Share of population who never drink alcohol, OWID

Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal

abstinence Abstinence is a self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, but it can also mean abstinence from alcohol, drugs, food, etc. ...

from the

psychoactive drug A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, psychoactive agent or psychotropic drug is a chemical substance, that changes functions of the nervous system, and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition or behavior. ...

alcohol, specifically in

alcoholic drink An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...

s. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or is simply said to be teetotal. Globally, almost half of adults do not drink alcohol (excluding those who used to drink but have stopped).

Etymology

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the ''tee-'' in ''teetotal'' is the letter T, so it is actually ''t-total'', though it was never spelled that way. The word is first recorded in 1832 in a general sense in an American source, and in 1833 in England in the context of abstinence. Since at first it was used in other contexts as an emphasised form of ''total'', the ''tee-'' is presumably a

reduplication In linguistics, reduplication is a morphological process in which the root or stem of a word (or part of it) or even the whole word is repeated exactly or with a slight change. The classic observation on the semantics of reduplication is Edwa ...

of the first letter of ''total'', much as contemporary idiom today might say "total with a capital T". The teetotalism movement was first started in Preston, England, in the early 19th century. The Preston Temperance Society was founded in 1833 by

Joseph Livesey Joseph William Livesey (5 March 1794 – 2 September 1884) was an English temperance campaigner, social reformer, local politician, writer, publisher, newspaper proprietor and philanthropist. Early life Livesey was born on 5 March 1794 at Wal ...

, who was to become a leader of the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...

and the author of '' The Pledge'': "We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality whether

ale Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typicall ...

porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., ...

, wine, or ardent

spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

s, except as

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

." Today, a number of

temperance organizations The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders em ...

exist that promote teetotalism as a virtue. Richard Turner, a member of the society Preston Temperance Society, is credited with using the existing slang word, "teetotally", for abstinence from all intoxicating liquors. One anecdote describes a meeting of the society in 1833, at which Turner in giving a speech said, "I'll be

reet Rumst (, old spelling: ''Rumpst'') is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. Since 1976 the municipality not only comprises Rumst proper but also the towns of (old spelling: ''Reeth'') and , which were independent municipalit ...

down out-and-out t-t-total for ever and ever."

Walter William Skeat Walter William Skeat, (21 November 18356 October 1912) was a British philologist and Anglican deacon. The pre-eminent British philologist of his time, he was instrumental in developing the English language as a higher education subject in th ...

noted that the Turner anecdote had been recorded by temperance advocate

, and posited that the term may have been inspired by the

teetotum A teetotum (or T-totum) is a form of spinning top most commonly used for gambling games. It has a polygonal body marked with letters or numbers, which indicate the result of each spin. Usage goes back to (at least) ancient Greeks and Romans, w ...

; An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language
by

; published by

Clarendon Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1893 however,

James B. Greenough James Bradstreet Greenough (May 4, 1833 in Portland, Maine – October 11, 1901) was a classical scholar. Life He graduated at Harvard University, Harvard in 1856, studied one year at the Harvard Law School, was admitted to the Michigan bar and ...

stated that "nobody ever thought ''teetotum'' and ''teetotaler'' were etymologically connected."''Words and Their Ways''
by

; published 1902 A variation on the above account is found on the pages of ''The Charleston Observer'': According to historian Daniel Walker Howe (''What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815–1848'', 2007) the term was derived from the practice of American preacher and temperance advocate

Lyman Beecher Lyman Beecher (October 12, 1775 – January 10, 1863) was a Presbyterian minister, and the father of 13 children, many of whom became noted figures, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Edward Beecher, Isabella Bee ...

. He would take names at his meetings of people who pledged alcoholic temperance and noted those who pledged total abstinence with a T. Such persons became known as ''Teetotallers''.

Reasons

Some common reasons for choosing teetotalism are psychological, religious, health, medical, philosophical, social, political, past alcoholism, or sometimes it is simply a matter of taste or preference. When at drinking establishments, teetotalers (or teetotallers) either abstain from drinking totally, or consume non-alcoholic beverages such as water, juice, tea, coffee, non-alcoholic soft drinks, virgin drinks, mocktails, and alcohol-free beer. Most teetotaler organizations also demand from their members that they do not promote or produce alcoholic intoxicants.

