Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. the heavy drinking of alcohol; thus power of suction n., one’s drinking capacity; live on suction v., to drink heavily.

1830		Dublin Morn. Register 21 Apr. 4/1: St Giles’s, commanding [...] a very plentiful supply of rum and London porter. This singular race ofpeople delight to live upon suction in preference to solids.
1832		Satirist (London) 25 Mar. 101/3: Why is a man who lives solely on suction an idolator —Because he is a worshipper of Jug-or-naught.
1836–7		Dickens Pickwick Papers (1999) 306: Wery good power o’ suction, Sammy.
1843		Durham Chron. 20 Jan. 4/1: The Poor should live by suction, / And the Rich should quaff and stuff.
1871		Sporting Times 7 Jan. 1/1: Drinkers of ardent spirits [...] live by suction and eat little or nothing.
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 1174/2: suction. The drinking of (strong) liquor [...] 2. Hence [...] strong drink. 3. The phrases power of suction capacity for ‘booze’ [...] live on suction to drink hard (–1904).

2. a drink; (a measure of) alcohol.

1908

Sun. Times (Perth) 15 Mar. 4/7: Beware, the fly-bespattered shop / In which you might too often drop / To buy a suction clear.