Sober Curious – The New Norm for Drinking Culture?

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What is Sober Curious?

Sober curious is a movement characterized by eliminating alcohol from the lifestyle for health and wellness reasons. It asks people to “imagine what it’s like to be hangover free,” and is meant as a way to encourage people to take a break from drinking. For some, this means participating in “Dry January” or “Sober September” to see if it is something that they can do. And if they do make it through, and notice the benefits, they may be more likely to make this change over the long-term.                                                     

The sober curious initiative is gaining popularity among Millennials, those aged 22 to 38. They are beginning to realize that going out and always feeling the need to drink is not necessarily fun or feasible. Many in the Millennial generation are trying out this movement in order to not feel the social pressure to drink, and they also want to drink less. Sober curiosity does not necessarily mean that one must abstain from drinking alcohol completely; it just means altering drinking habits to become less frequent. Instead of drinking being a weekly occurrence, it becomes something that happens only once a week or on special occasions, such as birthdays, holidays, or certain celebrations. For some, however, sober curious might mean completely abstaining from alcohol.

Alcohol as a cultural norm 

Alcohol is viewed in our society as something that must be present for a number of reasons. Need to have fun, relax, forget about what’s troubling you? The answer is always most frequently to grab a beer, take a shot, down a bottle of wine. Alcohol is ever present and is the main staple at parties, celebrations, and sporting events.

However, for those who do not drink or are wanting to limit their drinking, being in these social situations and surrounded by alcohol and people drinking can be daunting. For the sober person, it can be uncomfortable when they are bombarded with questions about their drinking habits. As someone who very seldom drinks, and spends most parties standing around with a cup of water, I can attest to the discomfort that these questions bring. As a younger adult, it was harder to socialize at parties when I didn’t drink, so I usually did not go. However, as I became older and felt more comfortable telling people “drinking just isn’t my thing,” being okay with being sober became easier. 

The social pressure to drink is real and can get people into trouble. People drink in order to socialize and fit in, and this is harmful because it can escalate into even worse habits. It can push someone to an alcohol use disorder and can be detrimental to their health.

Being sober is stigmatized by people who do drink, and therefore sober people are seeking out ways to socialize and have fun with other people who also want to be sober. For those who still like to be in a bar setting, a number of dry bars have been gaining popularity among the sober curious crowd. Bars such as The Sans Bar, cater to this crowd by serving non-alcoholic beverages. The drinks served at these bars are not just your ordinary O’Douls, they are very sophisticated drinks known as “mocktails.” They have all the complexities of a normal cocktail but without the alcohol. This is appealing to the sober curious individual because it is a safe space where they can go to socialize, be around other non-drinkers, and not feel pressure to partake in the drinking culture or be questioned about their choice to not drink.

 Mocktails – alcohol-free cocktails – that are served at dry bars.

Beer companies that market low-alcohol or alcohol-free options are also catering to the sober curious movement. Heineken has just come out with a new zero-alcohol beverage, Heineken 0.0. Because not drinking is stigmatized, it is important for some people who do not drink or are trying to cut back on drinking, to look as if they have a drink while in a bar. The Heineken 0.0 beer tastes very similar to the alcoholic beer and has kept the same packaging – the iconic green bottle – which allows non-drinkers to drink the beer while out at a bar and other people would have no idea that it was a non-alcoholic drink.

Heineken 0.0 – Zero alcohol beer.

What are some of the risks of chronic or excessive drinking?

According to the CDC, excessive alcohol consumption led to about 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost in the United States from 2006 – 2010. Drinking alcohol can contribute to both short-term health risks – car crashes, suicide, risky sexual behaviors, alcohol poisoning – and long-term health risks – chronic diseases, depression, dementia, alcohol dependence.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) website note the damaging effects that alcohol – both chronic and occasional alcohol use – can have on the body. Alcohol can majorly impact the brain, heart, liver, pancreas, and the immune system. In addition, it is a carcinogen and can cause several types of cancers, such as liver, breast and esophageal cancer to name a few.

