Help a teetotaller understand: why people like drinking booze and smoking?

In My Humble Opinion
21

If we didn’t, how would teetotalers get to feel morally superior? It’s a symbiotic relationship.

But really, I got into smoking because it was a fun social thing when I was young and in college. It was also a good way to piss off my then-boyfriend–yeah, I was immature. I started with the occasional chocolate cigar at a bar that actually had cigars on the menu… this was back when you could smoke indoors. That progressed to smoking cloves, which I guess are illegal now. Cloves got expensive so I switched to cigarettes. It gave me something to do with my hands, a reason to step outside, and the nicotine quieted my racing thoughts… so I kept smoking for several years.

It also didn’t help that both my parents (most of my relatives, in fact) were chain smokers. I didn’t grow up with a mentality that smoking was taboo. It was just something that normal working-class people did, because their parents did it, because *their *parents did it, etc. It smelled gross, sure, and I spent my teenage years swearing I’d never do it (because it was stinky and low-class and expensive). But I think it’s a whole different experience to be raised by nonsmoking parents. To a young you, smoking was not even a thing you thought of doing. To a young me, smoking was something my heroes did every single day of my life. Not to blame them for my addiction problems, you understand. But it certainly results in a completely different mentality.

I quit smoking in January of 2013, but I’ll probably be dependent on my ecig for a long time. Nicotine is a *really *good stimulant and I can’t focus without it (on that note, I may have adult ADHD, which certainly complicates things). I quit smoking because it was a dealbreaker for my current boyfriend, and he is more important to me than cigarettes. It certainly is nice to breathe better, and my clothing smells better. But if this relationship ever ends, I’ll be picking them right back up.

22

My alcohol consumption rose significantly with each additional child. It softens the whininess. It’s also makes it a lot easier to unwind after work.

23

Too risky.

24

Then the OP is SOL. :frowning:

25

The nicotine in tobacco, especially when smoked in the form of cigarettes, simultaneously provides a gentle stimulation while at the same time relaxing you–I know this sounds like advertising copy but it’s true, and goes a long way to explaining addiction to nicotine. The effect only lasts twenty minutes if you’re lucky, and then you want another cigarette. I remember you’d read much the same kind of thing about cocaine in the late 1970s and 80s, in articles that attempted to explain its growing and alarming popularity at the time.

As addictive as tobacco is, therefore, there’s more to it than just avoiding withdrawal.

26

Many reasons. Those who drink responsibly drink to relax, be sociable and to actually enjoy the drink. Those with a problem with alcoholism drink because they have an addiction and are compelled to do so. With that often come with legal problems, relationship problems, health problems. To me marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol. I am 60 years old in great health, work out. I admit very occasionally I will smoke a little marijuana. I am always responsible. I love to listen to music, go on fb watch freaky movies and laugh. Of course the dreaded munchies are there but I don’t eat more. I just enjoy it more.:slight_smile:

27

So where do you fall on this drinking spectrum? Do you consider yourself a responsible drinker, a problem drinker or a teetotaler?

28

Social influences also have an effect.

I never drink when I’m alone. I don’t like the taste of alcohol and I don’t like getting buzzed. I can’t even walk a straight line when I’m sober, so I have to watch out for intoxication.

But I will drink if everyone around me is drinking, just so people won’t harrass me about my lack of participation. And also so I can feel somewhat “cool”. I’m fine with nursing my single glass of wine all night; you will never catch me chugging beers just to fit in. But I will go through the motions of social drinking because it’s a harmless thing to do and I can usually find a drink that isn’t so bad on my taste buds. Plus, I don’t socialize with others that much, so I have little risk of turning into an alcoholic.

I imagine that smoking starts off as a socia" activity when someone is in high school or college. If all your friends are sneaking out to the bleachers to smoke, you might feel weird not joining in. I didn’t have friends like this when I was a teen so I’ve never had this experience. But I imagine it’s hard to “just say no” in situations like this.

29

In my wife’s culture, alcohol is offered to adults. If you decline, the host is more likely to feel like offered they must have wrong kind of alcohol or simply assume you are being really polite back. So they’ll insist. Now I know some of the more autistic people on the spectrum might really resent this situation if they simply don’t like alcohol or can’t drink for some reason, but the best solution is what Monstro describes; just take a glass/bottle/whatever and carry it around. If they see it in your hand, they won’t pester you further.

