I'm Never Drinking Again E-Book

Dominic McGregor

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 306

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

'Dom opens people's eyes to show them that what's holding their life back might be hiding at the bottom of their glass...'
- Chris Williamson - Modern Wisdom

 ‘I saw firsthand how Dominic transformed his relationship with alcohol. This enabled him to become the best version of himself and inspired him to achieve his personal and business goals.’
- Steven Bartlett, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Investor, Author and the host of the UK’s No.1 Podcast ‘The Diary of a CEO’

‘Like any drug, if not taken in moderation, alcohol is a poison and impacts every part of your system. Dominic McGregor saw this clearly on his own journey to change his relationship with alcohol, and interweaves his own personal challenges with practical advice and wisdom.’
- Professor Steve Peters, Consultant Psychiatrist and Bestselling Author of The Chimp Paradox

An insightful account into how changing your relationship with alcohol can change your life

In I'm Never Drinking Again: How to stop drinking so much and change your relationship with alcohol, successful entrepreneur, investor, and mental health advocate Dominic McGregor, now seven years sober, explains how changing your relationship with alcohol can transform every aspect of your life. In the book, you'll explore the role alcohol plays in our society and how dangerous it can be when mixed with poor emotional wellbeing and challenges in life. You'll also discover the advantages of questioning your relationship with alcohol, whether sobriety or moderating alcohol can lead to success, and how, if unmanaged, alcohol can take over your life.

The author explains:

• How to manage mental health problems, addictions to alcohol and other drugs, burnout, and other harmful phenomena associated with success
• How exploring a “sober-curious” lifestyle can aid success
• How your life can be positively impacted by questioning your relationship with alcohol

I'm Never Drinking Again will prove invaluable for anyone who is "sober-curious" and wishes to understand the affect alcohol may play in their lives. Whether you are battling addiction, questioning your relationship with alcohol, or just intrigued by the prospect of challenging yourself to go alcohol free, I'm Never Drinking Again will empower you to strive for a better lifestyle.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

COVER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT

DEDICATION

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER 1: TOP OF THE SLOPE

ASCENDING THE SLOPE

ISSUES WITH ALCOHOL

WHY ME?

DUTCH COURAGE

WHY DO WE DRINK ALCOHOL?