Effects of alcohol on the body – from Daily Mail

Agencies such as the NIAAA and CDC, which are tasked with conducting research and the dissemination of health information to the public sphere, can only do so much to change people’s views on the risks of alcohol consumption.

Is being sober curious worth it? What are the benefits of participating in the movement? 

A large number of people who are sober curious or participated in Sober September, Dry January or the like, have reported positive experiences from their time off from drinking, or just drinking more mindfully. They have reported feeling healthier, feeling more creative and productive, weight loss, and have had less trouble sleeping.  

In an article from NPR, Aaron White, a scientific advisor at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said of sober curious people: “[…] at the end of that month — just after one month — people, by and large, lost some weight. They had improvements in insulin sensitivity, their blood pressure numbers improved and their livers looked a little healthier.” White goes on to say that while there were only modest improvements in the health of an individual who abstained from alcohol for that month, the results were still worth noting. Over the long term, the benefits of sober curiosity might outweigh the costs of drinking.

Will Sober Curious become culturally accepted?

I believe that the Sober curious initiative can grow and become culturally accepted. At this moment in time, being completely sober or a light drinker is still seen by many people who drink regularly as strange. Especially when so many social activities and work functions rely on the presence of alcohol to make the atmosphere feel “normal.” I believe that as a society, we need to work on de-stigmatizing the sober culture.

The sober curious movement will also allow those who do not want to drink to essentially “opt out” of the social pressures of drinking. So many people who do not want to drink do so in order to fit in. What the sober curious initiative offers is unique in that it is catering to a marginal group of people who feel as if they need to hide the fact that they do not drink alcohol. The dry bars create a social network where an individual can feel comfortable about not drinking while being surrounded by like-minded individuals who also abstain from alcohol for various reasons. If more people are aware that this option exists, it may become just as culturally acceptable as drinking has become, and the social pressures associated with drinking will disappear.

With the growing wellness and self-care craze that has currently taken off on social media, I think that the Sober Curious initiative has a place right alongside quinoa superfood salads and goat yoga. If enough people get on board, especially the wellness influencers on social media, the stigma surrounding being sober will be a thing of the past! 

Somebody get me a (zero-proof) drink!

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If I’m being completely honest, I hate how central alcohol is to the social lives and activities for adults. Even though I don’t particularly enjoy alcohol, and I feel no motivation or pressure to drink if someone is trying to persuade me to do it, I still find myself in situations where I’m definitely at a disadvantage if I don’t want to drink alcohol. I’m mostly past the days where my friend group legitimately wants to stay out until 4am, in loud clubs, and be blackout drunk, where I would have to choose between FOMO or being exhausted and miserable, but I’m still in situations very regularly where everyone wants to drink.

We’ve moved into lower key fun activities– like hanging at chill (quiet) bars with food and games, or going out for fancy craft cocktails and overpriced appetizers. This is definitely less unpleasant than clubbing and doing shots, but I have always wished there were equally exciting, ‘craft’ non-alcoholic drinks at these places. My only options are regular soda, and water -__-. Well look no further, Brianna– sober curiosity has started a movement of exactly that.

  • As a brief note, I have an issue with the above linked article, and the linguistic concept of being ‘sober curious’. It appropriates and trivializes meaningful language and concepts from the LGBTQ+ community. Check out this article on appropriation of queer culture. Commandeering our vocabulary (like “‘coming out’ as sober”) for the trendiness of it feels thoughtless and inconsiderate of the daily struggles that queer people face for their identities. 

HOWEVER–I am very happy about some of the results of this movement! More and more establishments are offering exciting and unique drinks, just without the alcohol. This gives abstainers the option all the fun of going out for fancy cocktails without the liver damage! The social exclusion of ‘not drinking’ could be substantially diminished if you are drinking something just as (or more) exciting as your friends. The opportunities for creativity going into these spirit-free drinks holds significant potential for making them cool. If the popularity of craft, non-alcoholic, drinks spreads, more establishments will add them to their menus, and customer demand for uniqueness will increase. This could lead alcohol companies to join that market and put more time and effort into manufacturing the types of non-alcoholic ingredients and drinks people are demanding.

