I don’t drink alcohol and before you ask, I’m not Mormon.
I know it seems odd, especially in a place like Moscow, where alcohol is woven into the fabric of social life. But for me, the decision not to drink was a personal calculation of risks and benefits.
Members of both my immediate and extended family have had problems with alcoholism, and when I came to the University of Idaho, I made the active choice to not drink.
Yet, what I find more interesting than my alcohol abstinence is the reaction I receive from fellow college students.
In many instances, people of varying degrees of intoxication have taken personal offense to my decision not to drink. They see it as a personal attack on their social habits and a refusal to have a good time. There is the implication that refusing to drink somehow makes me a snob or a prude who is looking to kill the buzz or ruin the party.
To be honest, I can’t really blame someone for thinking this.
Refusing to drink has long been attached to religious elitism, and the false notion that sobriety gives one the moral high ground.
Well, it doesn’t.
Not drinking does not somehow make me a better or more responsible person.
I love hanging out with drunk people. It’s a good time going to a friend’s house on a Friday night to watch the tough guy in the room sing his heart out to “Sweet Caroline.”
Overall, most people I come into contact with who are drinking understand my decision, and I am grateful to have friends who respect it.
That being said, “Don’t be such a pussy,” and “Just drink one, it won’t hurt,” have been said to me on multiple occasions.
Students must recognize that multiple reasons exist for not choosing to have “just one” shot. After all, someone has to be the designated driver at the end of the night.
Does this mean I will never crack open a room-temperature Pabst Blue Ribbon or have a glass of boxed wine after a long week? Of course not. But I know when I decide to start it will be because I feel ready and confident in myself to handle the responsibility.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]