30

I come from a long proud line of hardy booze drinkers. So to honor my ancesters I drink as well. To not drink would be to dishonor them and bring shame upon my household.

31

Whatnow? Not wanting to have alcohol forced upon you is a sign of autism?

32

Probably the best statement of why people crave/enjoy booze was in a Stephen King novel (“The Shining”, I believe), referring to a person wanting to go into a dark place, eat peanuts and drink until their brain shut up and left them alone.

If you’re content without 'em, don’t worry about it.

Though you should consider becoming a wine connoisseur for the sheer lunacy of it all (there was a great article Saturday in the Wall St. Journal about the contempt that oenophiles have for a certain line of California wines which are considered low-rent because they are “too accessible” (apparently this means they taste good). I was considering trying one of these non-effete wines, until I discovered that the cheapest bottle goes for around $60 - which is about 12 times what I pay now for the occasional bottle of wine.

I am hopeless. :cool:

33

Although in all fairness, wasn’t King a massive alcoholic?

For most people, it’s just fun sharing a couple of drinks with your friends.

34

I guess it all starts “socially”.

I started smoking at work, everybody would go out for a smoke and I’d go too, or get stuck inside, which meant you basically lost your break.

At first it gives you a nice little buzz, then it just sucks, but you keep doing it because you’re stupid (I’m stupid)

Beer, social, pretty much purely social… Then you like it, then its a good way to relax… I like a nice little buzz, but I HATE being shit faced. Its a nice little bring me down after work, also a nice little pick me up when the shit hits the fan. It goes really well with pizza.

And there are so many different beers out there, so many different flavors, it can be quite an adventure, even if you aren’t into the alcohol side. Raspberry(can’t forget the silent P), and Peach and Apricot, and different blends of grains and honey and molasses and spices… And even Chile’s and Garlic and… and …

It can be quite the flavor adventure. Where as Cola kind of tops out at Dr. Pepper.

Booze… I really really like Evan Williams or Jack and Sprite/7up. But I reserve it for special occasions. A 750ml bottle will last me 2 years at home, and most of that ends up in BBQ sauce and marinades.

If you don’t like smoking, you’re smart, its pretty f’n stupid and makes you feel like crap.

If you don’t like beer or booze, that’s your choice, I’m not going to force you to drink my beer, but I still offer, its the social thing to do.

35

Not quite: Smoking a cigarette after eating a large meal is pure ambrosia.

Smoking a cigarette with a stiff drink in your hand is better than sex.
All other times it’s just to stave off the cravings.

36

Different teetotaler here.

I don’t feel morally superior to folks that partake of the various intoxicants. There’s lots of stuff I don’t ever do that is completely none of my business if other people do them.

Non-drug example, I prefer not to eat seafood of any kind. I have never tried a type of seafood I didn’t hate. The way I see it, that means more lobster for whoever I happen to be with. Just because I personally don’t like something, that doesn’t mean I need to be captain buzzkill and make everyone else’s life miserable.

With alcohol and tobacco it’s pretty much the same, and I classify marijuana alongside those. It might affect my dating preferences, or there might be rules against it in my house, but step outside my house and I don’t care what you do.

The reason I choose not to ingest or inhale any intoxicants is primarily because I have way too many unpleasant experiences involving people I lived with blowing smoke in my face or getting drunk. I get all the grief of other people’s habits and enjoy none of the benefits, so I just strongly dislike those habits and refuse to make those things a habit of mine.

I’ve observed that in moderation, such things are not nearly as harmful, but the problem there is that most of the general public doesn’t understand the meaning of moderation and doesn’t care about the consequences of substance abuse, and that’s where you get addicts and drunks and cancer and casualties and broken families.

I consider the costs and the benefits and I think such things are a sucker’s bet, kind of like buying lottery tickets, but that’s me. Basically, you are purchasing the cheap “high” of for a few moments, potentially being rich, and being teased by earning some of your lost money back sometimes, but 99.999 percent of people end up losers on the deal… and if that’s your thing, go ahead and waste your money, the schools can use it. If you feel it enriches your life, good for you, I won’t get in your way. But I just look at the cost and what you get for it and I think to myself, I’d rather save that money and take a nice vacation somewhere with a jacuzzi tub with lots of jets. That’s my addiction, and I think it offers a more memorable and fun experience than standing outside in the rain puffing on something that will make me feel bad if I don’t.

Different strokes for different folks.