Not necessarily. When I was growing up in Catholic Ireland we used to eat the communion wafer but only the priest drank the wine - more because it would have been impractical to serve to hundreds of people than any other reason, but also partly from hygiene considerations. I asked our priest about it once (I was an alter boy) and his response was that it was just too much hassle and they were glad to abandon the practice. Back then churches used to be packed 4 times a day on Sundays so I can see how it would be a headache. I used to get hand cramps from holding the little metal plate under people's chins to prevent the communion wafer falling on the floor.

Between the Council of Trent and about 1970, the Roman Catholic laity took communion in one kind only, and the chalice was reserved to the priests.

Interesting! They kept that up for a long time afterwards in Ireland, at least to the late 1980s (which was when I stopped going to church). I've occasionally been to a Catholic church in the US (weddings, funerals although I'm an atheist now) and it was quite disorienting to be offered the wine at Communion.

I'm similarly apostate, and I'm quite sure you're not welcome in the communion line as an atheist.