I agree with smacked.
We tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves - we assume that because drinking was so important to us it must be equally as important to everyone else too.
For those who didn't know me in my drinking days, it's not an issue - I'm the guy who doesn't drink (as well as the guy with the cane, the guy who plays bass, the guy who lives down near the beach...etc etc)
For those who did know me - it's usually still not an issue because they know how I used to drink - and overwhelmingly most people have told me how glad they are I stopped, cos they feared I was gonna die.
The only time I've ever had had any kind of an issue is with drunk people, members of my largely alcoholic family, or some of my old drinking buddies - and that says a lot more about them, than it does about me.
A 'no thanks' is all anyone really needs to know - like Anna said, at a dinner party would you feel pressured to explain in detail why you don't like sprouts or broccoli?
D