Very true. It’s incredibly sad to see how normalized it is in the culture. And some of my biggest mistakes and missed opportunities have come with a connection to the irresponsible use of substances.
Discussion
It's frustratingly normalized to the point where NOT drinking requires defense. Nobody has been an outright asshole to me about it, but they're usually shocked when I say zero alcohol.
Much more chill than it was just two years ago even. Starting to become normalized to have the option. Wasn’t this easy when I started 9 years ago. Not drinking is getting a lot easier in social settings with different options / less pressure from what I’m experiencing. Or I just put out different energy around the topic when it’s my turn. Maybe both.