One night, while enjoying half apps with some friends, the topic of alcohol came up. While I can’t recall why the topic was brought up or why the attention was eventually brought to me, I remember telling the person who was sitting across from me that I didn’t drink. You could tell she was confused by the look on her face and her response to my declaration was, “Can I ask why?”
In that moment I realized that my choice not to drink made me a somewhat abnormal college student. My not drinking was so unfathomable to my friend that she needed an explanation as to why I didn’t. It was a personal choice and I had a million reasons why I didn’t partake. I had never thought it was something I needed to explain or something that would cause such shock and awe amongst my peers. Yet time and time again when I told people I didn’t drink the reactions ranged from “Really? Why?” to me “Oh, you don’t?”
While drinking is largely considered a part of the quintessential college experience not everyone does it. Drinking is a personal choice and no one has a right to cast judgement. But if you are someone who is going against the grain and is either not drinking or thinking of giving it up, here’s some pros and cons and general things to expect.
Pros
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You’ll Avoid Health Risks and Dangerous Situations. While alcohol can be fun for the moment, the short and long term consequences it has on your health can be devastating. According to the CDC, alcohol can lead to long-term problems like alcoholism, liver disease and increased risk for certain cancers. Immediate health dangers include the risks associated with drunk driving, unsafe sexual behaviors and alcohol poisoning. Not drinking will also ensure no one will be able to take advantage of you in any way in your inebriated state.
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You’ll Have Control. Not drinking ensures that you’ll remember your night and you’ll remember every decision you make. You’ll also never be in a situation where you (or a friend of yours) posts a drunk status, picture, or video to social media that compromises your integrity and damages your reputation. It’ll also ensure you’ll never have an alcohol related troubles with the police.
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You’ll Develop Better Coping Skills. While some people drink because they like the taste, others drink because want to want to become numb and forget the stressors in their life. Not drinking denies you that numbness and forces you to feel and deal with your feelings and stressors. You can now learn healthier and safer ways of coping, such as meditating, reading or listening to music.
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You’ll Have Extra Cash. Cutting the alcohol means keeping more green in your pocket that might otherwise be spent in bars or buying drinks for parties.
Cons:
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People Will Make Assumptions. People who don’t understand or who don’t make the effort to try to understand will make snap judgements. People may assume you’re boring, you’re a party pooper, that you don’t like to have fun or they might even question your maturity.
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You Might End Up Becoming the “Mom” of Your Friend Group. You might end up being the designated driver without them asking you or the one in charge of picking up your friends who are too drunk to stand. Basically, you might end up having to watch out and take care of all your drunk friends.
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You Might Not be Included. If the point of the night is to get drunk or the setting of the hangout is a bar or a party you might not end up being included. Make sure your friends now that just cause you don’t like to drink doesn’t mean you don’t like to have fun.
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You Might Miss Out on the College Experience. The choice not to drink might make you feel a little lonely or that you’re missing out. But you can make up for those feelings by getting involved and making friends who respect your choice or feel the same way you do.
Whether you drink or not is totally up to you, but please be aware that when you drink, you are potentially putting yourself at risk when done irresponsibly. If you would like know about the dangers of alcohol or how to prevent death from alcohol overdose, Red Band Watch hosts training sessions right here on campus and all sessions are open to students.