Sober curious? Things I wish I'd known before quitting alcohol

I’ve fabricated dozens of excuses in the vain hope that I won’t be pressured into, 'Ah go, on, have one'

Mary Cate Smith says you don't owe anyone explanation as to why you don't drink alcohol

In my late teens, I dated a lovely little blue-haired boy who came to visit me for the weekend in Dean’s Hall, my college accommodation. I served him a miserly meal of dry pasta with value-pack ham. No sauce, no vegetables, not even a whiff of grated cheese. Why? I wanted to save my money for a naggin of Smirnoff vodka.

That was just my pre-drink drink. Binge drinking was completely normalized then, in the late 90s early 2000s. Going to the cinema? Lash a load of Buckfast in a plastic bag. Headed to a festival? Nab a slab of Dutch Gold and a 10-pack of Tayto. Sitting in a field? Sling a flagon of Strongbow into your Sporthouse schoolbag for fear of becoming a teenage golem.