Ask Lemmy

I didn't try alcohol until I was 25, but I'm definitely an outlier.

No. I didn't drink alcohol until 21, and didn't try weed until 25.

No, didn’t touch it at all until I was in my mid 20s, and then it was only alcohol.

When I was very young my mom was making bread with beer and I begged her to let me try it. Finally she relented that I could have a sip. I took one smell of the can and never had really had interest in trying again.

Thought when it became legal for me, but figured I would either waste 5 bucks if I hate it or become an alchoholic if I don't. Don't trust myself enough to assume I'd always stay moderate with stuff like that.

Now that I'm older, I've seen plenty of friends get deep into it then struggle through getting sober. Feel like I made good decisions.

I had the odd sip of my dad's beer, little bit of wine with dinner here or there, some champagne at new Year's or weddings, etc. but nothing that could seriously be called "drinking"

I had a shot of some fruity flavored vodka with my girlfriend when I was about 18/19 because she wanted to have a drink with me, and that was pretty much my experience with alcohol until just before I turned 21. Didn't really feel much need to rush things.

When I turned 21 I was actually going to be away on an almost 2 week canoe trip during my birthday. I went to my friend's beach house shortly before I left for that for a couple days. We got ourselves a case of corona a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black label, and some cigars and sat out on the deck having a couple drinks, nothing too wild.

Then after I got back I went out to a bar with a couple coworkers after work. Again, pretty low-key, wouldn't be until a month or two later for me to really get properly drunk camping out at a music festival.

A few times my friends and I raided our respective parents cupboards after school.

Ofc.

And you know it.

You just want people yo assure you you haven't made the wrong decision by not engaging in those activities pre-18.

Might've avoided some fun experiences, but also definitely avoided a few bad ones as well.

I don't plan on doing so anyway.

So then you already know. So are you just here for "oh yes drugs ruined my life because I smoked weed at 16"- comments? Haven't got any.

Terence McKenna - The Message

Starting at 16 I would occasionally steal sips of my parents' liquor. They weren't frequent drinkers, so they wouldn't notice. I never went to parties though. I'm too weird for that.

I tried beer a couple times maybe when I was 15 as my dad offered a taste. Kinda hated it. Never touched it until I was legal.

After I turned 21 I grew to like the taste of quality beers once in a while.

I didn't drink much until I was legal. Had the occasional glass of wine with a fancy dinner but that was about it until I was 20. Went out on my birthday and got a 6-pack of beer, wasn't even carded, which was kind of a let down since I was happy to finally be old enough to drink.

IIRC, I had one can of beer and my room mate drank the rest.

Something to keep in mind is that kids aren't generally allowed to drink in establishments or homes, so they often do so in public such as the park, and when they get caught they often get arrested and have to pay fines which can snowball into never getting out of debt.

But no I don't touch any substances that impact cognitive ability. I feel as though doing so would make me less myself, and I would never do that.

Yes, but I've stopped most of it since then. Had some great times, a few not so great, but in the end those were mostly good experiences.

Also alcohol is a drug, and one of the worst one.

Got drunk plenty of times underage. Age 14 onwards about. Had my fun, decided the hangovers weren't worth it when I was around 20 and only occasionally get drunk anymore (and do my best to mitigate the hangover). Might have a drink sometimes and pretend it's a cool adult thing to do or something, but I don't really care for it. Never felt like "I need a drink" or felt any desire for a "refreshing" beer or a cider. I rather have a soda. I'm happy to try cocktails and things like that for novelty but don't really care for the taste of alcohol itself.

I drink if I'm with my family for a prolonged period of time. It's this careful maintenance of that very specific stage of mild drunkenness where I can stay jovial but not too open, and can sober up easily before bed.

I'm happy to get drunk in good company but yeah, I drink a lot of water and try to make sure to get properly drunk early with shots and then maintain with beer etc. so I can start sobering up before bed. I really hate laying in bed when drunk.

Somehow I do seem to have a pretty good tolerance for alcohol but I think it's mainly because I track my state of drunkenness very carefully and drink either shots (or wine, but she's a treacherous bitch), beer or water depending on how it's going.

I drank and smoke occasional cigarettes starting around age 16.

However, this was the 90s, and that sort of thing seems to have been tolerated a lot more back then, at least in my area. I can remember getting busted with tequila at age 19 and the main complaint being that we were cutting limes on an antique table without using a cutting board.

And many of the things that are seen as huge problems with both alcohol and tobacco were just starting to get widespread attention at that time.

i started drinking at 14/15.

I drank a bit from 14-17 then quit until 20

Not on a regular basis but sure I had a drink before that.

My friend and I bought weed once when we were 17, but we never got the chance to smoke it before a third friend ratted us out. I started drinking alcohol and smoking weed a year later when I got to college.

I took my first drink when I was 35. I considered myself an athlete and didn't want anything messing with my body. Plus, none of my friends drank.

I started around 15. probably drank more between 15 and 18 than I did from 18 to 21. Smoked weed around the same time but I didn't like it much, I was more into acid.

Didn't like weed much until my late 30's,now I partake a few times a month.

Yes and I wish I hadn't. What a waste of potential and life all those years were.