MY TRIGGER POINT

NOTES

CHAPTER 2: GLASS BOTTOMS

BROKEN ANKLES AND REGRETS

BREAKING A GLASS BOTTOM

GROWING UP IN THE DIGITAL AGE

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

CHAPTER 3: FILLING THE VOID

SELF-DESTRUCTION

GATEWAYS

SEEING OTHER PERSPECTIVES

MY SPIRAL OF SELF-DIAGNOSIS

LOOKING FOR LOVE

ALCOHOL AS A DRUG

NOTES

CHAPTER 4: THE FINAL FALL

A DAY AT THE RACES

SCORING A DIRECT HIT

NOTES

CHAPTER 5: ROCK BOTTOM

FACING MY BEER FEAR

MEN WHO TALK …

ESCAPING THE CYCLE OF DISHONESTY

NOTES

CHAPTER 6: CYCLE OF CHANGE

THE CYCLE OF CHANGE

FACING MY TIDAL WAVE

NOTES

CHAPTER 7: BREAKDOWNS TO BREAKTHROUGHS

FIRST STEPS

EXERCISE IT, BOX IT, FEED IT

STORM BEFORE THE CALM

AFTER QUITTING ALCOHOL IT'S OKAY TO INDULGE A LITTLE IN LESSER VICES

DISNEY DREAMER

THE NEXT ADDICTION

NOTES

CHAPTER 8: ROAD TO REDEMPTION

JOURNALING

HAPPY BABY

A FOUNDATION

BEST LAID PLANS

BACK WE GO

NOTES

CHAPTER 9: SUNSHINE IN SOBRIETY

NOTES

FINAL THOUGHTS

INDEX

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

List of Tables

Chapter 8

Table 8.1 Estimate of speed based on verb used in question prompt

List of Illustrations

Chapter 6

Figure 6.1 AUD Test

Figure 6.2 Cycle of change

Chapter 7

Figure 7.1 Stimulus response model

Chapter 8

Figure 8.1 Stimulus–response model

Figure 8.2 Google search frequency on the term ‘stop drinking’ over time

Figure 8.3 Stimulus/response effect on food choices

Chapter 9

Figure 9.1 How long it takes to recover from drinking

Guide

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

Final Thoughts

Index

End User License Agreement

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“I'M NEVER DRINKING AGAIN”

HOW TO STOP DRINKING SO MUCH & CHANGE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL

DOMINIC MCGREGOR

This edition first published 2024© 2024 Dominic McGregor

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The right of Dominic McGregor to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with law.

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While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials or promotional statements for this work. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. The fact that an organization, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the publisher and authors endorse the information or services the organization, website, or product may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is Available:

ISBN 9781394232802 (Paperback)ISBN 9781394232819 (ePub)ISBN 9781394232826 (ePDF)

Cover design & concept by Nick Entwistle & @OneMinuteBriefs

To every person who's managed to make a positive change in their lives. Any positive change, no matter how small, can open the door to a world of possibilities.

I didn't believe I'd make 7 days, but here I am 7 years later.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey.

To my wife, Georgie, thank you for everything.

To my mum, Louise, you are the reason I am who I am, thank you.

To my Dad, Brian, thank you for giving me your work ethic and determination to better myself.

PREFACE

On 24 July 2016, I made a decision in my life to go sober. This wasn't a decision I wanted to make, it was a decision I had to make. I had founded a company at the age of 19 with Steve Bartlett now of Dragon's Den and The Diary of a CEO. We were working with the likes of Disney, Spotify, and Microsoft and we were one of the fastest growing, most exciting companies in the United Kingdom. I couldn't handle the pressure, so I decided to drink to numb the pain that this was creating in me.

After months of managing to hide my alcohol dependency, I ran into a number of problems, all self-created, which meant I almost lost everything: the business, my friends, my family, my partner (now wife) – everything I spent my life working for. Like Icarus who flew too close to the sun, I was a 23 year old who had played with fire too much and was left with no option but to make a change in my life. So at 23 years old, after an intense period of therapy, I tried going sober. The first few thoughts that entered my mind after making this decision were centred on how my life was going to look without being able to drink or go out. Up to this point, I had experienced life and alcohol through a very narrow lens. This felt like a huge change, and I was uncertain about how it would work.

At the date of publication, I am 30 years old and 7 years sober. I have now officially spent more time in recovery than I was ever legally allowed to drink. In that time, I have managed to take my company to the public markets – listing it on the German Stock Exchange – as well as start my second business, host a TEDx talk, win countless awards, invest in over 20 companies and marry my best friend. Removing alcohol from my life has allowed me to reach my full potential and grow into a person whose life is rich with friends and meaningful relationships, and who has hope for the future.

While alcohol has become a social norm in much of the Western world, and many people believe they have a healthy relationship with it, it is still an addictive drug. What is insidious about it is that when life is good and stress is low, you are able to enjoy it “carefree”. During those times, when the hangovers don't take days to get over, when the anxiety in the morning is manageable, when your body bounces back, it's all okay. No one in those situations would admit that their relationship with alcohol is negative. But our relationship with any addictive substance is deeply rooted and can swiftly change when circumstances around you do.

I am fortunate to have gone through what I did at 23 years old. The strain of running a business with over 100 people at that young age artificially increased my dependency on alcohol and effectively fast-tracked me into having serious issues. My issues with alcohol happened at 23, however, without addressing the underlying issues around my relationship with alcohol, these issues could have happened at 33 or 43, as I never questioned my relationship with alcohol until it became a problem. This book is for everyone, everyone who can enjoy a drink – to help you understand any current or future warning signs. It's for everyone waking up with a hangover on a Sunday morning and thinking to themselves “I'm never drinking again.”

