Originally Posted by
failedtaper 
The trouble I have with not using a mental construct of intention is that anyone can call themselves abstinent (or sober) any time they are not putting drugs or alcohol in their system, regardless of the time elapsed (anywhere between 0 minutes and infinity), so in fact the daily drinker or drug user is actually "abstinent" as long as they are asleep or not otherwise using.
FT
But realistically, could you clarify how this would ever be an issue? In your example, it is highly unlikely a daily drinker would ever say "I was abstinent last night for 8 hours while i slept". In what scenario would it be an issue if someone claimed sobriety when they had not drank but did not have a "sober" mental construct?