Religion

Abstention from alcohol is a tenet of a number of religious faiths, such as

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

;

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

;

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...

; the Swaminarayans;

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

; Baháʼís;

Jains Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

; Meivazhi-ites; and the

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

. "

Khamr Khamr ( ar, خمر) is an Arabic word for wine; intoxication; the plural form, Khumūr ( ar, خمور), is defined as alcoholic beverages, wine; liquor. In fiqh, it refers to certain forbidden substances, and its technical definition depends on ...

" is the term for all intoxicants which are prohibited in

. (See ) Similarly, one of the

five precepts The Five precepts ( sa, pañcaśīla, italic=yes; pi, pañcasīla, italic=yes) or five rules of training ( sa, pañcaśikṣapada, italic=yes; pi, pañcasikkhapada, italic=yes) is the most important system of morality for Buddhist lay peo ...

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

is abstaining from intoxicating substances that disturb the peace and self-control of the mind, but it is formulated as a training rule to be assumed voluntarily rather than as a commandment. Many Christian groups, such as Methodists and

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

s, are often associated with teetotalism due to their traditionally strong support for

s, as well as

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

. And a number of Christian denominations forbid the consumption of alcohol, or recommend the non-consumption thereof, including certain

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re- ...

denominations such as the Mennonites (both

Old Order Mennonite Old Order Mennonites (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania German: ) form a branch of the Mennonite tradition. Old Order Movement, Old Order are those Mennonite groups of Swiss people, Swiss German and south Germans, German heritage who pract ...

s and

Conservative Mennonites Conservative Mennonites include numerous Conservative Anabaptist groups that identify with the theologically conservative element among Mennonite Anabaptist Christian fellowships, but who are not Old Order groups or mainline denominations. Con ...

Church of the Brethren The Church of the Brethren is an Anabaptist Christian denomination in the Schwarzenau Brethren (german: link=no, Schwarzenauer Neutäufer "Schwarzenau New Baptists") tradition that was organized in 1708 by Alexander Mack in Schwarzenau, Germa ...

Beachy Amish The Beachy Amish Mennonites, also known as the Beachy Mennonites, are an Anabaptist group of churches in the Conservative Mennonite tradition that have Amish roots. Although they have retained the name "Amish" they are quite different from the O ...

and New Order Amish, in addition to

Latter-Day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

Seventh-day Adventists The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...

, and

Holiness Pentecostal Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...

s. Many members of these religious groups are also required to refrain from selling such products. A free translation of the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

, the

Purified Translation of the Bible ''The Holy Bible: A Purified Translation'' is an edition of the New Testament which was published in 2000. A year earlier, 40,000 copies of the Gospel of John from this translation had been mailed to Southern Baptist pastors. It was translated b ...

(2000), translates in a way that promotes teetotalism. However, the term 'wine' (and similar terms) being consumed by God's people occurs over two hundred times in both the Old and New Testament. With respect to Methodism, the

Church of the Nazarene The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelicalism, evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the 19th-century Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism. It is headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, Lenexa within Johnson Cou ...

and Wesleyan Methodist Church, both denominations in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition, teach abstinence from alcohol. Members of denominations in the conservative holiness movement, such as the

Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection (AWMC), originally the Wesleyan Methodist Church (Allegheny Conference), and also known as the Wesleyan Methodist Church (WMC), is a Methodist denomination within the conservative holiness movement pri ...

and

Evangelical Wesleyan Church The Evangelical Wesleyan Church, formerly known as the Evangelical Wesleyan Church of North America, is a Methodist denomination in the conservative holiness movement. The formation of the Evangelical Wesleyan Church is a part of the history of ...

, practice

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

and teetotalism, thus abstaining from alcohol and other drugs. The Book of Discipline of the

Immanuel Missionary Church The Immanuel Missionary Church (IMC) is a Methodist denomination within the conservative holiness movement. The formation of the Immanuel Missionary Church is a part of the history of Methodism in the United States. The Immanuel Missionary Chu ...