There is a shared experience for many who have gone “sober”: most people have a rock bottom that acts as their wake-up call, and I was no different.

What I learnt when I hit my rock bottom was that the answer for me was sobriety. It was the only option I had. Not everyone is like me, there are others who can manage this relationship better. My relationship with alcohol, however, was so bad that it had to end. I have experience in staying in relationships too long and I end up doing significant damage to myself. If you're anything like me, think to yourself: Do I have a healthy relationship with alcohol? Do I have a healthy relationship with stress and anxiety? Is my mental health okay? What do I do in those situations when I don't feel well? Do I reach for the glass of wine too quickly?

The debate around alcohol has shifted in the past 7 years, the time I've been sober. At 23 years old I told my friends that I was “Never Drinking Again” and they looked at me as if I had just insulted their entire family with some senseless joke. It was a statement no one believed, partly because of who I was, but also because it was very rare. Seven years later I've been exposed to the sober community, which is full of wonderful men and women from all over the world and from so many backgrounds. I have never felt so welcomed.

Now at 30 years old, I am frequently told by peers, strangers on the internet and those closest to me that they “wished” they could stop drinking, but it's become too ingrained within their life. I have also experienced firsthand the damage alcohol can do to families and relationships, having been a drunken disgrace previously. I now witness that with people close to me, who don't know when enough is enough. This has led me to write this book, sharing some of my experiences, the experiences of others in the sober world, and my learnings from going from someone who had a stable, loving upbringing by an incredible Mum and Dad alongside a solid private school education to a 20-year-old Jack-the-lad to a 30-year-old sober husband. It's my heartfelt wish that my experience and tough lessons learned will help anyone who might need to change their relationship with alcohol too.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my family:

Georgina McSorley, Louise McGregor, Brian McGregor, Henry McGregor, Oliver McGregor, Matthew McGregor, Louise Dunn, Judy McSorley, Jim McSorley, Shaun McSorley, Laura McSorley, David Hobbs, Lydia Walter, Margaret Hyde, Janet McGregor, James Hyde, John McGregor and Philip Hyde.

To my friends:

Steven Bartlett, Ashley Jones, Anthony Logan, Oliver Yonchev, Michael Heaven, Sam Bamber, Toby Joynson, Chris Brooksbank, Nik Gunson, James Aubrey, Sam Fox, Joe Rodgers, Josh Harland, Jacob Hields, Adam Johnson, Charlie Yates, David Newns, Rachel McDonald, Emily Smithies, Hattie Gibson, Whitney Mellor Adams, Lisa Sayers, Jamie Dempsay, Sophie Chapman, Georg Kofler, Christian Grobel, Holger Hansen, Wanja Oberhof, Sean Brown, Jack Brewitt, Richard Johnson, Hannah Anderson, Jess Brindle, Cathal Berragan, Jay Mottershead, Andy Ramage, Ruari Fairbiarns, Matt Pink, Catharine Gray, Millie Gooch, Stephane Elswood, Patrick Kennedy, Jack Law, Paul Stevens, Ansar Mahmood, Steve Oliver, Jeremy Roberts, Chris Donnelley, Dave Lucas, James Cox, Carla Speight, Claudia Cardianli, Megan Stolz, Oliva Bushell, Ross Methven, Taby Martin, Ali Scott, Jonathan Coe, Jake McCormick, Charlie Hirst and Harry Hope.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dominic McGregor is a 30-year-old entrepreneur and mental health and sobriety advocate. Dominic is currently a Founding Partner of investment fund Fearless Adventures and ex-COO of the global marketing agency, Social Chain.

Along with his co-founder and fellow university drop out, Steven Bartlett, Dominic helped grow Social Chain to a US$300 million turnover business with 750 staff in offices around the world, including New York City, Berlin, and London.

After building a global client portfolio that includes the likes of Apple, Amazon, McDonald’s, and the BBC, the pair took the company public in 2019 and then exited in late 2020.

