The truth: I'm allergic.

I may give a little more information to people who are become close to me but in every day situations I just say that I'm not interested. If pushed I will say that my body and mind don't do well when alcohol is added. Usually people back off at that point. I am proud of my sobriety, but I also know that people can be judgmental, etc. My husband and I had to go to work (military) functions, etc. and I felt that giving personal information about myself in that setting was not appropriate.

Tbh I don't know since I haven't been asked yet this time around. Most likely for excuses: "I'm on medication", "I'm driving".. but a more honest answer would be: "not my thing", "no thanks". If they ever started pestering with followup questions then they would be ignored.

This question comes up on SR often.

I have wondered if it is related to age. I am nearly 50 and no one ever asks why, perhaps because by my age many people are on meds, have health issues or have stopped due to alcohol abuse problems...so people just assume it's one of those things and don't even ask.

Where as if you are in your 20's or 30's it seems more unusual not to drink, and people get curious.

Personally, I would avoid the option of making an arrangement with the wait staff. Too many ways that could go wrong.

If anyone pressed for a reason I would say "health issues" and stop it at that. If they press farther say "That's a very personal question" or "I'm not comfortable talking about it" and then THEY will have egg all over their face for being nosy...and it will spare the next non drinker from getting grilled.

If anyone presses for a reason I just say I quit drinking cause I can't control myself. I really don't care if people know I'm a recovering alcoholic. If they get to know me they'll find out sooner or later anyway.

I am five months sober and I have not had this problem yet. I drank myself away from all my friends and pretty much isolated myself.

All the people in my life now are sober.

I don' drink anymore because I have met and exceeded my quota. :lmao

Believe it or not, people do not ask me those kind of personal questions (maybe because I have been known in the past to say bluntly: this is none of your business LOL).
Also, I drank alcoholically alone and aside from a couple of intimate friends no one knows I am an alcoholic so when it comes to my social patterns, nothing has really changed, I would often have only one or two drinks or say no thank you (only to go home and get smashed privately).

Say your quitting for a year for a health kick. Then next year say the same thing.

I don't think people realize what an invasive question that is. Until alcoholism was a part of my life, it never crossed my mind that that would be the reason for someone not drinking, so the question didn't seem half as personal as it does to me today (and I'f just the girlfriend of an alcoholic.) Anywho, I have witnessed on separate occasions the question being asked, as well as the answers.

Why don't you have a drink?

Answerer 1 said - because 1 drink for me turns into 3 days. (I lol'ed at this one, and snatched the glass of wine out of the askers hand and said "I'll take it." Yeah, I went all codie on a stranger...)
Answerer 2 simply said - Because I don't like alcohol.

Both answers shut up the asker.

I just say I don't drink anymore. If they are friends and press, I just tell them I was drinking more than I should it was bad for my health. I never had anyone press beyond that.