I have been going for years drinking with colleagues in Japan and I have never had a problem to avoid getting drunk by switching very quickly to soft drinks, and this, even in several companies.
"I have never had a problem to avoid getting drunk by switching very quickly to soft drinks, and this, even in several companies."
If you're an alcoholic or binge drinker, then you're in trouble basically. Some people can't just say no once they get started.
Hence my point stands, alcoholism is a large and accepted part of current day culture. In other countries I've lived and worked in, people avoided having work functions solely at bars for this and cultural sensitivity reasons.
protip: it's hard to tell the difference between a gin and tonic and a club soda with lime. once people are drunk, they don't necessarily notice who's still sober.
of course this doesn't solve the problem that being sober around a bunch of drunk people isn't much fun.
