I stopped drinking during the pandemic. I think for good. I wasn't drinking much. A bottle of wine or two at the weekend with my wife. Never really liked beer that much. It's hard to articulate exactly why I stopped

I think there was some sort of insight into how boring and mechanical it had become, how little I was gaining from it, the drip drip negative effect it had on my body and crucially, how my drinking enabled and encouraged others to drink.

Me continuing to drink was also making me feel morally very queasy when I personally knew two people who drank themselves to death. Not close friends. Both close enough for it to sting. One of them was an incredible talented music producer and a great loss to the world.

It's a very shit drug. The only reason I ever started drinking was to be inside the 'in' group and to have fun with friends.

It's abundantly clear now that alcohol isn't necessary for that at my age.

The only downside has been watching with crystal clarity how boring and dull when intoxicated people become at gatherings.

Better drugs for inhibited teenagers please. Microdosed kombucha for the win.