Summary: Here's Your Party PASS! The Easy Way to Say No to Alcohol... After you've taken the plunge and quit drinking, the first few months can be very difficult for you to say no to alcohol. There's still gonna be plenty of occasions and family events that you just have to attend. Weddings and stag nights, birthdays and Christmas parties, christenings and funerals, and lets not forget the obligatory office parties… You should be able to go to a party and just drink what the hell you want, right? You should be able to say “no” to an alcoholic drink without the whole room going quiet and everyone saying: “What???”... “No Alcohol???”... “You’re a weirdo!!!”... …Right! I want to show you a few simple strategies that will give you the edge. By using Alcohol Mastery’s PASS method, you’ll never have to worry about not being able to say no to alcohol again! But first you have to ask yourself… Where’s the pressure coming from? Is the pressure really coming from other people? Or, is it coming from you? Are you afraid it’s you that can’t resist the temptation to have a drink? It’s very important that you think carefully about this! Before you can say “no”, you’ve got to know who you’re saying “no” to… Other Things to Consider For the most part, drinkers care about their own drinks, not yours. They couldn’t care less about the contents of your glass so long as their glass contains the right stuff. It doesn’t matter if their college drinkers or end-stage alcoholics. Once the party gets going, no one’s going to remember what’s in your glass. If, when, and how you tell people you’ve quit drinking is up to you. It’s your call! You don’t have to explain yourself. Once you quit drinking, you’re under no obligations, moral or otherwise, to go around letting everyone know. It’s your business! Don’t be pushed into a corner by nosey parkers looking for a bit of juicy gossip. People Don’t Like to Hear the Word “NO” Sometimes you’ll come across someone who just can’t take “no” for an answer. They’ll insist that you join in on the ‘fun’… “This is a party” "Ah go on, one little drink never hurt anyone" “What!!! You’re not Drinking???” “Oh, can't you handle your drink?" Use the “no” script (see the attached video) so you have plenty of short, controlled, and authoritative responses for these annoying pests… The PASS Method The PASS method will give you the tools you need to confidently say “no” to any alcohol, anytime, anywhere! “P.A.S.S” is a useful memory device for helping you to remember the important concepts. PASS stands for: P = Prepare A = Act out S = Say no S = Scarper Prepare There’s always going to be another party and why should you miss out on all the fun! However, it’s important that you prepare in advance, before going to places where alcohol’s likely to be served, especially in the early stages of your quit. "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Ben Franklin Before You Leave Home Have your ‘no’ script prepared (see the next step) Decide how long you’re going to stay Decide what you’re going to drink Have your ‘call a friend’ phone numbers handy Bring your own drink? Bring a wing-man (if possible) Have an exit strategy You should have all these things decided before you leave home. This is your game plan! You can always stay longer if you’re having a good time, nothing is written in stone. If you have a ‘call a friend’ buddy, let them know that they’re going to be in that role for the evening! Don’t wait until you have a problem, call them out of the blue, and they’ve no idea what you’re going on about. Organize as part of your prep work. A way of being sure of what you’re drinking is to bring your own NA drinks with you, especially to house parties (don’t try taking your own bottles into a night club!). It’s then easy to say…“I’m ok, I got it covered!