Post-exit, Dominic co-founded Fearless Adventures, a company which invests in founders who are looking to rapidly scale their business. Through this venture, Dominic passionately uses his experiences and huge wealth of knowledge from building and scaling a successful business to nurture new talent and support other entrepreneurs on their journeys both financially and emotionally.

In early 2021, Dominic was appointed by the Cabinet Office as a government policy advisor looking at social media and digital communications.

More recently Dominic and the Fearless team have created Basecamp Academy, with a mission to nurture, coach, and up skill in all things digital, creating industry leading talent. The Basecamp co-founders believe that businesses need cultural and professional diversity to succeed, and they are helping to provide life-changing opportunities and enable the business community to build teams with different perspectives.

In 2023, Dominic became a feature in the BAFTA nominated and award-winning documentary series Hollyoaks In Real Life. His episode ‘Alcohol Free At 23’ saw him talking to Hollyoaks’ long-standing cast member James Sutton about his journey with alcohol addiction. He also talks candidly about the pressures of running a successful global corporation, the expectations within that Wolf of Wall Street environment and how he felt during his journey to sobriety along with the changes he has seen since.

Alongside all his business and career successes, Dominic has found time to become a public speaker at a variety of events, including the likes of Capital One, Microsoft and many more, along with featuring in globally recognised news publications. He brings forward topics such as mental wellbeing, tech and digital skills, business strategies and success, and more besides, utilising his own journey through a variety of bespoke keynotes, opinion pieces, feature interviews, commentary, and panels to inspire and educate audiences of all sizes.

CHAPTER 1TOP OF THE SLOPE

I'll never forget the day when I felt like I had completed life. It was 26 September 2015. I had just flown into New York to attend the UN's Global Goal festival, which Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay were headlining.

I had been invited by a major Venture Capitalist Investor who had invested early in the music platform Spotify. This was the world 22-year-old me was living in.

A world of investors, business class flights, top hotels and amazing food. This was probably the fourth time I had been to New York that year. We were considering opening up an office in the United States for our company, so the trip had a real purpose behind it. This was going to be our third office location and in time, hopefully our biggest.

I had fallen in love with New York when I first saw it as a 19 year old. There was a special feeling about seeing the lights in Times Square at 4.00 am after flying down Fifth Avenue drunk in the back of a yellow taxi cab, which I believed were just from the movies until I travelled to the United States. The next few times I visited I began to fall in love with Central Park and other areas of the city more occupied by locals than tourists. At 22, I felt a strange feeling of belonging, being comfortable in New York, knowing my way around and starting to feel like it was home.

So, on 26 September, here I stood, at the top of my slope, unaware of what the months ahead held. As the day started, I woke up in the city that doesn't sleep after a glorious business-class flight into New York. I was staying in a 5-star hotel just off Central Park. My business partner Steve and I had been invited to the Global Citizen Concert and we were in the VIP section; because the concert was in Central Park there was no alcohol allowed in the regular areas. I think if I'd had a normal invite, I would have politely declined – the ability to drink and party was a major pull. We arrived at 12.00, walking past the Strawberry Fields – the tribute to Beatle John Lennon, a nice little reminder of the power that music has to move people.

Ultimately, we were out of place here – two young British entrepreneurs in New York at this global event. The speakers included Leonardo DiCaprio and Michelle Obama, and it was hosted by Hugh Jackman and Olivia Wilde. This was the day of days. It felt like everyone who was anyone would be at this event. They'd be in the VIP section, and more than likely at some point we'd see them. So we infiltrated the bar and began to give ourselves a bit of “Dutch courage”.

It was here that I started seeing people I recognised. I caught sight of a beautiful woman with long ginger hair – I was sure I knew her and I was pretty sure she was British, but I couldn't place her. Google didn't let me down – Bingo! Bonnie Wright who played Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter movies.

