Several of you noticed my non-consumption of alcohol at Johanna’s recent cocktail party (which, by the way, I found quite enjoyable: thank you Johanna for inviting me!). To answer your questions as to why I don’t drink, I share the following.
I have never drunk a drop of alcohol in my life. My parents don’t drink (as neither of them like the taste or cost of alcohol), and so that rubs off on me. To put it simply, I have no desire to drink.
I’m not morally opposed to it. I’ve never tried it. There just isn’t any desire at all. It’s entirely possible that I will drink at some point in my life, though I see no reason for it.
Incidentally, there have been a few alcoholics in my family, including one of my mom’s brothers and her uncle. For that reason, another of her brothers does not drink. Though I could use that as an excuse, I don’t; it means very little to me, and doesn’t influence my decision, as far as I can tell.
Since I have neither desire nor aversion to alcohol, I also look at it from a rather intellectual standpoint, e.g. evaluating pros and cons of drinking:
Cons:
1. Drinking alcohol is illegal when under the age of 21; hence, that was my primary reason until about a year ago when I turned said age.
2. Alcohol often tends to have odd effects on people, commonly enhancing negative attributes. Influenced individuals say things they normally wouldn’t say, do things they normally wouldn’t do, etc.
3. I have been told that alcohol clouds your thinking and messes with your senses. Since I am quite fond of both my thinking and my senses, I prefer to keep them as they are.
4. Though drinking is not wrong, getting drunk clearly is.
5. People who get drunk tend to have rather severely consequences the morning after.
6. I don’t like the smell of alcohol. It makes me queasy. (I didn’t notice any such smell at the cocktail party.)
Pros:
1. It’s a social thing. Lots of people do it. Of course, I can be quite happy hanging out with people who are drinking while myself not partaking, as at the aforementioned cocktail party with that ridiculously strong non-alcoholic fruity drink Keith mixed for me.
2. I have heard that there are some health benefits to drinking a limited amount of alcohol (wine, at least).
3. Apparently the process of sobering up feels good. If you can explain this, please do.
4. Based on the funny bartending book Lauren was reading and conversations I’ve overheard, it sounds like mixing drinks would be quite a lot of fun.
Now that I’ve said all that, feel free to try to persuade me in any direction you may like. Why do you, or don’t you, drink?
PS: Feel free to invite me out with you for a drink. I won’t have any alcohol, but I’ll gladly spend time with you. I think water is my favorite liquid, though apple juice is up there. 
PPS: If you think I’m weird for not drinking alcohol: I don’t drink soda either.
PPPS: For those who were curious, I did weigh myself, at your request, on that bathroom scale. I was just under 125.