There's no discernible benefit to this stuff for you mentally or physically so why go near it?

Hopefully won't try drugs ever, but I tried alcohol when i was around 17, while with my family. I figured it'd be safer than trying it on a random place without knowing my alcohol tolerance. I've learned that my tolerance was good, I didn't find it good to my taste but I still think that not knowing my limits could've ended up in a worse result elsewhere.

I don't remember exactly when I had my first alcoholic drink. Probably 22? I remember not being in a big hurry to start drinking, and I remember trying a wine cooler and thinking it was ok except for the alcohol flavor. Wine coolers! 🤣

I probably started drinking regularly around age 25. Some friends were having White Russians at a dinner party, and I really enjoyed the taste.

Nowadays I don't drink much. Maybe one drink a month? It's a tasty treat once in a while, but I hate the hung over feeling which seems to hit after like 2 drinks even if I'm careful about hydration.

Started at 13. Hard drugs a few years later. YOLO

I think I had maybe 2-3 beers from 18-21. It wasn't a priority. I didn't miss anything.

I smoked cigarettes since 12, had alcohol as young as 14, but didn't try marijuana or other illicit drugs until I was 19.

I've probably got most of the world beat as kids aged around maybe 7 or 8 we got a bottle of patchene and half a dozen of us got stupid drunk in the local park.

But yeah didn't do it regularly until I'm guessing aged 15 or so.

I think I had a small amount of alcohol at weddings and new years celebrations when I was a teenager.

My parents don't have the healthiest relationship with alcohol. it's not the worst, but it never seemed cool or fun. It was just dad having a few cheap beers while watching the game. They never told me not to drink, either. No "forbidden fruit" allure.

I did not.

Never drank illegally, waited until my 21st birthday

I waited until college. I tried weed and alcohol in my freshmen year, so 18-ish for me.

I'm 25 and have yet to have a proper drink. Most people in my country started illegally drinking at 13-15 years old while out clubbing, but I just hate alcohol so much! I never understood the hype around it. I don't even like it when there are a couple of teaspoons in my sorbet. I'll have a tropical mocktail or soda, thank you.

I've had a couple of parent-sanctioned sips of beer once every few years as a teenager, but never got drunk nor smoked any weed for the first time until age 20.

I got drunk when I was 5 does that count?

The first time I quit smoking pot was in the fifth grade.

I started smoking dope again in high school. I didn’t drink alcohol much in high school mostly because I didn’t like the taste, but I had did plenty of drinking.

I was a total pothead in high school. I was self medicating because of my crazy ass home life.

Started at 13, about every weekend. 0,5 l moonshine. That continued until 20, then maybe just 2 times a month. 20 years later I never get drunk but enjoy a glass or two sometimes. I don't wanna know how many brain cells I killed.

My younger wine is at college and doesn’t drink (good for him). Since the drinking age here is 21, most college kids can’t legally drink. Of course they do anyway, and I can’t be too judgemental since I did at that age as well.

However my son abandoned his initial group of friends because that’s all they wanted to do, socially. There’s a game, and students get free tickets: nope, I’d be late to the frat parties. There’s this cool trail: nope, the parties are then. Let’s go to this movie: I’ll be drinking then.

I realize I’m only hearing half the story, but it really seems like not just excessive drinking but drinking as a problem, interfering with normal life.

I didn't, many many many people have though

I drank once when I was 17 but didn't really care for it (rootbeer and vodka, not great, not terrible).

I only drank underage once at my graduation party

Ive tasted wine and beer and had cider and champagne for toasts, didn't drink more than a few sips.

Combining it all I don't think I added up to a whole glass in less than a year, I see no problem in trying stuff and doing toasts, but I've also haven't had contact with heavy alcoholics so it's easy for me to say something like that, if I've had experience with alcoholics in my family I'd probably not even want to try.

I smoked weed at 16, more regularly from 17 on. Didn't have my first drunk till 18. A few beers and sips of wine here and there, but never full on blasted.

If I could go back in time I'd tell myself to stay sober. I never had any huge problems with substance abuse, but it took me to my till my 30's to realize life was better and more fun with a clear mind.

Tasted maybe a handful of times before 18 including being offered a shot of vodka once. I barely drink even now (23 y.o), maybe 1 unit every 2 or 3 months.

Yeah.

I think I started drinking around 15? Stopped around 25, don’t drink these days as I don’t enjoy the taste at all and my party days are over. Don’t regret it though, would certainly do it again at those ages.

Similar for drugs, but I’ll do a psychedelic every few years.

Those thing are best enjoyed in your youth when you’re with your friends.

I first got drunk at 13. It wasnt until 16 I was binge drinking around once a month and doing any drugs I could get(mostly weed). Around 22 I stopped drinking every weekend and stopped binge drinking. I wouldnt recommend it. But i dont think it had to much of an impact, except for having experienced a lot of crazy and dangerous things.

Never had more than a sip and even that only in my mid twenties. The taste is vile to me and overpoweres absolutely anything, no matter what people tell me.

On top of that, I hate drunk people and not being fully in control of myself is something I'm deeply afraid of since I was little.