Slightly star struck, I took a bit more Dutch courage to navigate the occasion. Bonnie Wright was a big name, but she was far from the only one. Turning around to see Jaden Smith and the (real life) Winklevoss twins (who inspired my entrepreneurial journey in the movie Social Network) really blew my mind. The alcohol flowed to give me the confidence to be around these people. I felt like an imposter. My mind was racing … What am I doing here with these people? I'm just a young guy from York – this doesn't happen to other 22-year-olds. This is wild.

I knocked back another drink to quieten the thoughts running around in my head. The day continued with talks from major world players. We watched Coldplay open the show from the VIP section, which was literally 10 yards away from the stage. Behind me 60,000 New Yorkers were thoroughly enjoying their day, despite being unable to get a drink. While at the bar, I looked at the TV and noticed Leonardo DiCaprio on stage giving his speech – I hadn't realised he would be here.

I turned to Steve in disbelief and asked, “Is that here, is this live?” He said, “I think so.” Something came over me and I said, “I'm going to find him.”

I had an irrational determination to find Leonardo DiCaprio. I had no idea how I'd do that. I had no idea what I'd do when I did, but I became fixated with this quest.

So I set off.

During the show, I'd seen a small gate with two rather large security guards. By now, I was well “on my way” and my drunken conclusion was that there was probably a VVIP area or Green Room where the performers and speakers would be. This gate seemed to me like the logical target – if I could infiltrate it, I might find Leo. I knew my time was limited, it wouldn't be long until he was off stage and more than likely heading somewhere else (people like him do not hang around for long). I made a beeline for the gate, approaching the security guards with the utmost confidence, covering my wristband with my sleeves so they wouldn't see what category of guest I was. I walked up, head held high, and without being asked a single question, walked past them and into the other behind-stage location.

Steve followed me. Part of me felt like we had done it, we had made it. As we stepped into the backstage area, Leonardo DiCaprio was coming off stage – surrounded by security guards. Noel Gallagher right in front of me. I came within touching distance of Leonardo, manoeuvred between his security guards, reached out my hand and … stroked his arm.

What a crazy guy I was – who did I think I was, stroking Leonardo DiCaprio? He didn't even really seem to notice. I was buzzing. The day continued and the alcohol continued to flow. We partied with huge A-listers like Jay Z, Kanye West and Chris Rock, but the highlight for me was following the prime minister of Japan into his Green Room. It was a total blag. As he came off stage, I joined his security guard, who were all Japanese, dressed in suits, and holding shoulders to form a human shield. In my purple jumper and jeans I didn't think I'd get away with it, but I joined the back of the train and when a guard asked, “Are you with them?” I confidently said, “Yes”.

Now, what I learnt was not only was the security terrible, but that drinking gave me a deluded confidence. I was probably close to committing a few felonies or at least breaking some international law that day, but not for a second did I think about that. I was just thinking, this is the life; this is what you're supposed to be doing at 22 when you've built this business.

Little did I know then that this was far from what I was “supposed” to be doing. Before this I was always a drinker, always someone who would have fun. I remember the end of year awards, when your school year voted for ‘The most likely to do x and y’. We had the usual categories: most likely to be on Spotify, most likely to write a book (which I would have probably been bottom of), and most likely to be a spy – the usual trivial things that 18 year olds go for. The award that I proudly won – ‘Most likely to be drunk right now’. That was me, a Lad. In the intervening four years, little had changed. On 26 September 2015 aged 22 I reached the peak of my alcoholic adventures. From that day on, every day slowly unravelled in my life and the journey to rock bottom, to a place of nothing but pure personal torture, had begun.

ASCENDING THE SLOPE

Being a VIP at a high-profile event in New York was a very long way from my first home – Old York. After the house parties and turning 18, I managed to scramble my way to university to study Sport Science – not that I knew what I wanted to do ‘when I grew up’ but I knew for sure that I'd love to work in sports. I had always loved sports and when choosing a course to study I thought about the old saying, “If you do something you're passionate about you'll never work a day in your life.” This was probably the main bit of life advice I wanted to follow. I believe I went to university well rounded. University is the first time a lot of people have the freedom and opportunity to live their lives. Away from the watching eyes of parents, many people begin to find themselves and experiment. From my point of view, I had already done a lot of that while in my late teens. I would say that I was an early drinker.