I can say without hesitation that if my local liquor store started selling stuff like fresh mint leaves, rosewater, lavender infused soymilk, and whatever other wild things they come up with… I would buy it over alcohol. Alcohol tastes bad and it’s expensive :(. I often look at a drink menu and wish I could order the drink without the alcohol– I mean look at this stuff! Somebody please make me a drink out of chocolate mousse and raspberry puree! 

This sober curious initiative could make sobriety much gentler on people’s social lives. Actually be excited to get drinks at the bar? I’m in, and already making plans to try all these drinks.

 

Read This Before You Order Your Next Drink

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Six weeks ago, I had one of the worst days of my life. I had just gotten back from a fantastic anniversary trip with my husband the day before. My parents had been strangely insistent that I call them the day after we got back. It’s not unusual for me to call them after a trip to let them know we made it back safe and share some of the high points with them. But this time they seemed a lot more persistent than normal. When I did call on that pretty spring Sunday, my mom cut me off in the middle of me enthusiastically describing a park we had visited on our trip. “We have to tell you something,” She said, “I have breast cancer”, and just like that, every ounce of oxygen left my body. It took me weeks to start to begin to wrap my head around it. In those weeks, I did the one thing everyone tells you not to do. I looked my mom’s cancer up on the internet. I dug through articles, papers, statistics, and survival rates. Looking for an answer to the question we’ll likely never be able to answer, why my mom?

Imagine my shock one day in class to learn that after all my weeks of research, I came across something new. Alcohol has been linked to breast cancer. In all of my hours of research, I had read nothing suggesting that alcohol could be a risk factor for breast cancer. Now, my mother has never been much of a drinker not even in her younger, more explorative years, so it’s likely not the cause for my mom’s cancer. But I’ve always enjoyed a nice beer or 2 and, like millions of college-aged women, had enjoyed more than a few too many at one time or another. Maybe it’s because now that I have a history of breast cancer from not only my mother, but my paternal grandmother who had been diagnosed at just 37 years old and I have been forced to acknowledge my very real risk of developing breast cancer one day myself. But this hit me particularly hard.

An entire month every year is dedicated to breast cancer awareness. Famous athletes wear pink, millions of people march and run thousands of miles every year to raise money for breast cancer research. Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. It’s estimated that over 200,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer just this year. Yet despite all the information about breast cancer awareness and prevention screening, in a recent survey in the UK only 20% of the 205 women undergoing cancer treatment who participated knew that alcohol was a risk factor for breast cancer. Things aren’t looking much better in another survey conducted in the US which found 70% of Americans also did not know that drinking alcohol was a risk factor for breast cancer.

This begs me to ask this question, if all the pink ribbons, charity walks, billboards, bus signs, and tv commercials aren’t teaching us about the risk alcohol poses to women, what else can we do? A valuable, and perhaps obvious, the first step could be to increase and improve education. A woman’s physician is her best weapon in this never-ending battle against cancer. They could provide women with more comprehensive education about the risks of breast cancer at their yearly checkups. Breast cancer screenings and visits for breast cancer symptoms also provide some of the most teachable moments. Women are likely more open to this information when the threat seems so near. It wouldn’t take much, just 5 minutes at the beginning of their visit highlighting the biggest risk-factor and prevention methods.

Starting education even earlier seems like the best way to prevent more cases of breast cancer. We all remember those horrifically uncomfortable sex education classes, even if we wished we didn’t. What if we started educating girls on the risk of drinking alcohol for breast cancer when they are the most likely to start experimenting with alcohol? Maybe they wouldn’t listen. Maybe they’d just roll their eyes and turn away. But maybe it would plant a seed. Maybe if they’re presented with the evidence often enough, they’ll think twice before having their next drink. Maybe a few with family histories of breast cancer like me would decide it wasn’t worth it. I’m not 14 or 21 anymore, and I can’t speak for everyone, but even a craft beer enthusiast like me is opting for water or tea a lot more than I used to,  before I knew.

