My personal experience has been that nobody notices. I have even had people ask me the next day how bad I was hurting from the night before. But you're right,

My personal experience has been that nobody notices. I have even had people ask me the next day how bad I was hurting from the night before. But you're right, it is true that it makes people uncomfortable. When someone offers me a drink, I usually just say thank you, maybe in a bit, or grab something else, or else just accept and not consume it or occasionaly take one small sip. As far as I know my colleagues have no idea that it's not something I ever do. I know this because I also have other colleagues who say, "I don't drink" and have witnessed them become a subject of speculation and intrigue among others when they are not around. The extent of the myth surrounding alcohol and its role in society seems to drive people to make extreme conclusions about an individual's choice to use it or not ('they must have hit rock bottom' e.g.). My preference is to avoid something obviously bad for my physical and emotional health that has no clear upside, and to just leave it at that.