I'm glad this question is being asked on HN, because it sounds like a culture of drinking is pretty prevalent in at least certain parts of the startup/tech scen

I'm glad this question is being asked on HN, because it sounds like a culture of drinking is pretty prevalent in at least certain parts of the startup/tech scene. I'm hoping that the answers here will reassure people that you don't need to drink to fit in. I'm in my mid-30s and have never drank. I have a lot of reasons for choosing to not drink, but probably the biggest is that I don't like the idea of it affecting my behavior or decision-making (especially because I've seen how it affects OTHER people's behavior and decision-making). Nevertheless, I've tried to not let it affect my social life. In college, I went to plenty of parties, and it was a bit weird being one of the only sober people in a house full of drunks, but I never felt ostracized because of it. After college, I was one of the organizers of the Four-State Bar Crawl (four bars, four states, one crazy night) -- and naturally, I was one of the designated drivers. I now work in an office where beer is stocked in the fridge, and most of my colleagues partake. But again, it doesn't really bother me because there's soda stocked too. Advice for people who were previously drinkers but are now trying to abstain: * Don't needlessly place yourself in tempting situations. * If drinking was previously how you relaxed, or had fun, or networked, or socially lubricated yourself ... seek out alternative ways to fill the void. For instance, if beer gave you confidence in social situations, consider attending a Toastmasters International session, which can help you with your contemporaneous speaking skills and boost your confidence. * Befriend other non-drinkers. We've had a lot of practice at finding ways to have fun without alcohol. * Seek out support (and accountability) from other people or from groups like AA if it's a real struggle.