Will cutting down on drinking make me uncool?
Amid a global decline in alcohol consumption, the writer reflects on the social implications of drinking less.
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ST assistant Life editor Clara Lock has reduced her alcohol consumption drastically since April.
ST PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CLARA LOCK
My heart sank in late 2025 when a friend, with whom I have shared many heartfelt conversations over wine and cheese, told me she had given up alcohol. Trying to be supportive, I held back from lamenting, but felt a sense of loss. Our meetings over the past seven years, ostensibly built around a book club, used to turn quickly from literature to the self-disclosure that came with drink. Would conversations be the same over tea or sparkling water?
The joke is on me because now, I find myself wondering if my friends think the same thing. Since April, I have reduced my alcohol consumption drastically – from three to four glasses of wine each night at my peak, to about three to four drinks in a month.