saying
something that I could have noticed the smell of the alcohol (which people
usually say is all burned off during the cooking process) in a sauce that has
been left for some time to simmer on the hob. Frankly I just dislike the idea
of drinking alcohol so much that even a few millilitres of it would be too much
for me.
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