I have never drunk alcohol and probably never will. I never wanted to. There is no good reason for me to ingest something that is a neurotoxin, smells rotten, cripples your judgement, gives you hangovers, is potentially addictive, and can cause disorientation, vomiting, poisoning and organ damage, let alone spend money to do so.

I find the idea of purposely diminishing one's self-awareness perplexing. Why would I willingly induce a state of recklessness, especially when it's likely that whatever I do will be posted online so scores of people can laugh at me, possibly for years to come since nothing can be erased from the internet?

People who think that turning themselves into disorientated idiots is fun baffle me. Whenever my classmates showed me videos of parties they went to, the sight of all those red-faced, sweaty, dishevelled people stumbling about and slurring their words unsettled me. The only pleasant emotion that stories about drunk people throwing up on each other, falling asleep on the ground, pissing themselves, dancing on tables, having sex with random people, etc instil in me is schadenfreude. This song was huge when I was a kid, and I found the music video anxiety-inducing even though it was meant to be silly.

I value lucidity and control over myself. I have never been able to understand why losing control and "letting go" are considered positives by so many people. Why would anyone want to lose, even temporarily, their capabilities, their capacity for reason or their awareness of their surroundings? For me that would be frightening. Do most people secretly dislike consciousness and autonomy? Besides, disinhibiting and disorientating yourself makes you vulnerable. I don't want to increase my chances of getting in a fight or being sexually assaulted.

I think that society's perception of getting drunk as a fun "adult" activity, that kids look forward to being able to do, is dystopian, as is the apparent perspective of many people as young as 14 that alcohol is necessary for parties and other social events.

The main appeal of moderate alcohol use seems to be that it makes you more sociable and outgoing. I am fine with being an introvert, and I don't care about being popular. I have nothing in common with most people who go to parties. The best friends I've made, I met elsewhere.

I don't want to get drunk, and I don't want to be more extroverted. Why, then, would I drink alcohol? For the taste? People who insist that it's an "acquired taste" just discourage me more - firstly, people say the same thing about coffee, which I tried once and never want to taste again; and secondly, I can't think of a single instance where I "acquired" a taste for any drink/food (I liked liquorice, Brussels sprouts, oysters and some other polarising foods the first time I tried them). Even if some alcoholic drinks taste great, I don't think I'm missing out.