Why Anti-Alcohol Rhetoric Misses the Mark
I was scrolling Instagram today – an activity I do not undertake very often for many reasons, not least of which I was reminded of this morning.
At the risk of alienating some (many?), the sheer volume of anti-alcohol rhetoric was simply overwhelming.
There just didn’t seem to be any space to invite those in who are looking to reduce their alcohol intake without yet having made the decision to remove it completely.
The language (evil, perils, poison), the judgement and the inflexibility are all the reasons why I decided to start Low No Drinker.
We need to give space to those who are not yet committed to complete abstinence to know that they can look at ‘changing’ their relationship with alcohol without fear of judgment or ridicule if they make different choices at times.
The Case for Moderation
Don’t get me wrong, I understand and appreciate that for some, removing alcohol from their life had to be done in its entirety and that for those people, the middle ground or moderation are just not options they can safely consider. To those people, I say a genuine and heartfelt “Well flipping done!” I salute you for your ability to recognise and act in a way that makes meaningful (sometimes life-saving) changes.
My question (or perhaps my quest) has always been how do we help those who need it before it becomes a matter of life or death, those for whom cutting back is a choice for the better, not a necessity for continued existence?
And I can’t help but think, as I did before I launched the magazine, where is the help for those people?
Where is the balanced look at a lifestyle that incorporates choice?
How do we speak to those who have not yet “become powerless over alcohol” (not my words, and don’t get me started!!) in a way that allows them to feel comfortable being part of this world without being constantly on edge that the next post, the next comment, is going to be telling them how awful they are because they happen to choose a glass of alcohol-full wine on a Friday night instead of alcohol-free.
A Stubborn Response to Judgement
No one likes being told what to do. From my kids to my mother, it’s neigh on impossible to get any generation to just do as they're told, even though I’m convinced I know best. But some of us hate it more than most.
I’m stubborn. Always have been and always will be. And like many a stubborn know-it-all 20- or 30-something, my response to anyone telling me that I was flat-out wrong for the choices I made in my life and that their way was the only way was to dig my heels in and double-down on my indulgence of choice.
Wise? Not really. But very real.
I wonder how many other people out there, stubborn or otherwise, are turned off by low/no drinks because of the narrative that comes with it?
How many people want to be able to proudly say that they aren’t drinking booze tonight, but are too worried about everyone else seeing them as joining the pious bandwagon because it’s either all or nothing?
You're either an evangelical, born-again, drum-banging teetotaller, or you’re a wild and reckless substance-abusing ingrate. This false dichotomy doesn’t reflect reality.
Building a More Inclusive Low/No Culture
There is a middle ground. There is a life of moderation and temperance that doesn’t have to be the first step on the road to abstinence.
We need to share this message.
We need to open our doors and invite everyone in to drink at our table.
I fear that as an industry and as a culture, those in the staunchly alcohol-free camp risk doing more damage to their own movement than ‘big alcohol’ ever could.
The stigma of drinking less is thankfully eroding, but let’s not replace that with the stigma of still drinking at all. That message serves no one.
Instead, can we make the message inclusive? Can we express joy and gratitude at what alcohol-free living affords us when we so choose it, at the same time as acknowledging that for others, imbibing will sometimes mean high-proof drinks?
We don’t have to be anti-alcohol to be pro-alcohol-free.
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