I am 20 years old and I don't drink at all. I never have and I don't really wanna. I have been asked by many friends and people to have a beer but I always said no thank you. But every time I say that I feel kinda rude and a bit awkward.

Not only that I feel like others will not think I am a fun guy to hang with because I dont drink. Drinkers dont like to hang with peeps who dont drink right? Kinda sucks cuz everyone drinks lol


So my question is: whenever you guys offer someone a beer and they don't take it, what do you think about that person?

Thanks!

 

if those friends are "true" friends, they may chide you a bit at first. But then they'll accept it, this is my experience at least..just don't bitch when you are the DD all the time! LOL

Its a personal choice so i never think less of a person when they turn down a drink..

 

well so far you're the most responsible.. but other than that just try not to be out of place when they are drinking.. cuz if you're all quiet by yourself in a corner they will find that disrespectfull. at least act drunk! hahah

 

My wife and I are pretty heavy partiers as well as most of my friends. We have several that don't drink, and we don't think anything of it.

At your age your friends think of drinking as "the cool thing to do", but in a very few years it will become a way of socializing, as opposed to acting "cool", and in situations where you are socializing many people won't be drinking because they will be driving, have responsibilities the next day, etc....

I never EVER think it rude for someone to turn down a drink, and we always make sure that people have other options (soda, water, juice, etc...)

 

There's nothing wrong with turning down a drink, just don't go out of your way to tell people, "I don't drink." That makes you LOOK like you think that you're better then people that drink. Kinda like someone saying "I don't eat fast food" when you're sitting there mowing on a big mac. So just turn down the beer, and let it pass, and no one will think anything of it.

 

Don't sweat it, I'm 30 and have never took a drink. I was always the DD when me and my friends went to the club. They never cared because I never pushed my beliefs on them. My best friend would not let me drink if I wanted to because he knows how important it is to me.

 

Don't sweat it People can be real jerks about it. I *only* drink at home or with a DD, so there are many times I meet people after work or whatever and don't drink. I usually don't get hassled, especially when I say I'm driving...but when I was younger yeah peer pressure could definitely be a bitch. Just stand firm and don't make a big deal out of it and you'll be fine.

 

The bike actually works out as a pretty decent excuse. Most people think motorcycles are insane death machines, so when you say "I don't drink when I've got the bike" they generally go "Oh yeah, that would be nuts" and respect your decision, and still think you're hardcore for having the bike in the first place.

Without the bike, you can still get away with it. If someone offers you an alcoholic drink, you simply respond with, "Oh no, I don't drink. Thanks, though." Do it respectfully, and cordially, and they'll generally respect your choice, as they know its something they'd have difficulty doing. Personally, this is what I do, and I meet up at bars all the time with friends I've been drinking with for 15 years. Now, they know if I walk in with the bike jacket, I'm not drinking. They'll even buy me a coke when they hit the bar without me asking. That's another easy one. If someone asks you if you want a drink, just tell them what you want. "Yeah, gimme a coke, and throw a lime in it." In fact, this whole scenario has gotten me to the point where I just really don't drink, ever. I've got no alcohol in the house, and the only time I have something alcoholic is when I'm hitting the beer gardens in the city, and that's only because I really appreciate a fine glass of well-made beer (see below).

If you want to avoid that whole situation altogether, go get your own drink, and make sure you've always got one. It's rare anyone will ask what's in your glass, so you're home free. Also, most bars don't charge for soda, so you get out with a cheap tab. A lot of the bars that DO charge for soda will often let you drink free if you tell them you're the DD (hard to do with a motorcycle jacket).

Back in the 90's (well, it was big in the 90's) we had a thing called "Straightedge." Kids who wouldn't drink, do drugs, smoke, etc etc etc. This was a decision they made themselves, and were very vocal about it. It was cool to be straightedge in the punk scene, cuz everyone know it was so hard to do. Back in the 80's, they used to put a big black X on kids hands who came to a bar to see a band. The X let the bartender know the kid was under 21, and was not to be served acohol. I have a pair of friends who actually got this X tattooed on their hands to represent their life choice.

If you get the "Oh, you're no fun" response, tell them "Gimme 15 minutes. If you still don't think I'm fun, I'll go home." Just be sure you're actually a fun person And don't worry, they're not actually going to tell you to go home.

Failing ALL of that, you can lie. I don't like doing this cuz I think it's cheating your way out of changing someone's mind about you not drinking, but that's you're call. Here are some good ones:

"Alcoholism and liver cancer run in my family. I'm too high risk."

"I got traffic school in the morning, and they breathalize you."

"Dude, I've had like 4 already, and I'm driving. I gotta slow down." (works well on drunks)

Etc. Make up your own. Just don't make it preachy, or insult the other person, cuz they'll just harass you further. Respect the fact that they choose to drink, and you'll be ok. Bear in mind this does NOT apply if you know someone who chooses to drink and drive. One of the cool things we did in the MSF course is learn ways to temporarily disable a drunk person's motorcycle, so they have to find an alternate way home.

One of the bigger problems you'll run into is that drunk people are annoying as hell when you're not drunk. They think everything is 10x funnier than it actually is, and think you're 10x more lame for not agreeing. be ready with an excuse to duck out when things go south. I usually come into the bar right away with "I can only stay for about an hour," so it doesn't look weird later. If you do end up wanting to stay longer, they won't be keeping track of time anyway.




Also: Don't let all of this scare YOU from enjoying a good beer once in a while (just not while you got the keys!) There are THOUSANDS of beers out there, and some of the most wonderful tastes ever devised. I'm not talking about that Coors Light grocery store bull****. All that mass-produced stuff tastes mass-produced. It's like alcoholic water mixed with battery acid. I'm talking a micro-brewed import from belgium, something like that. Something where you get ONE beer, because you take an hour to sip and enjoy it's flavor and efforvesence. Not some slurry you drink a "6-pack" of to get drunk.

Even just something non-American. America makes some of the worst beer on the planet. When you're 21, find a beer garden in the city. Something with an actual printed menu of beers, and try a different one each time you go. It sounds really stupid when you're readnig this I'm sure, but trust me. Beer is a cuisine all it's own, and it has tastes and sensations that you just can't find in food. Once you find those couple of beers you realy like, you'll understand what it's like to drink for the experience, not to get drunk and puke on your friend's shoes. I'd equate it to the difference between a finely-crafted cigar, and a pack of cigarettes. If you're getting drunk, you're doing it wrong.

 

Elfling, we're talking about "Designated Drivers," not "Dungeons and Dragons." Sorry to get you excited.

I've seen some BAD things happen during drunken D&D games.

 

if u dont drink, that just means theres more for me haha. but seriously, I have friends that dont drink, and people actually look up to them. kind of like smoking, if you get hooked on those things it can be quite a challenge to quit. So dont worry about the whole drinking thing, you can still hang out and have fun sober.