Fuck alcohol culture
A perspective from someone who drinks rarely
By now every damn person knows alcohol is dangerous. But did you know it was ranked number 1 in the most dangerous drugs to society list? Of course you didn’t. Because it’s fun when you drink it, right? It’s like playing video games with Hitler or Ted Bundy. Why care about his atrocities when it’s so much fun to play! 😃
Alcohol has become such a cultural zeitgeist in India that entire states identify with it now.
“Oh you’re a Mallu, I’m sure you know your alcohol!”
People today, at least us millennials and gen-Zs seem to love our alcohol way more than before. Some common scenarios today:
We travel 1000s of miles, spending a lot of time, money and energy to rave about the kind of alcohol we drank there
Catching up over drinks has become very common, even for official meetings
Alcohol has become a common fixture in Indian weddings as well
Some startups having “beer in the fridge” as a damn perk
With it becoming so common, people who don’t drink or drink less, find it harder to be a part of all this drunk festival bonanza shit. Some people or groups even think it’s strange or orthodox to be a teetotaller. In parties or in a group, how many times have we heard some asshole saying:
“That’s it? that’s all you can drink? Now watch me finish this bottle!”
It’s like saying
“That’s it? you just spoke to jack the ripper? Now watch me go s### his ####!”
These dense mofos I tell you!
You’re drinking the number 1 killer drug on a regular basis and feeling cool for doing it. Good on you! Great freaking job! At least don’t shame and perpetuate the stigma around people who don’t drink. In fact, if your mature mind can comprehend that it’s great, then encourage that shit.
I hear you coming up with your list of defending arguments. I’ve heard all that crap. Hold your damn horses please.
The point of this whole thing is quite simple and can be summarised as follows:
Do not promote heavy drinking: You ain’t no lord for drinking and it’s really shitty that you can finish 5 bottles and take pride in it. Social factors play a huge role in promoting binge drinking. So, yeah it’s your life your choice and all that but don’t drag others into that quicksand you’re stuck in yourself.
It’s great and completely normal to not drink: God bless the teetotallers and rare drinkers (like me) and the low quantity / half bottle drinkers (like many). They’re the ones who should be proud for not ####ing a serial killer’s ####. Yeah.
People who don’t like to drink need to unapologetically reject that shit: Come on! Say no! Don’t bow down to this culture and reject your truth! Maybe sometimes even you drunks feel like saying no to drink. You don’t like that shit, you don’t want to do that shit, SHOUT it. We need more of you for this to become normal (and healthy).
Be civil, be polite, be human: Drink lover or not, there’s no need to stigmatise any damn thing. And there’s no need to make others feel less for not doing something you like. Make space for non drinkers, you’d actually be doing humanity a favour. Be human with them. We’re all friends here.
End of rant
Won't lie, I remember doing the whole 'I can drink XYZ shots' thing in college and for a while after.