Couldn't agree more. UK here as well and there is a rather idiotic culture of social and binge drinking which I got into in the mid 1990s driven by "the pub" and "the club". I quit alcohol entirely in 2002 (15 years ago as well!) after getting married and decided to replace it with the magical elixir that cures all ills: water.

The revelation of water came from having a saline drip after an accident. I felt fantastic afterwards. Full of energy, drive and able to actually process things in my brain. Turned out I'd spent the few years before this point entirely shrivelled up with dehydration caused by drinking only tea and alcohol.

Trying to shake the caffeine monkey of my back now. That's just as bad. Drinking lots of water does help however.