Sajila Nudrat | Health Editor
Featured image courtesy of Jasmine Wiradharma | Comics Editor
Alcohol is something that has become synonymous with celebrations: wedding toasts, graduation, and sports teams dousing locker rooms with champagne after big wins. Regardless of the occasion, it seems that such a celebration is no longer sustainable. A 2018 global study confirmed previous research indicating that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Sobriety isn’t a new fad, but it seems to be one that’s growing. Celebrities like Blake Lively, Rumer Willis, Bradley Cooper and Zac Efron have all forgone alcohol. While some have done so due to struggles with substance abuse, others have simply chosen to adopt a cleaner lifestyle.
When people find out I don’t drink alcohol, the first reaction always seems to be one of pity and sympathy. Followed by a slew of, “I feel so bad for you,” or “you don’t know what your missing out on.” They never really tend to consider the idea that I may, in fact, feel bad for them.
There is the occasional “you’re lucky” thrown into the mix, that sounds awfully like, “I wish I could do the same,” making it seem as if once you’re in, you’re in for life. Which in a sense can be true, because alcohol addiction is one of the hardest to break.
My decision to abstain from alcohol stems from religious belief, but goes much further than that. In Islam, consumption of any intoxicants is forbidden. Islam also teaches that one should research and understand why they believe what they do. As a practising Muslim, I researched why I observe my faith in adherence to the Holy Book, and stand by why I don’t drink alcohol.
I think it’s something that constrains and restricts society. Alcohol is a gateway to other forms of addiction. Substance use can lead to the abuse of drugs, and when a person is incapacitated to the point where they are no longer aware of their surroundings or actions, it can lead to dire consequences.
The Journal of the American Medical association recently reported that 92 per cent of domestic abusers were abusing alcohol, not just in their lives, but at the time of the incident. I’m not saying it is the sole cause of domestic violence; alcohol abuse is just a factor among many, however, it was factor in a large number of reported cases.
Additionally, research by the Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug, and other Addiction shows that alcohol abuse puts a financial strain on families and changes the behaviour of the abuser. Such stress leads to more abuse of alcohol, and if a spouse tries to stop that, it often leads to violence.
There are few benefits and many risks associated with alcohol consumption. Previously-believed benefits continue to be debunked, such as the belief that drinking a glass of red wine a day has health benefits, which was proven to be false. Not only that, but red wine was declared a known carcinogen in 1988. There are no health benefits to alcohol consumption for youth, potential benefits don’t start until middle age, and by then, there are plenty of drawbacks such as liver cancer, heart attacks and cirrhosis to offset the gains.
I don’t drink alcohol because there is no benefit to it; it won’t make my life better, in fact, it might make it worse. Most of the time, I don’t mind if people drink, as long as it doesn’t directly impact me. After a night of drinking, the next day, most of my friends tend to be nursing wicked hangovers, complaining about their lack of recollection of the night before, but still subscribe to the belief they had a good time—just one they don’t remember. When I celebrate, I want to remember what I was celebrating to begin with, I want to be able to hold a conversation with the person next to me about something worthwhile.
When I go out to dinner with my friends, I want to be able to enjoy the evening and discuss topics of substance, rather than abuse substances. With alcohol in the mix, there are a whole lot of empty conversations, ones that won’t matter the next day, and that’s just simply not my cup of tea.
It’s important to me that I learn from those around me; their experiences and their journeys. But one too many glasses of champagne, and suddenly the lines between fact and fiction tend to be blurred. Life’s too short to just drink it away.