Caution for women of childbearing age

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Over the last 3 weeks, I have been amazed at how much I have learned about alcohol from a biological, social, and environmental standpoint. As a current dietetic intern studying nutrition, I have been very fascinated by the effects of alcohol in the body from a biological standpoint. In class, we discussed how alcohol can have detrimental effects on reproductive and maternal health, rates of infectious diseases, the incidence of non-communicable diseases, and mental health. Moreover, I was saddened to learn about the negative effects alcohol can have on infants and how drinking while pregnant can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in children. FASD is a devastating condition that can lead to poor cognition and delayed development in children. However, what is, even more, devastating is that this disorder could be prevented if the mother would have abstained from alcohol during pregnancy. 

  1. Image of children with FASD

 

Sadly, there is new research coming out every day that shows how destructive alcohol consumption can be in the body even if it is “controlled” especially in women. One example of this is a study published in June 2019 that showed how alcohol can stunt the growth of the early embryo and the stem cells that become the placenta. Researchers wrote, “After the rats were exposed to alcohol, the placenta was poorly formed and was not able to give the fetus all the nutrients it needed to grow. This effect was more severe in female fetuses than in male fetuses.” Furthermore, researchers were able to show that alcohol consumption prior to a few days before conception can have detrimental effects on the development of the fetus in rats.

Researchers were not able to fully understand the mechanism behind why female fetuses were more vulnerable than male fetuses calling for more research to be done. While it may take years to fully understand the mechanism behind this study, I believe it further solidifies the growing opinion around how toxic alcohol can be especially in women of childbearing age.

This led me to think about the following questions:

What if a mother drinks before she knows she is pregnant? 

If more childbearing age women knew that alcohol could potentially harm their fetus especially female fetuses would it decrease consumption of alcohol?

Should there be more policy around the alcohol industry targeting women of childbearing age since there is a greater health risk involved?

This article sparked many questions that I think our society should think about on a deeper level. 

One day while on Twitter, I came across a classmates tweet on the CDC recommendations for women of childbearing age. 

According to the CDC, women should avoid alcohol if they are sexually active and not using birth control. What was interesting was how much backlash this recommendation receive from the public. Many major news outlets like Elle magazine expressed outrage over the new recommendations. Did the CDC go too far in telling women that they should not drink if they are sexually active and not using birth control?

In my opinion, the CDC is right. Women of childbearing age are more susceptible to some of the most devastating effects of alcohol. I think this policy helps to protect this population even though it may sound like your grandma preaching to you about your habits.  Furthermore, I think Dr. Anne Schuchat, CDC Principal Deputy Director, said it best, “Alcohol can permanently harm a developing baby before a woman knows she is pregnant. About half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and even if planned, most women won’t know they are pregnant for the first month or so, when they might still be drinking. The risk is real. Why take the chance?”

References

 

  1. https://scienceoveracuppa.com/2014/07/06/sometimes-you-can-tell-a-book-by-its-cover-shared-developments-of-the-brain-and-face/
  2. https://dev.biologists.org/content/146/11/dev172205
  3. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cdc-alcohol-young-women-pregnancy-warning_n_56b22f03e4b04f9b57d805bc?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABu_Fe4255l68fYf5D0k9N_bUtYMK2-kn12RKDNpi4iAuKq5B8qGXzHC1WiWo3YiDfyJqLYK-ZOE7sohkWeu_Y4IYm0zno6gzRNBuuccBi1bccbIFefokFOOatqwrogHeBAwPYWATqYS-Cz3ntfVLAFEbJgoBkzAexUosPL9KIb_

 

 

Sober Curious- Not Just For Health Tourists

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People start and (sometimes) stop drinking at all different phases of life for all different reasons. The expectation, however, is that everyone’s drinking. The internet, the bartender and the billboards all tell us that’s what you do. Period.

