“Alcohol-free for president” - Interview with Toyah Diebel

"Alcohol is simply not cool," Toyah Diebel states clearly. Toyah has held this belief since November 2018. At that time, she was suffering from her last hangover and since then she has "no desire to be drunk anymore."

Her attitude towards alcohol has changed radically since her pregnancy and the resulting break from alcohol. She is now diligently testing out the wide world of non-alcoholic alternatives. No more hangover days for Toyah. Instead of lingering over the glass, she prefers to immerse herself in one of her many projects. 

Through her sometimes ruthless and satirical content, she has managed to gain a following on her Instagram channel “ toyagurl “ to build a fan base. The initiated campaign #YourChildAlsoNot against the thoughtless publication of children's pictures on the Internet, has caused quite a stir. 

Toyah not only critically examines socially relevant issues. In her book “ Women - About Spelt Mothers, Power Women and Other Emancipated Women ” she holds up an unfiltered mirror to herself and society through small, shamelessly told stories - feminist, clever and with a wink. 

The wink also comes in her cosmetic line “ milf ” under which she produces skin care products for the stomach, perineum and nipples. Thanks to her, women do not have to go without high-quality, sustainable beauty products and beautiful design even during pregnancy. In doing so, she literally gives new shine to the topic of body awareness and sexual self-determination of women. You can even wear it on your chest or finger with the right statement jewelry.

Toyah has also entered the podcast game. In her own podcast “ Toyah but cheap ”, she chats with guests such as presenter and musician Jan Köppen, comedian Ines Anioli and journalist Visa Vi in an entertaining and honest Toyah way. Every Monday an episode of her podcast “ women ” with Leila Lowfire. Between job, self-realization and playground, questions such as the role of misogyny in the media are addressed. 

We have a lot of questions for the jack-of-all-trades Toyah. She spoke to us about her relationship with alcohol and once again summed up her attitude in clear terms. If you are not already a fan of Toyah, you will be after this interview. Enjoy.

Laori: You wrote to us “Alcohol-free for president”. Therefore, we hereby officially appoint you as President of Alcohol-free and ask you: What would you do to make a change in society when it comes to the issue of alcohol?
Toyah: The first step would be to reduce or de-glamorize alcohol consumption in the media, as has already been done with tobacco advertising. In the past, people smoked in films and series. That has been abolished. A completely new attitude towards tobacco has emerged. It is simply no longer part of the "social party". It is the same with alcohol. As long as we watch on Instagram and in films how beautiful people happily get drunk, nothing will change. We have been brainwashed from a young age that drinking alcohol is normal. A good drink is part of a meal and a party definitely includes prosecco and a schnapps - that's what we have learned. It's a long road to getting that out of our heads. 

Laori: You definitely have our vote! How do you currently deal with alcohol? 
Toyah: I can count on one hand how many glasses I have drunk in the last year. Getting drunk is out of the question for me. I have absolutely no desire to be drunk anymore. Not even to be tipsy. I have no interest in that. I try to avoid alcohol as much as possible, but I wouldn't say that I would refuse every glass of Prosecco forever. I would never drink anything during the day. And if I have an alternative, then I try to choose the alternative to alcohol.

Laori: Speaking of, what are some good alternatives for you? 
Toyah: Actually, living largely alcohol-free was always a very difficult idea for me because it meant I had to drink Coke. A soft drink, and I don't like soft drinks at all. I was fascinated when the world of alcohol-free alcohol was opened up to me because I had no idea it even existed.  Sometimes you just want a good drink. I can understand that you don't want to drink a Coke at a party while everyone else is drinking a great Gin Tonic or Gin Basil Smash that I absolutely loved. I find it difficult to do without it. But if you have the same experience without getting drunk, it's great. And that's what's here now. I'm really impressed by how many small manufacturers there are now. You always think: "Cool, then I have to drink Rotkäppchen alcohol-free or Jever Fun". But there is such a wide range and in Berlin Kreuzberg there's even a Späti that really only serves non-alcoholic drinks - awesome.  It annoys me so much that I was previously brainwashed into thinking that not drinking alcohol was supposedly uncool. Drinking non-alcoholic beer or wine, for example, is not. I find it sad that people still have that attitude, including me, until recently. Also that someone who doesn't drink alcohol is a party pooper, has a boring life and no sense of humor. Someone who doesn't even know how to have fun. That's really so intense. 

Laori: When you don’t drink alcohol, what do you say to classics like: “Make an exception - once is not a good idea” or “Really, seriously - why?!”?
Toyah: I find it most disarming when you say “I don’t feel like drinking alcohol”. Free from the liver. Or "I don't handle alcohol well, that's why I don't drink." What else can you say to that? What I want to convey to others is that you don't have to let yourself be forced into a situation where you have to make up an excuse like "I'm taking antibiotics." These simple things like "I don't like it," or "I don't feel like being drunk," are not an argument for people who like to drink, because they don't want to accept that. You want to justify why you drink. Nobody would say, "I have a drinking problem and I can't do anything else." 

Laori: Soberly speaking, what is your newly acquired superpower? 
Toyah: To think clearly. That sounds so banal, but it's only since I stopped drinking alcohol that I realised how fundamental that actually is. Only now do I realise how unclear I was before. Not just in the moments when I was drunk, but also in the days after. You only realise that alcohol destroys nerves when you have abstained from alcohol for a longer period of time.You notice how your body and brain regenerate. Not only because you feel fitter and can get up better in the morning, it can also have serious mental effects. For example, I used to struggle with depression. That has really completely gone since I stopped using these drugs. That's why I can't even describe how valuable a clear head has become for me. Having a good memory, being fit and quick-witted was not possible before to the extent that it is now. 

Laori: You're talking about a longer period of time. How long do you think you have to abstain to feel these effects?
Toyah: I think you should try it for more than one week, so two to four weeks. You can improve and see what happens to your body. I find it very fascinating.  To be clear: everyone should drink alcohol if they want to. But I think that everyone should think about why and how much they drink. And if you think about not drinking anything for a month, see what feelings come up. Is it fear, panic or fear of loss? 

Laori: When should the alarm bells ring?
Toyah: If you find it difficult to abstain from alcohol, you should think about it a little bit, because that indicates a problem. If you can't do that, or you allow yourself to be tempted, then you should think about whether your own consumption might be problematic. 

Laori: Do you think non-alcoholic has the potential to become the new vegan? 
Toyah: Difficult. I just wish that people would no longer take alcohol for granted and that it would no longer be acceptable in society to drink heavily. Everything is trivialized. See "day drinking when the sun comes out." That has a positive connotation. But it isn't. Drinking Aperol Spritz during the day, sorry, that's pretty extreme. If it stays at one, then congratulations. It certainly never stayed at that for me. There are so many other substances, for example THC, marijuana. Why is that demonized and alcohol accepted? I don't understand. You just have to think about it a bit more.

Yummy non-alcoholic drinks please?

  Do you see it exactly like Toyah and are thirsty for non-alcoholic drinks? Then try our Laori Lemon - the non-alcoholic cocktail with bitter lemon. It is quick to mix and impresses with its citrus freshness. You can find the recipe here .

Photos: Delia Baum