, a Methodist denomination, states: Uniformed members of the

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

("soldiers" and "officers") make a promise on joining the movement to observe lifelong abstinence from alcohol. This dates back to the early years of the organisation, and the missionary work among alcoholics. Conservative Anabaptist denominations, such as the

Dunkard Brethren Church The Dunkard Brethren Church is a Conservative Anabaptist denomination of the Schwarzenau Brethren tradition, which organized in 1926 when they withdrew from the Church of the Brethren in the United States. The Dunkard Brethren Church observes th ...

, teach: With respect to Restorationist Christianity, members of certain groups within the

Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally know ...

and

Latter Day Saint The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by J ...

movements abstain from the consumption of alcohol.

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...

, the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, the

Lutheran Church Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

es, Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...

all require wine in their central religious rite of the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

(Holy Communion). Churches in the Methodist tradition require that "pure, unfermented juice of the grape" be used in the sacrament of Holy Communion. In the

Gospel of Luke The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-volu ...

(1:13–15), the angel that announces the birth of

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

foretells that "he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb". Some Christians choose to practice teetotalism throughout the

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

season, thus giving up alcoholic beverages as their

Lenten sacrifice A Lenten sacrifice is a spiritually motivated voluntary renunciation of a pleasure or luxury that most Christians (especially Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Moravians and the United Protestants) give up for the observance of Lent ...

Research on non-drinkers

Dominic Conroy and Richard de Visser published research in ''Psychology and Health'' which studied strategies used by college students who would like to resist peer pressure to drink alcohol in social settings. The research hinted that students are less likely to give in to peer pressure if they have strong friendships and make a decision not to drink before social interactions. A 2015 study by the

Office for National Statistics The Office for National Statistics (ONS; cy, Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the UK Parliament. Overview The ONS is responsible for th ...

showed that young Britons were more likely to be teetotalers than their parents. According to Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, published by WHO in 2011, close to half of the world's adult population (45 per cent) are lifetime abstainers. The Eastern Mediterranean Region, consisting of the Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa, is by far the lowest alcohol consuming region in the world, both in terms of total adult per capita consumption and prevalence of non-drinkers, i.e. 87.8 percent lifetime abstainers.

Notable teetotalers

The following is an alphabetical list of notable people who are now or were teetotalers during their lifetime. Some have abstained their entire lives, and others only became abstainers after a period of alcohol use. Members of religions that ban alcohol are not included.

Business

Anil Ambani Anil Dhirubhai Ambani (born 4 June 1959) is an Indian businessman. He was the chairman of Reliance Group (also known as Reliance ADA Group), which was created in July 2006 following a demerger from Reliance Industries Limited. He leads a numbe ...

Indian businessman * Mukesh AmbaniIndian business magnate, chairman, managing director, and the largest shareholder of Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) *

Joseph Cyril Bamford Joseph Cyril Bamford CBE (21 June 1916 – 1 March 2001)Ritchie, BerrObituary: Joseph Bamford obituary, ''The Independent'', 7 March 2001 was a British businessman, who was the founder of the JCB company, manufacturing heavy plant. Biog ...

British businessman *

P.T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He was ...

American showman and politician of the 19th Century remembered today for his popular circus. *

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net w ...

American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist *

John Cadbury John Cadbury (12 August 1801 – 11 May 1889) was a Quaker and English proprietor, tea and coffee trader and founder of Cadbury, the chocolate business based in Birmingham, England. Life John Cadbury was born in Birmingham on 12 August 1801 t ...

English founder of

Cadbury Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company fully owned by Mondelez International (originally Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second largest confectionery brand in the world after Mar ...

Larry Ellison Lawrence Joseph Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American business magnate and investor who is the co-founder, executive chairman, chief technology officer (CTO) and former chief executive officer (CEO) of the American computer technology ...

American founder of

Oracle Corporation Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas. In 2020, Oracle was the third-largest software company in the world by revenue and market capitalization. The company sells da ...

* Ashok HindujaIndian businessman *

Gopichand Hinduja Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja ( Sindhi: गोपीचंद परमानंद हिंदुजा) (born 29 January 1940) is an Indian-born British billionaire businessman controlling the Indian conglomerate Hinduja Group. For many year ...