In the era of health experiments like detoxes, yoga retreats and juicing, we take a touristic approach to health experiences. Sober curious is something I perceive to be similar in this way, which means it can be marketed in the same way. The buzz word was coined by Ruby Warrington, author of “Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol.”

Additionally, bars for the sober curious are popping up everywhere, such as Sans Bar in Austin, TX and Ambrosia Elixirs in Williamsburg, NY. 

According to a British study from 2016, those who participated in Dry January experienced varying health benefits, including “increased drink refusal self-efficacy” and, of course, no hangovers. The significance of the short breaks in drinking influencing health in this way speaks to the idea that people can experiment with sobriety the way they can experiment with the Keto/dairy free/gluten-free/vegan/vegetarian/Paleo/Whole30 diet. Grocery and supplement stores have entire departments dedicated to diet categories, and alcohol stores and departments can easily be merchandised in this way for zero percent products. The increase in non-alcoholic beers and mocktails makes it easy to see how this would be possible.

By marketing sobriety as a healthy experience, we open peoples’ perceptions of sobriety, and the conversation around sobriety becomes more open as a result. In my experience with intentional sobriety, people almost always have needed an explanation for the absence of a drink in my hand. I’ve even been seriously confronted about pregnancy before. I have yet to become pregnant, but that seems to check out more easily in a crowd than the long-winded, baggage-ridden idea that I’m not a great drinker and have damaged a lot of relationships with my drinking, not to mention a murky family history with addiction. No, no, no, you get back to your game of pool, though, I promise it’s not a big deal!

 

Click the image to see the SoberGirlSociety Instagram profile!

I’ve never participated personally in a sobriety challenge like Dry January, only the challenge of getting truly sober. It was genuinely difficult surrounded by friends who never took a break from daily drinking after college ended and were relying heavily on it to manage their vulnerability and mental health issues. I have a personal notion that my not drinking made people uncomfortable, knowing that they, too, probably should have taken a step back from the bar. This illuminates the ambivalence we’ve discussed in class and the idea that there is such a thing as responsible drinking for some of us. People say that the binge drinking criteria seems too low- “five drinks in a night?! That’s a Tuesday at home!” I think the ugly reality may just be that many young adults don’t have the best drinking habits, but no one wants to admit that.

Sober curiosity is an easy movement to promote and absolutely has a place in the era of wellness exploration. Dry bars and social circles based on sobriety (that don’t meet each other in recovery meetings, per se) are carving out their places in this world of heavy drinking. 

Is “Sober Curious” the new trend for the upcoming new decade?

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“We don’t have to drink. There’s nothing that says, as an adult being, you have to consume alcohol,” says British writer and founder of the movement Sober Curious, Ruby Warrington. In December 2018, Warrington released the book Sober Curious, which offers an eye-opening new way to think about our relationship with alcohol.  Sober Curious reveals the enormous benefits that come from unlearning the mindless habit of drinking.

Think of sober curiosity as a “wellness” approach to (not) drinking alcohol.  The idea isn’t a hard stop to drinking or a 12-step process to sobriety, Warrington said. It’s not a recovery method for alcoholics, either. It’s about recognizing drinking habits and acting on that understanding. Maybe it means cutting out all alcohol, or just not drinking on weekdays. Warrington added that it’s the idea that alcohol determines our fun, intimacy, friendships, and experiences to the point that some Americans have tapped out of the present and aren’t fully living.

But how effective is this sober curious movement? Are women really  going to put down their cocktails and “mommy juice” for mocktails and lemonade?

My immediate thought was drinking has become way  too accessible for drinkers to stop now. We are drinking at work, in the early mornings, and on  Sundays, the day that was once considered a holy day. People are even drinking alone and getting alcohol delivered directly to their homes. The means of getting drunk has become limitless, so why stop?

