I drank my last drink the morning I checked into detox in a hospital. Two shots of scotch in my coffee, then one more in my second cup. I got to the hospital at 9 am. I count that day but as said, three years later, no big deal. In fact I don't celebrate the years anymore per se. I am a non drinker and claim to be recovered because I don't give alcohol a thought. Nor count its absence at all anymore. I think my excitement over claiming a year was over after year one, and before year two.
I don't care what day one counts to start counting. The important thing is to keep rolling up the days not whether it was the first day we did not drink, or the last day we did.
What's next? Do we not count sobriety until all alcohol is out of our system? Which is after three days of detox. Do we need to take a B.A.T. ?
See there is still alcohol in our system, so technically we aren't "clean" for several days. Do we back up one day for every leap year so we aren't celebrating another year sober a day or three early?
Stay sober, count any way you want as long as you count sober!