Now, this is not strictly a zero waste-related article, but I’m including it here because for me it aligns with refusing what I don’t need and reducing what I do consume and leading a more meaningful and healthy life; one of the fantastic benefits of zero waste living. Plus, it’s something I really want to write about. So there. Without further ado:
Alcohol is so ingrained in our society that it’s rare to go to any event where there is no alcohol. Even breakfast with friends is no longer safe. Bottomless brunch, anyone?
Like many others, I grew up accepting the prevalence of alcohol in our society automatically. I saw how it was used to celebrate, commiserate, socialise, and ‘relax’. I also saw how it could rip apart families, but despite there being a dysfunctional use of alcohol in my own family growing up, it somehow still managed to seem a wonderfully adult thing to do and I looked forward to being able to have it when I was older. How classy! How delightful! I’d be a real adult when I could come home from work and have a glass of wine!
I recall no particular regular education or open dialogue about the use and dangers of alcohol further than road and pedestrian safety. And that it was pretty bad to become an alcoholic. So, go for it, everyone, just don’t get killed on the road, or become an alcoholic, and you’ll be right!
Like many others, I had my first taste of alcohol in my teens, years before I was legally allowed to drink it. It was funny and experimental and there was no regularity with which I drank, but certainly it became a big part of socialising on weekends in my later teens and we all used it as a way to fit in and ‘be cool’. We didn’t have to be quite as responsible for what we did and said after a few drinks, so how great to navigate those awkward teenage years when you’re maturing from child to adult under the influence of alcohol! It was a bit of fun and a laugh at times, sure, but it could also be pretty stupid and dangerous at times looking back. And despite a handful of nights overdoing it and a few minor teenage dramas, I was lucky there were no major issues or consequences at the time from our drinking. Thankfully there were also plenty of social events without alcohol like exercising, hanging at the beach, and meals out, so there was still plenty of healthy socialising and activities.
I don’t recall it being a big feature or issue in my 20’s, but certainly it was as prevalent as ever at nearly every event, including work functions. Maybe once or twice a year I accidentally overdid it and wound up with a hangover and a few minor regrets, but otherwise I was pretty responsible with it and enjoyed a drink. Cheers and bottoms up!
My 30’s was when my drinking ramped up a bit. After having children, the evening wine became my little reward for getting through the day and helped blur away the messy house and long list of things to do, which I would simply be too exhausted to do at the end of the day. I am a highly organised person who likes my house in order and I struggled with not being able to keep on top of that after having children. Looking back now, I definitely used alcohol to help deal with that. It was a reward, it helped with avoidance, and soothed periods of monotony.
I started looking forward to my evening wine a bit too much and I noticed it. My servings became quite large. And although I kept it to 1-3 glasses by and large and never got ‘drunk’ at home or wound up with hangovers, I wasn’t really ok with it anymore. I would frequently resolve to not drink during the week to only have my hands of their own accord open a bottle of wine at 5pm. I talked about this with many friends and there were two typical responses. The most common response was “if you’re only having one or two glasses, I really wouldn’t worry about it.” Oh, ok, I’d think. The other common response from many was more of a suggestion; “I just don’t drink during the week as a rule. I only drink Fri/Sat.” I always admired those people, but my problem was that I enjoyed the evening weeknight wine way too much for that to stick. If I had some wine left over from the weekend, I’d finish it off over Mon/Tue and then think “oh well, now it’s Thursday and almost the weekend, I may as well open another bottle”. There were the less common responses, which did include a handful of friends in a similar situation to me who wanted to make healthier choices, and others who wholeheartedly supported the evening wine.
I do not believe I had ‘a drinking problem’, depending on your definition. I had a bad habit that wasn’t healthy and I wanted to change. Simple as that. I wanted to change from being a regular drinker to an occasional drinker.
I mulled over this habit for a long time and really started paying attention to how often, how much, and why I would drink. And how it made me feel.
I had a couple of occasions where I did not eat enough food and overdid it with alcohol. Unfortunately one occasion was a work event and the hangxiety that I experienced lasted many weeks and it honestly took me about a year to forgive myself and move on from it. I hated that I acted in a way and said things that I absolutely would not have done if I was sober. I was mortified. This is not about being perfect all the time. This is not about being able to loosen up. There are plenty of other opportunities – daily – in life where we make mistakes and learn from them and learn ways to relax, like reading a book, meditating, listening to some music or cooking, etc. No, we do not need alcohol to help us loosen up or to learn from mistakes. This particular event led to a decision never to drink at a work function ever again. They will be sober from now on.
I chose not to drink at some boozy social events and I was thrilled to discover that I enjoyed the events just as much – if not more – than if I were to drink. Noted. I loved waking up in the morning with no hangover, no cringing about something I said while a bit tipsy, and no doubt that I was my best self possible. I could happily get on with my day.
It’s quite mad that it is generally not socially acceptable to overdo it with alcohol, yet alcohol, even after a couple of drinks can affect your decision making, particularly around how much more is ok to drink. What’s even more mad is that people can be outcast when they choose not to drink. I am guilty of many years ago, aghast, asking “why?” when a colleague told me she didn’t drink alcohol at all. I’m mortified by that response now. If anyone tells me they do not drink now, I say “good on you!” and I mean it. I have many friends who are so supportive when anyone wants to step away from alcohol. I also have friends who need others around them to drink to justify their own drinking habits. The social event is all about the alcohol for them and they are not particularly happy if you do not drink. And if you’re foolish enough to try to keep up with them, you wind up with your head in the toilet the next day.