My first alcoholic drink was at my Dad's 40th birthday party. At that party there were WKD alcopops, which were the craze at the time – the ones that looked like fruit juice. I was 13, a month away from my 14th birthday, and way below the legal drinking age, but being surrounded by my older cousins who were at the time 16, 17, and 18 years old, I was able to steal a taste of my first drink.

You might think there's nothing unusual in that, but the age at which you begin consuming alcoholic drinks is more important than you probably realise. Studies[1] show people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol dependent at some time during their life, compared with those who have their first drink at age 21 or older. There I was, unaware that I had increased my chances of becoming addicted by 400%, just for a bright blue drink and a bit of fun at a family party.

University saw me proudly continue this trend. I was a great, fun drunk – there have been many nights of serious fun. The nights you reminisce about with your friends when you get together. Days when you're strolling home with a pizza and hearing the birds start to sing, but you know it isn't an issue because tomorrow you do not have a lecture until 3.00 pm. On those days, you genuinely know you can sleep in till 2.00 pm and even then missing that lecture isn't the end of the world.

University is fun – at least it was for me. You take yourself out of your comfort zone, to a new city. Little me from York could pack his bags and move 200 miles to Edinburgh, get away from parents' watching eyes and their judgement and start to live the life I wanted to. The life I wanted included the achievement of taking Fleetwood Town to the Premier League title on FIFA 12 by 2023, well over 24 hours of gameplay. Sorry to all the Shrimpers out there, but now in 2023 Fleetwood are no closer to the Premier League title than they were back in 2013.

Those 10 years have flown by. But the good old days do quickly disappear and so does our ability to bounce back from the hangovers and hangxiety of the mornings after. I'm comfortable yet somewhat crazy, maybe, to admit that I never felt anxious, depressed or really in touch with my emotions at university or school. This has been a common trait amongst my male peers – we don't talk to people, we bottle things up and we don't tend to show emotion. As a young male, this can be very damaging as it means we are unable to process and therefore handle things around us. Growing up is always difficult and as we transition from childhood to adulthood we have a lot to learn. All of this development is overseen by our brains.

ISSUES WITH ALCOHOL

Our brains don't fully develop until we're around 25.[2] This applies regardless of gender. However, there is also research to suggest that the process of reorganising connections in our brains (which is what leads to maturity) begins earlier in women than in men.[3] The simple truth is that adult and teenage brains function differently. While adults engage their prefrontal cortex – the brain's rational centre – during thinking processes, teenagers do not possess the same level of development in this area. When viewed from the perspective of neuroscience, it's easy to see the hazards of alcohol consumption among anyone under the age of 25.

When we take this alongside the fact that female brains tend to develop earlier than male ones, it offers a potential explanation as to why it's often boys we remember doing stupid things at school. As puberty starts, female brains jump to at least 2 years older than their physical age. Males, however, usually take until their late teen years or even early 20s to match their female peer's mental age.[4] With a more mature brain than men, women tend to have a stronger sense of responsibility sooner than men.

Throughout the stages of adolescence and early adulthood, the brain undergoes a series of transformations, establishing neural connections, trimming unused pathways, and refining regions accountable for functions such as decision making, impulse control, and strategic planning. These transformative processes intricately contribute to the cognitive and emotional growth of an individual.

This means that when we're under 25, certain cognitive functions linked to mature decision making, risk assessment and impulse control aren't functioning at what is considered an adult level. This has consequences for behaviours like alcohol and substance use, propensity for risk-taking, and overall decision making. We're treated as adults at 18, but for many of us our brains have another 7 years of development ahead of them.

