How do I refrain from the use of intoxicants?

In Buddhism, the idea is NOT that you grit your teeth and MAKE yourself do - or not do - things.

The idea is that you develop self-awareness, and that you learn FROM what you observe.

For NOW, go ahead and drink ..but start paying attention to what goes on inside of you.

Generally speaking, intoxicants play the role of smoke-screening inner pain and fear that we do not want to face.

So the Buddhist learns to FACE what goes on inside of them.

Once you are facing these inner issues, and are learning - through doing the practices your Buddhism teacher gives you to do - THEN you start to feel a desire to stop drinking, to experience yourself in your life, in its totality and wholeness.

Yes, sometimes there is pain. But you relax into it.

How does this work? Think of little kids about to get a shot at the flu shot clinic .. they resist and the experience has them wailing in fear and pain. But the adults just relax into it .. and don't even blink an eye.

All this fear and pain that control you, that push you to dull your awareness of them through drugs/alcohol .... the bulk of it is caused by yourself, by your resistance, by the mistaken belief that you cannot be happy with them there or that things are somehow "wrong" because you have pain and fear.

So do the Buddhist practices as your teacher instructs you ... allow yourself to drink sometimes, but also sometimes do NOT drink .. and use that experience as a teacher. By observing how you react when you are NOT drinking, you become able to touch what makes you drink .. and that is the start of learning how to face it and then relax into it (just as the adult relaxes into getting a flu shot).

You cannot avoid the "flu shots" of life .. but you CAN learn how to not freak-out about them.

Cannabis is far less-damaging than alcohol. But it dulls your awareness ... I was a hippie in the 1960's. We THINK we are sharper when stoned . .but once you start to develop real awareness, through doing the Buddhist practices you come to see how much your awareness is dulled by pot.

Smoking pot is like a figure skater tying their ankles together .. they aren't going to be able to get ahead on their skill level. And one who wants to gain awareness and enlightenment is working counter to the goals of Buddhism, when they take drugs of any sort.

just realize its a pollutant to your body and mind .. you seek clarity right ..