Stop Asking People Why They Don’t Drink
I have always liked to drink and have a good time (within reason of course), so I never really took the time to think about what it is like for people who don’t drink because, quite frankly, it just never crossed my mind. But, as of recently, due to wanting to just improve my overall health, I have really taken a step back from alcohol and I am truly shocked about how much stigma there is around people who choose not to partake, on top of people who you aren’t close with thinking it’s okay to ask you a million and one questions about it. I feel like not enough people talk about this, so I decided to make a list of reasons why asking someone why they don’t drink is just not it.
IT’S LITERALLY NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS (sorry had to say it)
There are a ton of reasons why someone may not drink & people’s relationships with alcohol can be very personal, so it can be out of line to bring it up in the first place. Also, by you asking, it can be super triggering for some people, even if that’s not your intention.
It makes people uncomfortable and can promote the idea that if somebody doesn’t drink they are lame or boring, which could not be further from the truth.
You should not feel entitled to an explanation about what a person does or does not choose to put in their body.
If someone expresses that they do not want to drink, do not keep trying to egg them on to do it.
Don’t just assume the reason someone does not drink is related to alcoholism.
Just because you enjoy having a drink, does not mean everyone else around you will too.
Drinking is not the only form of having fun or being social, nor should that belief be normalized.
It can come off condescending, even if you do not mean to be.
At the end of the day, it’s just nosy.
Also I just want to add that yes I do talk about alcohol quite a bit on this blog, but as I have started to really decrease the amount that I personally drink, I realize how important it is to also make this blog a safe space for those who do not <3