Non drinkers (or those that drink very little)

I don't drink. Can't see the point and my mother took it to an extreme to put me off. Got exceptionally pissed as a teenager and then after a dangerous situation stopped.

I very rarely drink alcohol, maybe twice a year and even then it's not a lot. Among my friends I'm the only one who doesn't drink. They think I'm odd, I think they're pissheads but it doesn't mean we don't enjoy each other's company.

On a girly holiday a few years back I got a lot of strange reactions from people because I wasn't drinking, the bar staff practically tried to force me to drink, even my friends couldn't believe I was getting pissed on holiday. On the last night I did have a few drinks and obviously got tipsy very quickly and they thought it was amazing. To me every night of the holiday was amazing, but then again I could probably remember it better than them ?.

OH likes a drink a couple of times a week, he doesn't even offer it to me anymore because he knows that even if I say yes I will have a sip and then leave it on the side and make a brew instead lol. The last time I had a drink was the night we got engaged in February, I had one glass of red wine with our meal.

I don't think I ever feel left out, I choose not to drink, other people choose to drink. I enjoy myself more if I'm completely alert and orientated. I'm also such a people watcher that I find it entertaining to watch drunk people.

To me the answer to that is "have a cup of tea", I have a cup of tea for every occasion.

I don't drink often and if i do i only have a couple of drinks, a) because we are skint and i hate spending money at the best of times b) we live so far away from the nearest proper drinking places that it costs £30 one way in a taxi so one of us always has to drive c) the only people i know that are regular drinkers that i could join in with are colleagues, i see enough of them at work and after a drink im more prone to saying what i think about people.

I do feel the odd one out at work when they come in on a Monday and discuss all the antics that occured on the nights out after i've left, but i wouldn't really want to behave how they do. Its interesting yesterday they were trying to work out how much they had spent on nights out and the amounts were staggering, i'm the only one who has their own home and i probably spent the same on my deposit as they spent on booze and i know which i'd rather have. It does make me feel old before my time.

Saying that i can go out with my school friends and not drink and not feel the odd one out, i suppose it depends on the relationship you have with the people your out with as to whether you feel the need/pressure to drink?

I only drink at home when i fancy a drink, and this is for the taste not an emotional desire, but half the time i fancy a drink i never get round to getting one I'm to lazy to get off my bum!

I rarely drink and often feel a bit under pressure to, can totally relate with wanting to look like you're having an alcoholic drink when you're not just so it looks like you fit in. I often find people find it odd that I don't really drink that much. I have a good drink when I'm out but only go out properly and drink about 3/4 times a year.Rest of the time I'm just on soft drinks and dance the night away anyway. A lot of the time I just can't be bothered or it just doesn't occur to me. Though for some reason in the summer I love the idea of a gin&tonic - but still rarely drink them!

Blimey. I thought my drinking habits were normal. It would seem not.

I don't drink that much any more. I used to binge drink a fair bit at university, but since starting work it's just gradually declined. I never drink routinely at home unless we're having a party or it's a special occasion (anniversary/birthday). If I do go out, I'll usually start to feel a bit light-headed after a couple of glasses of wine/cocktails, and start to slow down. I've learnt now that if I try to push on through that stage, it usually ends badly! I do like a nice glass of wine or an iced cider on a hot day, but it's not my answer to every situation.

I get much worse hangovers than I used to, and also massive GUILT over what stupid things I might have said or done, so I try to be quite careful now. I am quite happy to not drink at social events, and fortunately my friends don't really push me. AC, I'm sorry if you felt pressured when you met us at Christmas! I was really just trying to be generous, but I appreciate that if you're used to getting jibes about not drinking, it might not come across that way.

H's family seem to drink a lot more wine than we do - we got through 16 bottles between 6 of us over our week away recently. I'm not sure if it's because it's a routine thing for them or because it's usually a "special occasion" when they see us. H's brother gets loads of great deals on fancy wines from his college's wine cellar, which they're always trying out, but unfortunately for me, BiL/FiL's taste in wine, especially red, is worlds away from mine, so I find myself drinking really expensive stuff which they're raving about, while thinking "This tastes like gravel!" I've learned to only try a smallish bit and then politely decline now though.