Indian-born British billionaire businessman and co-chairman of the

Hinduja Group Hinduja Group is an Indian transnational conglomerate. The group is present in eleven sectors including automotive, oil and specialty chemicals, banking and finance, IT and ITeS, cyber security, healthcare, trading, infrastructure project d ...

Prakash Hinduja Prakash Parmanand Hinduja ( Sindhi: پرڪاش ھندوجا) (born June 1945) is an Indian-born Swiss businessman, the chairman of the Hinduja Group in Europe. Early life Prakash Parmanand Hinduja was born in June 1945, the son of Parmanand ...

Indian-born Swiss businessman *

S. P. Hinduja Srichand Parmanand Hinduja (born 28 November 1935) is an Indian-born British billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the primary shareholder and chairman of Hinduja Group of companies. As of May 2020, together with his brot ...

Indian-born British billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist *

Jon Huntsman Sr. Jon Meade Huntsman Sr. (June 21, 1937 – February 2, 2018) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder and executive chairman of Huntsman Corporation, a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals. Huntsman p ...

American founder of Huntsman Corporation *

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a ...

American founder of

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...

* David MurdockAmerican chairman of

Dole Food Company Dole plc (previously named Dole Food Company, Standard Fruit Company) is an Irish agricultural multinational corporation headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The company is among the world's largest producers of fruit and vegetables, operating wit ...

Fashion

Emmanuelle Alt Emmanuelle Alt (born 18 May 1967) is a French fashion editor who was the editor-in-chief of ''Vogue Paris'' from February 2011, succeeding Carine Roitfeld, to May 2021. Early life and education Alt's mother, Françoise, was a Lanvin and Nina ...

French fashion editor *

Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15, and was the first Africa ...

American television personality, model, businesswoman, producer, actress, and writer *

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...

English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman *

Tom Ford Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and direct ...

American fashion designer and filmmaker *

Karl Lagerfeld Karl Otto Lagerfeld (; 10 September 1933 – 19 February 2019) was a German fashion designer, creative director, artist and photographer. He was known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, a position held from 1983 ...

German fashion designer, creative director, artist and photographer *

Anna Wintour Dame Anna Wintour (; born 3 November 1949) is a British journalist based in New York City who has served as editor-in-Chief of ''Vogue'' since 1988 and Global Chief Content Officer for Condé Nast since 2020; she is also the artistic directo ...

British-American journalist, who has served as editor-in-Chief of Vogue since 1988

Literature and journalism

Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

American writer and professor of

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

Emil Cioran Emil Mihai Cioran (, ; 8 April 1911 – 20 June 1995) was a Romanian philosopher, aphorist and essayist, who published works in both Romanian and French. His work has been noted for its pervasive philosophical pessimism, style, and aphorisms. H ...

Romanian philosopher and essayist * Arthur C. ClarkeEnglish science-fiction writer, science writer,

futurist Futurists (also known as futurologists, prospectivists, foresight practitioners and horizon scanners) are people whose specialty or interest is futurology or the attempt to systematically explore predictions and possibilities abou ...

, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host * H. P. LovecraftAmerican writer of weird, science, fantasy, and horror fiction *

Stephenie Meyer Stephenie Meyer (; née Morgan; born December 24, 1973) is an American novelist and film producer. She is best known for writing the vampire romance series ''Twilight'', which has sold over 100 million copies, with translations into 37 differ ...

American novelist and film producer * Teša TešanovićSerbian journalist and TV host *

Lasantha Wickrematunge Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge ( si, ලසන්ත වික්‍රමතුංග, ta, லசந்த விக்கிரமதுங்க; 5 April 1958 – 8 January 2009) was a high-profile Sri Lankan journalist, politician, br ...

Sri Lankan journalist and politician

Music

Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams lef ...

American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist and poet *

Akon Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P) ...

Senegalese American singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur *

Jon Batiste Jonathan Michael Batiste (born November 11, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and television personality. He has recorded and performed with artists in various genres of music (Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, ...

American singer, songwriter, musician, television personality, and former bandleader for ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second it ...

