This being Super Bowl Sunday, the booze will be flowing like… Booze on Super Bowl Sunday. But if you’re among the growing cadre of those who don’t, or prefer not to drink, we present a selection of things you can say or do to politely decline a drink…
Things you can say…
“I’m good with this.”
If you are drinking, but are cutting yourself off at that point. Or if you are going soda or mocktail.
“I have to get up early tomorrow.”
Self explanatory.
“I’m driving after this.”
Also self explanatory.
“I’m trying to cut back.”
Even the biggest boozer at the party will respect that. They wish they could.
“Ugh! I hate how alcohol makes me feel.”
Suggests you get hangovers in the morning after drinking. Also: ‘When you’re blaming a physical reaction, it tends to be harder for others to peer pressure you into drinking,: says Dr. Sasha Hamdami, a board-certified psychiatrist based in Kansas City, Missouri. “Though to be clear, they should equally respect your emotional and mental health, too!”
“I’m not supposed to drink with the meds I’m taking right now.”
A great ‘stopper’ response – but only if you really are taking meds that disagree with alcohol. But, if you are faking it, you can ‘blame’ one of the following: antidepressants, painkillers, antibiotics, or Ibuprofen.
“I might be pregnant!”
Definitely the most effective phrase for women under 50. Whether you ‘might be’ or not…
Things you can do…
Carry a soda or sparkling water.
Make sure you always have at least half a glass or bottle in hand. They won’t even ask.
Go with mocktails
“The discomfort around ordering a mocktail isn’t always about the alcohol itself,” Annalyse Lucero, LMFT, a licensed therapist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, told SELF. “Oftentimes, it’s more about the challenge of setting boundaries without feeling guilt and fear about disappointing others.”
My take
One fellow I know, who’s been sober for more than 20 years and follows the Alcoholics Anonymous system suggested, “Don’t say anything. Just roll your AA sobriety coin back and forth across your knuckles…”
But that’s kind of melodramatic – and not all that polite, come to think of it.
Perhaps the best option, as Jenna Ryu writes in SELF, is: “Remember, ‘No’ is a complete sentence—one that’s worth saying without justification or apology. You’re setting clear limits about your lifestyle and encouraging others to respect them—end of story.”
Cheers!
~ Maggie J.