When you say "I dont drink" how do people react ?

Dave!

SAFC wrote: »

erm...never experieneced the problem of worrying about how ppl react as i do drink. lol

Great contribution !

No need for you to post in this thread anymore though

syngindub

SAFC..starting to notice a trend with your posts !!

emzolita

I go out most weekends, and yeah i usually get "ah come on, just the one" or "jesus id love to be able to go out and go dancing etc without havin to be locked" fella's usually respect ya more i think.

couldnt give a ****e if some people think im boring, im not the one with half a kebab hanging ouv me chin by the end of the night! lol!

vitalic

Decided to give up alcohol this year for a few months just as a bit of a personal challenge and as I want to improve my fitness and general health! .... Am actually amazed by the reaction I am getting from some friends... "Ah go on, sure life is short", "Ah you're no craic without drink haha", and the few who are genuinely perplexed as to why you would ever want to give it up. I'm nearly starting to get paranoid that I'm a Boring Boris without drink!! But I'd loving the hangover free weekends too much to dwell on it for too long!!

Ruu_Old

I live in the US and people know I'm Irish so I get "you're Irish and you don't drink?!?!". :eek:

eoinn

i really lovedrinking, but frequently remain sober on nights out for several reasons. 1 i have kids and sometimes it doesn't suit and 2 i know several friends of friends who dull and predictable meaning loud and abnoxious on nights out. To get around the inevitable thats just mad you not having a drink conversation i just say the last time i drank i blacked out and apparently put a pint glass in someones face(not true). in much the same way that drunks are predictable so inevitably are these types of conversation. Then to move things on swiftly ask them can we talk about something a little bit more interesting like the weather or perhaps what the latest kneejerk reaction of the nation is joe duffy talking about on the popular radio show live line

Overheal

BornToRun88 wrote: »

you couldn't have said it better! Why force drink on people that don't want it, hope that type are reading these comments

I was that type. Tried to get our friend to drink for Years. Threw house parties around the idea at one point.

A few years later though Im wise to the fact how wrong it was but more importantly why. With the Drink Culture so prevalent in Ireland, to not be a drinker really, really does look out of place. Its almost seen as something is wrong with you. And yeah you become outcast for it in some ways.

The other aspect Ive seen in others is they want Enablers so they themselves dont feel so bad about drinking drinking drinking.

QuiteInterestin

Most people are grand with it, and will say good on you, wish I could do it myself. You will get the odd one who wants to know what's wrong with you, are you sick or something, why don't you drink, but thankfully they are in the tiny minority. It does seem to be an Irish thing though that you have to drink, or have to justify why you don't. I lived in another European country for a while and the attitude to drinking there was refreshing. There was no pub culture and people went out to eat, drink and have a chat as opposed to going out to drink and get drunk. It was so much nicer as you could head out and have a chat with friends, instead of roaring across a noisy pub trying to have a conversation.

NTMK

QuiteInterestin wrote: »

Most people are grand with it, and will say good on you, wish I could do it myself. You will get the odd one who wants to know what's wrong with you, are you sick or something, why don't you drink, but thankfully they are in the tiny minority. It does seem to be an Irish thing though that you have to drink, or have to justify why you don't. I lived in another European country for a while and the attitude to drinking there was refreshing. There was no pub culture and people went out to eat, drink and have a chat as opposed to going out to drink and get drunk. It was so much nicer as you could head out and have a chat with friends, instead of roaring across a noisy pub trying to have a conversation.

Agreed In secondary school all of my friends were grand with it, same in college.
I just wish the was a little less of the pub culture in Ireland as there is very little else to do.
I've gone out maybe twice or 3 times since September(In Second year of college) cause I've got bored of it and i don't see the point in going out and most of my friends agree with me (I think that most of them would be too if they went to nightclubs sober).

Lisa8786

The Black Oil wrote: »

Well, I drink about 5 or 6 times a year, but mostly don't drink socially, just Christmas and that. Sometimes it's easier to hint that I don't drink at all...some people immediately lock on with a laser beam if they spot a non-alcoholic drink.

'So, you're not drinking, then?'
'Why?'
'But you're Irish, omgz!!111!!!!!111'
'I don't trust people who don't drink'
'It's only beer, jaysus'

haha so true. i remember i just got a coke once and the amount of times i got a vodka and coke before and no one batted an eyelid. suddenly someone went what are you drinking?is that coke and then tasted it. ah shes only drinking coke. i was like how the hell did you just "know" that....scary!

Thomas828

Not only do I not drink, I don't drive either. Now that'll cause people to say, "You're not normal, pal." Maybe I'm not normal but at least I'll never be done for drink-driving!

unreggd

Just be stern and walk away from people

It's none of their business, so tell them to mind their own

Also, most people think non-drinkers have never drank their whole lives. I have, so I don't need persuasion on the "benefits" of drinkin thank you very much. Now kindly piss off

Elenxor

Water with ice and a slice of lemon.(I don't make any apologies or excuses, works for me.)

Yoshimi1983

You've got to wonder why the Inquisitor (the abusive anti non-drinker) bothered to come into this forum. The lady doth protest too much me thinks

force majeure

As my 'out and abouting' can be limited to the odd card game and hiking i dont tend to need to say anything to any one about drink but when it comes up I must admit to be some what awkward about it myself and tend to use the well wore excuse odd 'I'm driving'.

hunnymonster

I always find it strange that people assume they know the reason why I'm not drinking (including that I'm a runner, triathlete, could be pregnant, sick, ....) Most people are fine with it but there has to be a reason, not liking the taste of alcoholic drinks is not enough.

susanroth

I drink but not very often, mainly if i dont have much money or am driving.
Last time i was in a club and not drinking was interesting. i never think its abig deal whether people are drinking or not. but when i was in this club a lot of guys seemed kinda shocked i wasn't drinking(some seemed a bit intimidated or something- like they were afraid they'd say something stupid) they were surprised at how i could look like i was having such a good time without being drunk. then there was some who were so drunk you just couldn't talk to them at all and i was wondering if i had been drunk myself would i even notice this

rantyface

I think this is exactly the same as when I tell people I don't eat meat. Some people get extremely defensive and seem to think I'm judging them for eating meat. I wouldn't do that but obviously some vegetarians do preach, because I've been told by many people that "vegetarians always shove their views down my throat".


To be honest there is a mix of the unpopular judgemental "drunk people are stupid and annoying" types here, with the majority who just don't drink and don't care what other people do for fun, and even wish them well.


As an aside, a lot of you seem to know a lot of complete nosy ****. Nobody hassles my friends who don't drink. I simply can't afford to drink in pubs and nobody has ever asked why I wasn't drinking. Maybe you should all hang out with more science students!

InKonspikuou2

I notice it now because i found out during the week that i have celiac disease. So i have to avoid alcohol that contains gluten. Last night was my first time out without drinking. And you would swear i just told them i wasn't going to wash or eat anymore. Explained the situation a few times but still had mates coming up to me asking if i wanted a drink and saying things like sure if you just have one or two you'll be grand. I was just testing the waters to see what a night out without drink would be like as i can drink gluten free products. But it wrecked my head due to the constant comments born out of sheer disbelief.