“I no longer drink, I no longer smoke, I no longer consume and I flaunt it.” There are two verses of Omega, Rosalía’s last song with Ralphie Choo, and they gave a lot. It’s hard to know how much reality there is in them because on the same day the song was released, September 25, the singer appeared in several photos and videos smoking outside her party. birthday in Paris. It doesn’t matter. Some have used this verse to open sober conversation and share their accomplishments on social media. “Well yeah, this week I went 11 months without drinking,” writer Luna Miguel says in X, sharing a screenshot of the music video. In the comments, many congratulated her – “Congratulations! » – and others take the opportunity to share their successes as well. Gerardo is celebrating 10 months without drinking alcohol, Nadal is already three and on October 2, Irene will be one year old.
This desire to share on social networks the achievements and benefits of a life without alcohol reveals an experience that is still solitary and somewhat misunderstood. “We’re coming out of the closet,” says Fernando de Córdoba, a branding specialist in Madrid. He never liked alcohol nor needed it, but a few years ago, getting people to understand his decision not to drink regularly was a losing battle. “Before, maybe you said you didn’t feel like it, that you had to drive, or that you didn’t want to drink that day. Now, we say it more openly,” he analyzes. But he’s tired of having to explain himself everywhere he goes. “It’s time to normalize not drinking and start thinking about the role alcohol plays in society. »
Green shoots among the younger generations
A 2021 study, the latest do by the Ministry of Health at the national level, reflects a semi-alcoholic society that has not yet been able to look in the mirror and tell itself the truth. On average, that is to say a good number of them start drinking earlier, young people start drinking at 14 years old. They are still in their third year of ESO. At this age, 73.9% of young people surveyed have already consumed at some point in their life, 1.6% drink daily and 23.2% have gotten drunk at least once in the last month. As the report notes, the effects of this intake can be devastating to a still-developing body and mind: it damages the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning, and increases the risk of develop a drug dependence as an adult.
Luis Labarga, communications manager for Alcoholics Anonymous, detects some green shoots among the new generations: “It seems that there is a little more awareness of the dangers of alcohol among young people in general, surely for reasons of training and information on prevention and dangers”. Labarga attributes this latest trend to the effect of the pandemic: “They have changed their way of doing things and the mass of young people who go out to drink uncontrollably in the form of bottles, etc., has decreased a little. Projects have emerged that go in another direction. The data reflects this decline, even if only slightly. The latest survey on drug use in secondary schools in Spain (ESTUDES), prepared by the Ministry of Health, indicates that 15 years ago, 41.4% of adolescents got drunk at least once a month . Today, this percentage has been reduced by almost half (27.9%).
We are coming out of the closet. Before, maybe you said you didn’t feel like it, that you had to drive, or that you didn’t want to drink that day. Now we say it more openly
Ferdinand of Cordoba
— abstinent
Socialization 0.0
Josefa Ros Velasco, 36, has been a “social drinker” all her life. “It’s become my go-to option during the weekend,” he says. “I get bored of social interactions very easily and have a hard time hiding it, and alcohol has helped me become interested in things that I wouldn’t normally be interested in.” But even that bothered him. “I was tired of the amnesia, of being hungover and not being able to enjoy things, and I was tired of having to resort to alcohol to make life more interesting,” says she told elDiario.es. He considered quitting drinking several times, but never as seriously as a month ago. “When I discussed it with those around me, they told me I was exaggerating, but still, I wanted to get out of it and I couldn’t.”
The people who were around him eight years ago when he first considered getting sober, and who told him it was okay to drink, now told him, “Okay, now you’re going to stop drinking, and we’re going to support you. . And he’s enjoying the process, much more than he expected. “It’s been wonderful and I continue to spend time with my friends. They are very happy with my decision and, in fact, contrary to what one might expect, I go out more, I interact more, but only with people who really interest me. He’s more interested in doing things, interacting with people, and if he’s bored and not interested, then “see you later,” he says. “Many times I hid behind my work, I am a philosopher and I also work with elderly people in retirement homes, and I thought that by force, from time to time, I had to drink to take a break . But that’s bullshit.”