During the pandemic, drinking in the evening didn’t really seem ok anymore. Many days were the same and I couldn’t pretend I had an excuse to drink. I wound up taking a few breaks from alcohol. My longest was nine weeks. It was not hard to do and it was quite eye-opening. With no effort, I lost 2-3kg over a few weeks. The most astounding change I noticed was the ability to think more clearly. I made better micro-decisions not only in the evening, but during the day. I found I could more clearly articulate my thoughts and was functioning generally on a higher level. I would have been the only one to notice this; I don’t think it would have been noticeable externally. I was rapt, but also extremely shocked with my finding. I became deeply concerned about what alcohol was doing to so many people in society. What had I been doing to myself all these years with the evening wine? Dulling life around me and my own brain? It certainly wasn’t helping me to perform any better or be a better person, or make better decisions.
Having the breaks from alcohol followed by returning to drinking regularly again gave me an opportunity to pay more attention to the effect alcohol was having on me. Firstly, I noticed if I had wine a few days in a row, my tongue would feel a bit tingly/sore. I’d be more prone to mouth ulcers. After drinking, even one glass, I sometimes noticed slightly elevated anxiety for days after. Alcohol could make my stomach feel a bit sore. Even after only two glasses sometimes, I would wake up the next morning regretting them immediately.
I knew I was getting closer to changing this habit I found myself in.
I started reading. Sober on a Drunk Planet by Sean Alexander was a great read about the insane prevalence of alcohol in our society and the damage it causes to lives. The book is perhaps more aimed at people who drink heavily, but I still found it a valuable book to read. I knew that alcohol could be a ‘risk factor’ for some cancers, but I started paying more attention to some of the research and I learned that alcohol increases the risk of a number of cancers, including mouth (30% of mouth cancer cases in Australia are caused by alcohol (Pandeya et. al., 2015)), pharynx, larynx oesophagus, breast, stomach, liver and bowel cancers. One of my friends, while in her 30’s, had to have pre-cancerous tissue cut out of her tongue and was told by the specialist to no longer drink alcohol or she would be putting herself at risk of mouth cancer.
When alcohol is ingested in your system, one way it is metabolised by the body is by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which creates acetaldehyde and this, my friends, is toxic (suspected carcinogenic). Although acetaldehyde is transient and is metabolised further by the body into other compounds, it is believed that it’s there long enough to increase the risk of cancer. Alcoholic beverages may also contain a variety of carcinogenic substances that are introduced during fermentation and production (National Cancer Institute, NCI). The link with cancer has now become my biggest motivator to cut down on drinking. My other motivators are to think more clearly and make better day to day decisions, to spend my time (and money) on things and experiences that matter and that are meaningful. I want sober experiences in life. Not blurry tipsy ones.
Whilst much research tries to look for health benefits of alcohol, I’m yet to find anything of note. In fact, a recent study could only demonstrate minor health benefits for those in their 70’s and that was with moderate intake within the recommended limits (I promise I will slot in the reference for this once I find it again!). So, if it helps, NHMRC guidelines tell us that healthy adults should drink no more than 10 drinks per week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day. I think it’s important that we don’t interpret this meaning that these are healthy amounts. There is no healthy amount. It’s safest to assume alcohol has no health benefits.
I’m rapt to learn that the Sober Curious movement is increasing in popularity and I hope that as my children approach legal drinking age, alcohol is not something that they look forward to. I hope I can educate them to critically evaluate why they are drinking whenever they do and to enjoy it from time to time if that’s what they wish to do, but to treat it as the drug that it is and to not become blase about it. I want them to know about the negative impacts to their health, about repercussions that can occur from drinking it, that it can affect people differently and to practise saying “no thanks, I’m not drinking today/tonight, I…..
…..am having a break from alcohol for health reasons”
…..have something important on tomorrow”
…..don’t drink very often, it doesn’t agree with me”
…..prefer to experience life sober”
….or WHATEVER they want to say. I want them to learn that people who pressure them to drink to justify their own drinking or to ensure there is no one sober around to judge/witness their drunk antics are perhaps not worth hanging around. If they’re sober, they can always exercise their best judgement and will likely avoid the serious regret and negative impacts that can come with drinking.
I want them to know it’s ok to not go to an event if there will be copious drinking there and they just don’t want to be a part of it.
I want them to know that life can be just as fun and fulfilling with a full range of experiences without alcohol. I would say it is more so.
Now that I’m drinking less, I want it less. The more I drank before, the more I drank. What kind of false reward feedback system is alcohol creating in our minds, particularly when we repeatedly wake up with regret and many of us want to drink less.
I am very happy to report that I have kicked the evening wine habit and now no longer (or very rarely) even want it in the evening. I am completely at peace with choosing to have a few wines at the occasional event and I enjoy them when I do.
On the zero waste front, my reduction in alcoholic beverage consumption means I am sending much less through the high resource-requiring recycling process, and probably less to landfill too with the odd bits of packaging and lids that don’t make it through the recycling process.
Are there any changes you have been wanting to make to lead a more healthy and meaningful life, and perhaps reduce consumption in the process? Go for it! You have nothing to lose.
Here are some interesting ABC articles related to drinking:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2021-06-08/alcohol-women-in-middle-age-and-cancer-risk/100150220#:~:text=Because%20she%20drinks%20every%20day,box)%20are%20also%20more%20likely.
National Cancer Institute (NCI): Alcohol information
National Health and Medical Research Council: Alcohol information
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/alcohol
Pandeya, N., Wilson, N.F., Webb, P.M., Neale, R.E., Bain, C.J., and Whiteman, D.C. (2015) Cancers in Australia in 2010 Attributable to the Consumption of Alcohol. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.39(5), 408-413 [Online access here]
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