'' * Susan BoyleScottish singer * Ian BrownEnglish singer and multi-instrumentalist * Jason Aalon ButlerAmerican musician and political activist *

Julian Casablancas Julian Fernando Casablancas (born August 23, 1978) is an American singer, musician and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of Rock music, rock band The Strokes, with whom he has released six studio albums since the ...

American singer, best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of rock band

The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...

Max Cavalera Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera (; born August 4, 1969) is a Brazilian musician. He co-founded the heavy metal band Sepultura in 1984 with his brother Igor Cavalera, and was the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist until his departure i ...

Brazilian musician, singer and songwriter * Daniel CavanaghEnglish guitarist and singer who formed the band

Anathema Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage. In the Old Testament, anathema was a cr ...

* Chuck DAmerican rapper, singer and songwriter *

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter *

Adam Clayton Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960) is an English-born Irish musician who is the bass guitarist of the rock band U2. He has resided in County Dublin, Ireland since his family moved to Malahide in 1965, when he was five years old. Cla ...

English-born Irish musician and bassist of the rock band U2 *John ColtraneAmerican jazz saxophonist and composer *Alice Cooper American rock singer *Bethany CosentinoAmerican recording artist, best known as the lead singer of Best Coast *Eric DolphyAmerican jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and flutist *Fatboy SlimEnglish musician, DJ, and record producer *Gucci ManeAmerican rapper and record executive *Ice-TAmerican rapper, songwriter, actor, and producer *J MascisAmerican singer, guitarist, and songwriter for Dinosaur Jr. *Jme (musician), JmeBritish grime (music genre), grime MC, songwriter, record producer, and DJ *John Mayer, American singer, songwriter and guitarist; sober since attending Canadian recording artist Drake (musician), Drake's 30th birthday party in 2016. *John 5 (guitarist), John 5American guitarist for Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson (band) *Kendrick LamarAmerican rapper, songwriter, and record producer *Jennifer LopezAmerican singer, actress, and dancer *Royce da 5'9"American rapper, songwriter, and record producer *Gene SimmonsIsraeli-American musician, singer, and songwriter for rock band Kiss (band), KISS *Jeff TweedyAmerican songwriter, musician, author, and record producer, best known as the lead singer of Wilco *Varg VikernesNorwegian black metal musician *Dave WakelingEnglish singer, songwriter, and musician, best known for his work with the band The Beat (British band), the Beat (known in North America as the English Beat) and General Public *Pharrell WilliamsAmerican rapper, record producer, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur *Angus YoungAustralian musician, best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter and sole constant original member of the hard rock band AC/DC *Rob ZombieAmerican singer, songwriter, filmmaker, and voice actor *Fiona AppleAmerican singer and songwriter *Dee SniderAmerican singer and songwriter and lead singer of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister

Politics

*Shinzo Abeformer Prime Minister of Japan *Prince Andrew, Duke of Yorkmember of the British royal family *Reubin AskewAmerican politician, who served as the 37th governor of Florida from 1971 to 1979 *Ted Baillieuformer Australian politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2010 to 2013 *John Bercowformer British politician and Speaker of the House of Commons *Hilary BennLabour Party (UK), British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since a 1999 Leeds Central by-election, by-election in 1999 *Tony BennBritish politician, writer and diarist who served as a Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabinet minister in the 1960s and 1970s *Joe Biden46th President of the United States *Cory BookerAmerican politician, attorney, and author who has served as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from New Jersey since 2013 *George N. Briggs19th Governor of Massachusetts, from 1844 to 1851 *George W. Bush43rd President of the United States *Pedro Castillo63rd President of Peru *Tyler CowenEconomist, political writer, and blogger *Morarji DesaiIndian independence activist and politician who served as the 4th Prime Minister of India between 1977 and 1979 *John Diefenbaker13th prime minister of Canada *Edwin Edwards50th governor of Louisiana for four terms *Doug Ford26th premier of Ontario *George GallowayBritish politician, broadcaster, and writer *David Lloyd GeorgeFormer Prime minister of the U.K. *Juan Vicente GómezVenezuelan military general and ruler of Venezuela from 1908 to 1935 *Félix Houphouët-Boignyfirst president of Ivory Coast *Narendra Modi14th Prime minister of India *Nicolas SarkozyFormer President of France *Yoshihide SugaFormer Prime Minister of Japan *Rishi Sunak Prime Minister of the United Kingdom *Donald Trump45th President of the United States, media personality, and businessman

Religion

*Albert Barnes (theologian), Albert BarnesAmerican theologian, clergyman, abolitionist, Temperance movement, temperance advocate, and author *Hugh Bournejoint founder of Primitive Methodism in the United Kingdom, Primitive Methodism *William M. BranhamAmerican Christian minister and faith healing, faith healer *Jerry FalwellAmerican Baptist pastor, televangelism, televangelist, and Conservatism in the United States, conservative activist *Steve Gaines (pastor), Steve GainesAmerican Southern Baptist pastor and the 61st President of the Southern Baptist Convention *Billy GrahamAmerican evangelism, evangelist and ordained Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Baptist minister *James, brother of Jesus, James the Justearly leader of the Jerusalem Church of the Christianity in the 1st century, Apostolic Age *

itinerant preacher active in the area of Jordan River in the early 1st century AD *Jiddu KrishnamurtiIndian philosopher, speaker and writer *Adrian RogersAmerican Southern Baptist pastor and Conservatism in the United States, conservative author

Science and exploration

*Buzz AldrinAmerican former astronaut, engineer, and fighter pilot *John Wesley PowellAmerican geologist, U.S. army soldier, and explorer, best known as the leader of the first scientific expedition into the Grand Canyon.

Sports

*Tony AdamsEnglish football manager and former professional player *Dick AdvocaatDutch former football player and coach *Ludwig AugustinssonSwedish professional footballer *Gareth BaleWelsh footballer *Don BradmanAustralian international cricketer *Trevor Brookingformer England international footballer, manager, pundit and football administrator *Djibril CisséFrench professional footballer *Johnny ChanChinese-American professional poker player *Julio César ChávezMexican former professional boxer *Graham Cornesformer Australian rules footballer, coach, and media personality *Owen CoyleScottish professional football manager and former player *Bryan Danielson American professional wrestling, professional wrestler *Christopher Del BoscoAmerican-born, Canadian freestyle skier *Bhuvneshwar KumarIndian international cricketer and a former limited overs vice captain *Cristiano RonaldoPortuguese footballer *Neville Southallretired Welsh footballer

Theatre, film, and television

*Simon AmstellBritish comedian and television presenter *Guillermo ArriagaMexican author, screenwriter, director and producer *Amitabh BachchanIndian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician *Jason BatemanAmerican actor, director, and producer *Kate Beckinsale English actress and model *Ron BenningtonAmerican radio personality and comedian *John BoyegaEnglish actor *Frankie BoyleScottish comedian and writer *Russell BrandEnglish comedian, actor, radio host and YouTuber *Gerard ButlerScottish actor and film producer *Jim CarreyCanadian-American actor and comedian *Kim CattrallBritish and Canadian actress *Dan CastellanetaAmerican actor, comedian, and screenwriter *Billy ConnollyScottish actor, retired comedian, artist, writer, musician, and presenter *Dane CookAmerican stand-up comedian and film actor *Bradley CooperAmerican actor and filmmaker *Tom CruiseAmerican actor and producer *Kristin DavisAmerican actress and producer *Craig FergusonScottish-American comedian, actor, writer, and television host *Jane FondaAmerican actress, activist, and former fashion model *Laura FraserScottish actress *Anthony HopkinsWelsh Actor *Sam HydeAmerican comedian *Gillian JacobsAmerican actress and director *Penn JilletteAmerican magician, entertainer, and member of Penn and Teller *Ewan McGregorScottish actor *Gary OldmanEnglish actor and filmmaker *Daniel RadcliffeEnglish actor *Martin ShawEnglish actor *Teller (magician), TellerAmerican magician, entertainer, and member of Penn and Teller

References

External links

* {{Prohibition Asceticism Intentional living Lifestyles Temperance movement Religion and alcohol

Etymology

Reasons

Religion

Research on non-drinkers

Notable teetotalers

Business

Fashion

Literature and journalism

Music

Politics

Religion

Science and exploration

Sports

Theatre, film, and television

See also

References

External links