Like smoking before it, many feel that the constant need to drink has become excessive.
If you say you dont want to date a smoker, nobody bats an eye.
But a new wave of daters are getting the ick about another vice: drinking.
Throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s,up to45% of Americans were smokers.
Smoking was allowed in bars and restaurants until the mid-90s, when somestates began prohibiting it.
But beyond that, folks love awine walk, aboozy brunch, and evenbeer-fueled bike rides.
Just likesmoking in the past,drinking is ubiquitous and normalized.
And when it comes to dating, its evengiving people the ick.
Is Drinking Kind Of Passe?
I just felt like there was this collective push to reconsider alcohol altogether, she explains.
When the other person insists on a bar, she instantlygets the ick.
Ive had far too many drunk dates, Jen says.
Its not where Im at right now.
I want that to be behind me.
Its just not sustainable, she says.
If people only want to meet up for drinks, thats not a relationship.
Thats just you wanting to get drunk all the time.
While not everyone gets messy when they sip alcohol, ODonnell prefers getting to know her dates sans booze.
For others, the ick is lurking at the surface but doesnt always take hold.
But its not a dealbreaker.
Ilse cut back on drinking after seeing studies about alcohol consumption and how it impacts physical and mental health.
I have a harder and harder time consuming it or seeing others do so regularly, she explains.
Shes still open to bar dates, but keeps an eye on the vibe.
If theyre still in, you’ve got the option to plan your get-togethers accordingly.
And if your date is down to stay sober, it might just stave off the ick.
I went on a date where we played board games, she tells Bustle.
In the past, I would have rolled my eyes.
I felt like we had to get drunk or else it wasnt fun.
Maybe Im old, but now that seems cliche.
Studies referenced:
Liu, R. (2015).
Modeling flight attendants' exposure to secondhand smoke in commercial aircraft: historical trends from 1955 to 1989.
J Occup Environ Hyg.
Seitz, H. K., & Becker, P. (2006).
