Students responded to the question:

"Why do you not drink, or drink only in moderation? Is it hard? Are there
benefits to this choice and lifestyle for you?"

•    I don't drink, or drink in moderation because I don't think that I always need alcohol to have fun. I care about my own health and safety, and in my opinion most things that people say they can do only with alcohol are the things they later regret. As an athlete I respect my body, and only drinking in moderations is a important as training, eating well or resting when I am injured. I don't find it that hard as my friends respect this, and appreciate that I am usually the designated driver. I just don't see the fun in being hung over, broke or full of regret after stupid decisions. I have better things to do with my time, and if I you don't remember it then it wasn't fun.
  
  
•    I drink in moderation by choosing only special events to give myself a treat like at a gathering of friends and/or family. It's only during such events that a drink or two can liven the atmosphere and bring the good times up a notch.
  I also drink more for the taste and texture of my beverage. I care about the flavour of my drink and want to make sure my taste buds aren't numbed out by overconsummation. It's a great way to avoid tastelessness if you know what I mean. For me, having never truly develloped a habit by the bottle, no it's not hard. I have many other pick-me-ups to keep me happy than to rely on alcohol. Afterall, it always lets you down the following morning anyway *shrugs*.
  
  
•    Sure thing! Less hangovers! Plus the lack of a regular drinking schedule makes those special events that much better. Drinking with friends is far more exiting and fun than drinking alone. My friends and I don't get to see each other much save for that one weekend during the month when everyone is off work. I'd rather put off drinking for a month if it means I can share one with a good friend. It's pretty much as simple as that.
  
  
•    I drink only in moderation as I do not feel the need to drink excessively to socialize or have a good time. Actually, I feel better knowing that I will remember these occasions, and that friends that chose to drink will have someone they can count on if they were to need it.
  
  
•    I drink but only in moderation because I have more fun when I can remember what happened the morning after. It's not hard to do at all. It's a choice that I have made for myself and it is a choice that only you can make for yourself. Benefits for me are that I am able to get a lot more work done and I feel healthier and happier when I'm not dozy or well, hung-over. This isn't to say that I don't go out or don't drink but when I do, I am happier when I drink in moderation.
  
  
•    I didn't drink at all until I was almost twenty because of a deal I had with my parents. Choosing not to drink for so long was sometimes hard - as if I was missing something every time I went out with my friends. But when I started to drink, I was a bit disappointed - it wasn't as thrilling or exciting as some made it out to be. I still like to have a few drinks, but any more than two or three makes me feel physically and mentally off-balance - in a negative way. It took me a few months to decide what I thought about drinking - and I finally decided that, for me, it's overrated.
  
  
•    The only thing I can think of in response to your question: Just think of the hangover you won't have on Monday morning in that 8:30 class...
  Or: Wouldn't you like to remember what you did last night?
  
  
•     I personally have never really had a big problem with feeling pressured to drink because my friends in residence all knew that I didn't mind socializing and having a drink or two with them, but within limits and so I never felt that pressure. I feel that you don't necessarily have to drink to fit in, because there are those on campus who do not drink or only drink socially and most of my friends are that way too.
  
  
•     My aversion to alcohol little concerns potential physical or cognitive degredation. Give it some thought: people essentially drink to transform themselves; so they may behave, experience and/or be accepted differently. The manifestation of this repugnant and ubiquitous personal weakness is that individuals willingly forfeit their humanity, and socialization is downgraded to more primitive forms. Additionally, have you ever heard the song 'Too Drunk to Fuck?'