Why I say no to alcohol.

     It hit me a few days ago that while I've said many times on this blog (and my old blog) that I don't drink alcohol (or do drugs, but I think that's kind of a given), but I've never said why it is that I don't drink. There's a variety of factors that influence my decision, and I thought that writing everything out might make for an interesting blog post.

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Why I didn't drink in high school:

1. My parents: this is the number one reason why drinking in high school never interested me. I suppose another reason is that the crowd that I hung out with was not into drinking at the time, but I believe my parents were the main reason. My mom and dad are not into drinking, and I can count the number of times in my lifetime that I've seen them drink alcohol on one hand. (I distinctly remember how when my family went on a Caribbean cruise when I was seven and my dad ordered a beer on one of our island stops, I thought that something was wrong with him because I'd never seen him drink before). The only alcohol that is in my home in Maine is a few bottles that my mom occasionally uses for cooking, that's it. Nothing else. So not only did I not really grow up around alcohol, but my parents also educated me on the dangers from a young age. There is a history of alcoholism on my mom's side of the family (both my grandfather and great-grandfather died from illnesses related to it), and there's a lot of mental illness on my dad's side of the family. Mental illness + alcoholism = BAD NEWS, and my parents always stressed that to me growing up. They were also very clear that if I drank in high school at a party or friend's house there would be SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. No more phone, computer, car... etc. I wish I could say that I didn't want to drink in high school because I wanted to honor my mother and father like the Bible says to... but the truth is I was too scared to have my favorite possessions taken away from me, so I chose not to drink more out of fear. Also, as I said earlier, a good majority of my high school friends were not into drinking at the time. Most of the party kids at my high school didn't like me, so I was never really around students my age drinking.

Why I don't drink in college:

1. The Law: I've always been big on following the legal system. And in the United States, it is ILLEGAL to consume alcohol if you are under the age of 21. NO BUTS (college parties are not exceptions folks!). I am currently a citizen of the United States, living in the state of North Carolina, and I'm under the age of 21. So yeah...
2. My faith: I don't believe that the Bible comes right out and condones drinking... goodness, Jesus turned water into wine! But the Bible definitely does warn against when drinking distracts you from staying focussed on your faith in the Lord and living out your faith with others. Ephesians 5:18 says "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit..." (NIV). There are enough things in my daily life that distract me enough from my faith; social media, schoolwork, friends, crushes, family, fashion....etc. I certainly don't need to add something that's currently illegal for me to that!
3. My parents: My parents' influence is still a big part of my decision not to drink while I'm underage. Minus my textbooks, they pay for all of my college expenses. That's a lot of their money! They have also been so supportive of me going to school out of state, and I thank them immensly for not making me stay close to home for college, and instead letting me go where I wanted. After all of that, I couldn't even think about drinking because I know how much they would be dissapointed in me. 
4. My family history: I wrote in an earlier paragraph about the history of alcoholism and mental illness in my parents' families. As I'm getting older, things like family health history start to matter more to me. There is research that shows if you start drinking under the age of 21 then you have a much greater risk of becoming an alcoholic. Since alcoholism is already present in my family then that means my risk is higher to begin with, and that's something that I just don't need to mess with!
5. My headaches: Since I got sick with a bad virus/sinus infection combo for about a month during my freshman year of college, I get bad headaches. This past summer I was getting headaches several days a week. Now it has slowed down to about once or twice a week, but they still hurt a lot. They aren't quite like migraines, more like throbbing in my temples. I never had headaches before I got sick... but I guess the headaches are here to stay (I've seen a doctor about it and they didn't offer me any solutions). Oftentimes my headaches are accompanied with severe lightheadedness. It's gotten a little better since I started my sophomore year, but this summer my lightheadedness was often so bad that I couldn't drive and would have to cancel plans because of it. Anyways, I've heard that even way before a person is "drunk" alcohol can make them experience this. I HATE feeling lightheaded and it makes me feel weak and powerless. When I get those feelings enough in my daily life, why would I drink a beverage that would increase those feelings?!
6. My safety: So many bad things can happen to a college girl that has been drinking. I wouldn't be worried that I would drive drunk (I have a hard enough time driving when I have a headache!), but I am more worried that I would unknowingly get into a car with someone who had too much to drink and then decided to drive. I also worry about date rape, or even being taken advantage of in ways that aren't quite as "far as" sex (such as a creepy guy making out with me or something). Oftentimes alcohol also leads to violence, and I wouldn't want to be around any drunken fights.

     

     These are my reasons why I'm choosing not to drink while I'm underage. I have not yet decided my thoughts about both drinking if I'm out of the country, or drinking after my 21st birthday. I believe that both of these things are personal convictions, and Christians should be respectful of others' views. My parents have told me that they would prefer that I never drink at all (even after I'm legal) because of my family history. I respect their opinion very much, but I also realize that once I am legal they won't be able to decide for me anymore whether I can or can't drink. 

     In December I'm going to be travelling to the United Kingdom with my parents over Christmas. The legal drinking age there is 18, so I would be allowed to consume alcohol. Since I have never really tried more than just a few sips (in the presence of my mom cooking) I have thought about wanting to try a drink in a restaurant or pub while we're there, but since my parents will be with me on the trip I doubt that will happen. 

     I do think that alcohol used in cooking is a wonderful invention though... my favorite type of pasta sauce is vodka sauce, and one of my favorite types of cake is rum cake. The good part about these things is that most of the actual alcohol burns off in cooking, so all that's left is the flavor! :-)

     Lastly, I want to say that while these are my views on drinking underage, I try not to be judgemental of those who do drink before they're 21. Most of my friends from high school drink now, and since my new college is not a dry campus like my old school, I often see alcohol in my building. Luckily the school monitors pretty well and doesn't tolerate traditional "college parties," but underage drinking definitely happens here. I am blessed though to have friends and sorority sisters who respect my decision not to drink and do not try and pressure me. 

     What are your thoughts on underage drinking? If you're under 21, do you drink? If you're over 21, what are your thoughts? I'd love to hear! The comments on this post are a judgement-free zone. :-)

     xoxo Miss ALK