I bet most of you, when seeing that title, think about alcohol drinking first. The fact that each and every day you drink more water and other liquids just doesn’t seem to register in our society. Drinking usually means alcohol to us.
So a teetotaler is a non drinker. Indeed, when you say teetotaler most think it is a pretentious word. Non drinker is less likely to raise eyebrows. Of course a non drinker drinks. Water, juice, milk, tea, coffee and soft drinks are some of the options.
Soft drinks is a term that differentiates pop from alcoholic beverages. Presumably alcoholic drinks are hard drinks. Or as is sometimes the case, just drinks. If someone says they need a drink it is probably alcohol they are after. Despite the fact that they never need alcohol and every day they need some water.
Of course it is addiction that turns wants into ‘needs’. I just wish that the accepted English terminology wasn’t in favour of the addicts. You want a beer and need water is much more correct.
I looked up “what is the term for overdrinking?” where I meant water overdrinking. Most of the responses on the search engine were alcohol anonymous and other alcohol cessation services and alcohol terminology. I eventually got my answer in the other, very limited amount of responses. Overhydration is the term I was looking for.
Then there is the idea that Europeans drink too much alcohol. The reasoning goes like this. Europe’s water was just too filthy and contaminated that the only safe thing to drink was wine and other alcoholic beverages.
Of course Europeans went to drinking alcohol. I wouldn’t be surprised if all their languages promoted alcohol to be the first thing to think of when the subject of drinking comes about. Just like English. But really, no one ever thought of using juices to drink instead of water? How about tea and coffee where the water they use is boiled first?
One more thing about drinking alcohol. In the noughties it was largely suggested that you should drink small amounts of alcohol on a regular basis to extend your life. Studies were twisted to agree with this take. Since then real studies have been done and it has been found that the greater your alcohol consumption, the shorter your lifespan. It doesn’t extend life, it shortens it.
