![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/how-to-be-a-flexi-drinker-and-cut-back-without-going-teetotal/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/KP4VEM6TMJPZGUNEGIP4HASTWA.jpg&description="I'm in my late 50s and ludicrously, embarrassingly, I often find it hard to drink on my own terms." Photo / 123RFOPINION: My name is Phil and I'm almost certainly not an alcoholic. However, I often find it hard to refuse a drink. It's not a physical yearning, it's a complex set of social obligations – by which I mean British drinking culture. With Sober October now at an end and Christmas closing in, I'm making a plea for a new approach that stops short of total abstinence, but frees us from the book of booze rules we have all learned and internalised.For example, the moment a friend leans across the table, drops their voice to a conspiratorial whisper and says: 'Another bottle?' They're saying: I like you, I feel close to you, I want to extend our time together, I may even share some feelings.How can you refuse?But drinking is changing, according to research group IWSR. This year, sales of alcohol-free beer are almost double what they were five years ago. The range of offerings from gins to IPAs is now full of genuinely delicious brands but, more importantly, the arcane and deeply embedded symbolism and tradition around drinking seems to be breaking down.Alex Aber, head barman at the Athenaeum Hotel in London, has been serving drinks for 15 years and is seeing a real change in habits. 'There's a new generation not drinking as much. People want to be healthier, feel less groggy the next day, and are looking after themselves more.'Annabel Bonus, director of evidence and impact at alcohol charity Drinkaware, says: 'People are more and more willing to try low- and no-alcohol products. They are using them in different ways; you can still be social and moderate your intake. It can be a way of avoiding peer pressure.'Sales of low- and no-alcohol brands are booming. Photo / Logan WestHowever, I still drink more than I want to. I'm in my late 50s and ludicrously, embarrassingly, I often find it hard to drink on my own terms.For starters, there is the link between masculini){kind=link}
Like a drink, but concerned about your health? It’s time to join the not-quite-soberistas with one foot on the wagon
My name is Phil and I’m almost certainly not an alcoholic. However, I often find it hard to refuse a drink. It’s not a physical yearning, it’s a complex set of social obligations – by which I mean British drinking culture.
With Sober October now at an end and Christmas closing in, I’m making a plea for a new approach that stops short of total abstinence, but frees us from the book of booze rules we have all learned and internalised.
For example, the moment a friend leans across the table, drops their voice to a conspiratorial whisper and says: “Another bottle?” They’re saying: I like you, I feel close to you, I want to extend our time together, I may even share some feelings.
How can you refuse?