It has been wonderful and I continue to spend time with my friends. They are very happy with my decision and, in fact, contrary to what one might expect, I go out more, I interact more, but only with people who really interest me.
Josefa Ros Velasco
— he stopped drinking a month ago
There are other people who have not yet experienced this more generalized social acceptance and for whom the weight of this “alcoholcentric” society is notable. Carlos Pastor, 25, does not forget his struggles to explain to people his decision not to drink. He started drinking at Parque de las Moreras, on the course of the Pisuerga River that runs through Valladolid, and didn’t stop until he was 19, when his mind clicked. “I suddenly asked myself: why should I drink? It’s not something that brings me anything and I don’t like drinking any better, so I stopped completely.” He calls us from Switzerland, where he works in a mountain restaurant. He likes techno music and doesn’t think it contradicts his almost total abstinence. “I don’t need to party and drink to have a good time. Besides, I have a better time than everyone else. because I find out everything and the next day I don’t have a horrible hangover.” Although to last all night, he says, he drinks two Red Bulls.
But many don’t understand it. “They ask me all the time, ‘Why don’t you drink?’ How do you not drink?’, and it’s infuriating. I really wish I could tell you people’s reaction when I’m partying and they find out I don’t drink alcohol. “They can’t believe it,” he said. “More than two people have already said to me: ‘See if you learn to have fun, not to smoke, or drink, or do drugs.’ And I say to myself: “But are you really telling me that?” And all this to avoid drinking alcohol. When he is asked if he has met anyone his age who doesn’t drink alcohol. alcohol, he replies: “Absolutely no one, no one, no one, no one, no one.”
Making abstinence a less lonely path
There are some, but in many cases they remain the exception among those around them, which is why social networks and certain celebrities play an important role in alleviating the feeling of loneliness of these people. In recent years, more and more people have had the courage to talk about their struggle with alcohol. Anne Hathaway, during the film’s presentation tour The idea of having youspoke openly about the “milestone of being sober for over five years.” “My personal experience is that everything gets better. For me, that meant wallowing in fuel,” he told Vanity Fair magazine. British actor Tom Holland launched alcohol-free January challenge (dry January) in 2022 and had such a bad time that he decided to continue: “All I could think about was drinking. I woke up thinking about it…and I got really scared. It was like, “I might have a little problem with drinking.” » The list goes on: Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper, Miley Cyrus, Adele…
When a famous person quits smoking or drinking and communicates this, many young people interpret it as a sign that these behaviors are not necessary for success or authenticity.
Gabriel Pozuelo
— psychologist
Even so, abstinence remains a lonely path and enjoying a party even if you’re the only one sober can be complicated. “To not succumb to this social pressure, you need strong personal conviction and a favorable environment,” explains psychologist Gabriel Pozuelo. “Often the key is to find new ways of communicating that don’t revolve around drug or alcohol use,” he says. The fact that important personalities like Rosalía – even through a song – talk about this change in habits can have a great impact on the youngest, who still consider them idols and are in a stage where they are forming their identity . “When a famous person quits smoking or drinking and communicates this, many young people interpret it as a sign that these behaviors are not necessary for success or authenticity.”
There are more and more apps that try to protect those who don’t drink. Sunnyside, for example, is a application which promotes “mindful consumption” of alcohol by counting what is drunk. “Our goal is to help you develop better drinking habits and not feel like you have to stop drinking if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle,” says the app, which n is not the only one to offer this service. DrinkControl or DrinksMeter tracks the number of drinks the user had during a specific night. Easy Quit tracks the user’s drinking until they quit completely, and I Am Sober records days of abstinence. With the Sober Plus option, you can even form your own group of other sober people online. There seems to be a burgeoning market of non-drinkers who also want to have a good time.
