Night out with large group. What's the etiquette for paying the bill?

I'm going along to an evening (dinner) with a large group of people - most of whom I never talk to and who don't talk to me. I'm teetotal and the other people who I hope will be on my table are too generally. Must we therefore subsidize the boozers when the bill arrives? It could add another �5 to �10 on top of the set price. It always feels so unfair and I resent it. Can we ask to have the bill just for our table? Any nice way of getting out of it? Or must I just accept it (albeit grudgingly)?