A Word or Two against Liquor

The winter holidays, and winter in itself as a season, are times when we are prone to drink more heavily than we normally do – or drink some, if we normally refrain from doing so. While some extreme religious beliefs prohibit alcohol consumption, and there are certain cases when the civil law does so too (such as drinking and driving, underage drinking, etc.), overall I believe that the use and sometimes abuse of alcohol is all too freely allowed and sometimes encouraged.
I have been a drinker myself, and dare not claim that I will never drink again. In my 18 years of adult life, I have only abused alcohol once – and the memory of that night is vivid enough to keep me from going there again. But I’ve been a social drinker to the point where drinking alcohol at various events was expected of me with the assumption that I enjoyed doing so. I will not lie and say I did not. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that liquor is just not my thing. And since there might be other people out there who feel the same, let me explain why drinking is a rather bad idea for me.
Let me begin by saying I love to drive. It’s more than a hobby, it’s the sort of activity that gets me out of the deepest blues and manages to change my day around. It goes without saying that driving is one thing I have to give up each time I drink alcohol, even if it’s only a small amount (being of a small size myself, you’d be surprised how little it takes to get me alcohol-dizzy). If I give up my driving, I also get to depend on someone else to take me home (if I’m a guest) or I can’t provide transportation for my guests, if I’m the host (more acceptable, but still uncomfortable to me). As far as getting a cab is concerned, I’ll have to pass because, from my previous experiences, I’ve grown rather shy of taxi drivers.
Also worth noting is the fact that alcohol doesn’t help me “have a good time”. Quite on the contrary, whenever I drink I get dizzy, sleepy and, eventually, if I keep drinking, sick. The dizziness is supposed to make me feel at ease and help me let go of the inhibitions, which is not the case. I’m pretty open minded when sober, but when dizzy from alcohol I tend to be more cautious and watch my every word and act, lest I should do or say something I wouldn’t, normally, if it weren’t for the alcohol. If I get past the dizziness and turn sleepy, the evening is ruined for me, as I find it very difficult to overcome any sort of sleepiness. When it hits me, I just have to sleep, there’s no way out.
Alcohol makes me sick. Physically sick. I may indulge in half-a-glass of wine every couple of days or some beer during the summer, I can have a romantic dinner with my boyfriend and share some of his drink, but any attempt at extended social drinking is prone to fail with me. Friends and acquaintances laugh at me and say it’s a matter of training. I say it might not be worth training for me. What kind of friends are those who think I’m only fun when under influence? What sort of friends would insist that I drink, knowing quite well that I’d chosen not to do so? Why is it socially unacceptable to go to a party and refuse drinks? Why should I ignore the health consequences of alcohol just for the sake of keeping up appearances? Are there other people who think the same? What are their attitudes to social drinking? And, most importantly, am I being too extreme in this?