I had this same curiosity, here's my thinking.
I noted Steve mentioning it just twice, once to say he drank more before he was 20 than since, and once to, as I read it, scoff at the idea of ordering a drink with dinner. He chooses not to address the issue directly. Erin made a pretty clear statement of her preference (dry) in a forum post, and summed up with (paraphrase): if you like enjoying life to the fullest you'll drink alcohol, if you can't abide an unclear head you won't; very nonjudgemental on the issue, IMO.
This is not simply a matter of introspection, history can tell whether dynamic people have used alcohol. I think the conclusion is, it is not a necessary condition one way or the other. OTOH, there is plenty of evidence that it is very destructive for some, so something to be vigilant about.
FWIW, my own experience with (not) teetotaling are inconclusive.
So my summary is: take care not to let alcohol interfere with your purpose, but it may be sympatico with your recreation.
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