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You must remember that drunken you and sober you are the same person; they live in the same reality.

What I have found now, however – and this revelation may have come from experience or maturity – is that near enough everyone is complicit in cultivating this distinction between the ‘reality’ of sobriety and the ‘non-reality’ of drunkenness. Everyone, it seems, wishes for there to be this transient abyss for which they can act hedonistically, and for these actions to be detached from them later on. You need only to lessen the amount of alcohol you drink at these parties to understand that this elevated confidence, this particular relaxation is created by this exact non-reality. The alcohol of course helps, but it is not necessary. Here, the taboo is gone already without drinking.

What of this culture that creates such distinctions, though? Why might we even want to create such distinctions? These are questions that prompt the hand to go digging deep into the box of our society. We see no such craving in various European cultures, nor do we see it shown in Asia. So why here? Is it not a rather depressing thought to think that the British way of enjoying yourself necessitates a drug? Does our culture, hardened by its means of harbouring indifference, celebrations of independent feats, and disdain of the power of community, need it? Have we severed the true connections between ourselves that this craving comes from our innate gregarious nature?

Or, at the end of the day, do we just like a drink or two? Alcohol can indeed be pleasurable, we don’t need to eradicate it nor prohibit it. I myself, despite writing this, still drink it at parties, and still can get very drunk. I do believe, however, that it should not have taken me to push to the very limits of the abuse of alcohol to come to such revelation and attentiveness.

So I hope you, presumably the inexperienced when it comes to alcohol, especially alcohol-drinking parties, take heed of such information. As I mentioned before, this is a wholly personal account, and your experience will no doubt be quite different to mine. But take from it that the attraction of alcohol comes not just to those who get a buzz off of transgression. Its magnetism is extensive; you may or may not be drawn to it. You may be one of those who just can’t get on with the taste of it, can’t see the appeal in attacking your liver for transitory ‘liberation’ of prohibitions. But what you will all have in common is some kind of exposure, no matter your acceptance or rejection of it. Realise that this ‘drunk culture’ can have other sources, other origins of which you may or may not be susceptible. Realise that should you choose to drink it that you are aware of its capability on you and others. Realise and be attentive to all of these things, and the ‘drunk culture’ you live in will make much more sense.