Throwing alcohol into the mix alongside an undeveloped brain explains why so many ‘nights out’ tend to include young men fighting in the streets or jumping off bridges. It explains why men tend to be the ones doing stupid stuff while drunk. One study among 15- and 16-year-old students in Ireland found that 19% of young men admitted to being in a fight when drunk, 17% have been injured, and 23% have lost property. The statistics do not lie – drinking leads to problems.[5]

Despite this, the world seems to love alcohol, there is a cult-like protection around alcohol that other toxics and drugs do not experience. For example, I have never been questioned about why I do not smoke. We are all aware of the danger of smoking (which is legal) – yet people chose to do it. No one questions someone else's right to choose not to smoke – and no one walks around sticking a cigarette in your mouth saying “get it down you”. No one panics around Tesco looking for a present to buy their friends on their 21st and rushes to the cigarette aisle to buy them a 20 pack. No one says to people during a hard week at work, “You need to smoke an entire pack of fags, that'll make you forget all the shit you've been through.”

I hope most of you are like me and think that the idea of the above sounds a bit icky … a bit socially unacceptable and grotesque.

There was a time, when cigarettes were glorified, where claims were made that they were healthy for you. Back in the 1950s and 1960s advertising very often pushed health claims about cigarettes. One such example was Marshall's Cubeb[6] cigarettes claiming to be a “sure remedy” for asthma, nasal congestion, and the common cold. I often question whether the world is that different today given that we're now told instead that vaping is healthier than smoking.

Alcohol is currently on the same trajectory as smoking – there is a widely accepted belief that alcohol is not good for you. In the United Kingdom in 2019 alone there were 358,000 admittances into hospitals where the main reason was attributed to alcohol.[7] That is one admittance every 1 minute and 30 seconds due to alcohol.

Alcohol-related harm is estimated to cost the NHS in England £3.5 billion every year.[8] This does not factor in the long-term side effects of drinking. Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to liver diseases such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Prolonged alcohol use can impair cognitive function, memory, and concentration. It may also increase the risk of developing neurological disorders such as Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome. What's more, chronic alcohol consumption can weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections.

Yet, still we toast with champagne to celebrate or down a pint to commiserate.

In a world where we are starting to believe that health is our wealth and are seeing the rise of healthy eating, holidays in which we spend more time exercising than lounging around the pool, the short-term and long-term side effects of alcohol are staring us in the face. Whenever I meet someone and explain to them why I do not drink, I realise that it is not yet universally accepted that some people choose not to drink – and that we have very good reasons to do so.

Suppose I sit you down and seriously talk to you about a choice you can make in your life. It's a very straightforward one, where some of the upsides include the following:

Physical health: Abstaining from alcohol can lead to better overall physical health, including improved liver function, reduced risk of heart diseases, better sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Mental clarity: Not drinking alcohol can help maintain clear cognitive function, sharper memory, and improved focus.

Emotional well-being: Avoiding alcohol can contribute to better emotional stability and mental health, reducing the risk of anxiety and depression.

Productivity: Abstaining can lead to increased productivity, better work performance, and the ability to pursue hobbies and interests with more dedication.

Improved sleep: Choosing not to drink can lead to better quality sleep, which has numerous health benefits.

And, to complete this, it actually saves you money… If you shared all of those benefits without mentioning alcohol, most people would be dying to know what they needed to do to obtain all these benefits. However, when you tell them “Well, it's simple: just stop drinking alcohol,” many people straight away refuse the deal.

If I could develop this as a product (like a pill or gummy), I would become incredibly successful and rich, because these are areas in which people strive for improvement constantly.

Having said that, the United Kingdom appears to be waking up to the benefits of stopping drinking, at least for a finite period of time. In 2021, an estimated 6.5 million people in the United Kingdom were reported to have participated in Dry January.[9] Though come 1 February (or even 28 January) our lips start to shiver and we crave the sweet nectar of booze. We once again begin the cycle that results in either Friday, Saturday or both nights drinking and heading to nightclubs to either “socialise”, to avoid Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway