i, too, echo rachel's method of determining if i will or wont imbibe spirits.....
I personally use the following rule to decide if I am able to have a drink or not: If I feel sad/depressed/lonely/anxious/any negative emotions I choose not to drink. If I'm feeling content/happy/confident/any positive emotions, I will give myself permission to drink.
i was reared in a raging alcoholic home environment, had my own alcohol issues in my teens, decided my drug of choice was other than EtOH, and spent 20 years getting very good at being very stupid.... pleased to reveal i am 18 years free of substance abuse issues....
the second my head says>>> i need a drink..... i KNOW that having a drink is precisely what i cannot and will not do.....
occasionally i will have a drink ( maybe 2), with mates at a meal or an event .....
i will NEVER drive within 2 hours of having consumed an alcoholic beverage, so if there is even a slight possibility i will have to drive ( kids make that an almost always possibility) then i wont even entertain the thought of having a drink
my feeling is..... if you need it, then look for a reason not to and get the support you need to make it a choice and not an addicition