Breaking News: Sometimes people stop drinking for a bit

Image via blogs.villagevoice.comDNAinfo has an eye-opening story about New Yorkers who occasionally choose to abstain from alcohol for health reasons. 

Apparently, it’s really hard not to drink in NYC since our social lives pretty much revolve around getting piss drunk at bars. Julia Furlan of Prospect Heights didn’t drink in January to start the year with a clear head and basically became a shut-in. “You end up not doing much, social events get postponed, or you put off that friend you’ve been wanting to see for months,” she said. But she also saved $200 a week and ate less junk food. 

Other New Yorkers, like Jim Gallagher (who is actually a bartender -- irony!), find they have more friends. “It’s good waking up in the morning with no hangover, or not getting a phone call the next morning from someone I offended the night before,” he said. Both of which actually sound like fantastic reasons to stop drinking, even though I won’t.

There are also health benefits. Which shouldn’t really be that surprising. If you don’t chug calorie-heavy beverages filled with shit that gets you all fucked up, good things happen to your body. Like you lose weight. And your liver becomes less likely to get all diseased up. True story. 

Last but not least, we have Park Slope resident Lynn Settlow. She really needed to lose weight to look good in her wedding dress, so she decided the best approach would involve not drinking. Yup, not for any long term health benefits or to save money or anything. Just to look good in her wedding dress. Here’s her struggle, in her own words:

I don’t drink so much, but the idea that you can’t have a glass of wine with dinner seemed so sad... you just don’t want to be the only one not drinking with a group of people... As soon as the wedding was done, I went back... I would never quit again. It was hard. Maybe if I got pregnant, but that’s the only way I would do it.

What a relief to know she would quit drinking if she got pregnant! Question is, how quickly after the kid is born would she start up again? Given that she lives in Park Slope, I'll bet good money that she'll be back at The Gate with that baby in a sling before you can say, "No epidural, please!"