I haven't consciously decided to cut out alcohol, but I hardly ever drink now. I don't enjoy being drunk anyway it just sends me to sleep so I miss out on the party anyway, and although I love the odd G&T, the hangover I get from just one doesn't seem worth it.
I get teased by my friends because instead of alcohol I drink tea. I had to start carrying around de-caff and herbal tea-bags because the amount of caffeine kept me awake if I drank it late at night. Soft drinks served in pubs like J2O are too sugary and I felt ill after drinking more than a couple of them as replacements to alcohol.
I did get some pressure at first from people who couldn't believe I could be happy whilst not drinking. After a while they realised I could stay awake much longer on tea than on the booze and have eased off the pressure.
I have to agree with the other posters that you do notice how much rubbish people talk, and listening to the same conversations over and over as people forget what they have said gets very tedious. Friends often assume you are on hand to give them a lift home too, which can be annoying on the odd occassion when I do fancy a drink.
I also agree with those who say to be honest and don't lie about your reasons. It won't do your consciousness very much good if you lie. After a few times of 'No thanks, I don't want a drink, please can I have some water /tea.' people will eventually get bored. You might get a bit of teasing about being 'boring' but really that is their problem, not yours. It's the same with dieting. If you tell people you are on a diet, they will tempt you with chocolate cake. If you tell them you are not hungry, they don't try to force you to eat. I'm not sure why, but it happens.
So good luck with your year. Let us know how you get on.
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