One thing that bothers me a bit when I'm not drinking is that the soft drinks range at so many places is really limited. There's only so much diet Coke I can drink! If bars did non-alcoholic versions of things like Kopparberg, not piddly tiny bottles of fruit juice topped up with soda/lemonade, I'd probably quite happily drink them all the time.

Exactly this!!

If I go out to a pub I used to drink more, but then trying to lose weight for the wedding I didn't drink anything for 5 months. Didn't really end up losing all that much weight, but I still look at drinks as empty calories I can do without. I will have a drink at a pub now, but usually switch to soft drink after 1.

Funky and Helenia, I just want to say I didn't feel at all pressured to drink when I was in your company. I just said no and you accepted that. It was no problem at all. And I had a very good time as well!

I tell you what I have noticed recently - People commenting if I'm not drinking but not driving.

For example, last month we went out for a family meal. I drove there and H drove back (2hr drive so was sharing). I was drinking a coke initially and then spotted some yummy apple mojitos on the menu so decided to have one, although it was just fruit juice and mint tbh. My brother and SIL commented that H wasn't drinking and so why wasn't I? I think it was to do with any sign of possibly pregancies and we're not even ttc!! So I ordered a Baileys latte after the meal to remove any accusations. Grr.

It wouldn't bother me if I never had an alcoholic drink again... I do at times feel like a party pooper, most of my friends still go out most weekends and get blind drunk to the point where some of them don't remember much... doesn't interest me at all. The girls in the office all like a drink of an evening, I guess you have to enjoy the taste?! I don't, the only drink I like are cocktails because it disguises the taste of alcohol.

I love wine and cocktails, and Pimms, and love being tipsy-drunk, but can't do hangovers with a one year old who does not care that you feel sick and still wants to be up and about at 5am. Plus I'm normally on a diet, and if I fall off the wagon it's generally for chocolate rather than wine. I probably have 1-2 drinks a month at the moment. I now really really want a glass of wine!

I do like a drink- but now since im driving all the time then I hardly get to drink, i'll have the occasional glass of wine at home but if go with the girls then I am a binge drinker.. it's now mid july and the last proper 'sesh' I had was back in march for my best friends hen do and before that it was start of December for my friends 30th.

I could happily drink a glass of wine every night after work but because I know I have work in the morning I don't. If I have 4-5 days off I may have a bottle or two of wine one night. I could never drink the amount my friends do on a regular basis.

I rarely drink (apart from yesterday which featured two LARGE glasses of wine with lunch, then a couple of ciders in the evening) and I just wonder how the regular drinkers afford it! I can't get over how expensive pubs are all of a sudden. I remember it costing £1.50 for a pint when I was at college.

I thought my habits were normal but it seems not.

If I allowed myself to I would have at least a glass of wine every eve. I just really love red wine! I have to stop myself unless I'm really craving it. At uni I used to be a massive drinker but I don't go out as much any more. When I do though I am a big party girl and I drink a lot. Not to the point of throwing up on the dance floor and flashing my Knicks but very very merry.

I should probably grow up really!

I don't drink at all (the last one was a sip from a glass of champagne at the wedding a year ago I think). If I'm out ill normally have a black currant and lemonade as it looks a bit more alcohol-ly I think. They usually put it in a tall glass too so mostly people don't notice.

What I don't like though is if I turn down an alcoholic drink anywhere, it MUST be because I'm pregnant. I don't like the taste of alcohol and I've had one time ever that I was drunk, me, H, my ex and his best friend who H and I worked with all went out and I kept up with them. Ended up drinking about 10 drinks (mostly doubles) and somehow we all took photos at the end of the night and we all look sober!! Hell of a hangover the next day and I've never done it again.

I don't mind being out and not drinking, what I do mind is when other people feel the need to tell me I NEED to drink.

Iv never been a big drinker, but a binge drinker.

I don't like the taste of alcohol but enjoy being drunk (aware how daft that sounds). If I go on a big night out I will have a fair few vodkas and shots, binge! But I can go months without and even since having Henry Iv had a few but not been interested.