There are many reasons to cease or  limit your alcohol intake. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention excessive drinking can cause chronic disease such as liver cirrhosis, unintentional motor vehicle traffic injures and violence.  However, many drinkers are unaware of the harm alcohol can cause. Drinkers feel since they are “drinking responsible” they are safe from consequences. Unfortunately, for some, just because you are binge drinking at home or taking an Uber  instead of driving doesn’t mean you don’t have a drinking problem. 

So really how did we get to the point where we feel like drinking is inevitably? If you decline a drink, you are scolded and peer pressured to just take a sip. I blame social media.  Social media networks have wired our brains to believe that there is nothing wrong with drinking in excess. There are so many memes that encourage to drink when you are sad, when you want to have fun, or relax. We are inclined to post a picture of us drinking to show fun is happening or to prove that we are taking time out for ourselves by having a drink.

In order to combat drinking as a negative reinforcement, we  have to replace memes that encourage drinking whenever there is a slight inconvenience or memes that justify drinking for every occasion. These  new memes can motivate drinkers to feel stimulated without drinking and enjoy activities such as working out, reading, or cooking

.Image result for when my friends ask if i wanna go to the gym  Image result for when my friends ask if i wanna go to the gym

Society has made us believe that binge drinking is euphoric. If I drink this bottle of wine, I will be having the time of my life. The sober curious movement challenges that social norm and forces drinkers to be more mindful about consuming alcohol. It’s a movement that brings awareness of drinking dependence. Even if people start going to the bars and having 1 drink instead 1o that is proof the movement is working.

  The new decade is now less than six months away,  will the sober curious movement be the new wave? 

Sober Curious: Alcohol-Free Movement is on the Rise

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Sober curiosity is changing how we think about alcohol consumption and is contributing to a movement that is re-branding alcohol-free choices. The term, coined by the British journalist Ruby Warrington,  is also the title of her new book which places thoughtful emphasis on what motivates us to drink and how we feel when we consume alcohol. Below are examples of new trends that could help advanced sober curious crusaders [1].

New studies show that internationally, people would like to drink less and research also shows that in some places, Millenials are drinking less. One international cross-sectional survey involving 21 countries found that 33% of the respondents indicated they were interested in drinking less alcohol over the next year [2]. When participants were asked why they would like to cut down on alcohol consumption, some of the main reasons included being healthier, while others experienced an alcohol-related trauma or event like a sexual assault that motivated a desire to change drinking habits [2]. Another study explored recent trends in non-drinking among UK Millennials to understand the motivating factors as to why this younger generation was abstaining from alcohol consumption or delaying initiation of alcohol. This study found that on average, younger people were abstaining from alcohol and while the exact reasons are unknown, the authors posit that a combination of strict alcohol laws and policies, a desire to be healthy and more widespread knowledge of the harms of drinking are shifting the social and cultural norms that are influencing drinking behaviors among younger people [3].

Overall, alcohol sales are on the decline, and some are capitalizing on this new trend positively. For example, there is a growing number of events in different cities that are connecting sobriety to other topics of interest (i.e., entrepreneurship). So instead of alienating non-drinkers, there are new opportunities for people to connect and be social without any pressure or stigma to drinking. In addition many bars and menus are enhancing their “mocktail” menus (of alcohol free drinks) and cities like New York and Chicago proudly boast about sober or booze-free bars (and pop-up bars) that exclusively serve mocktails and cater to the sober crowd or sober professional that still wants to socialize and have a good time[1, 4].

Sober curiosity aims to normalize the right that every individual has to completely abstain from drinking alcohol or to say no to alcohol at any given moment, for whatever reason. Ruby Warrington was interested in creating a term that engenders a safe alcohol-free option for people who still wish to participate in social functions where alcohol typically plays a role. A sober curious philosophy embraces lifestyle choices for people who might be more conscious about other health issues and actively trying to sleep better, engage in physical activity, and make healthier eating choices. To demonstrate the popularity of this topic and the budding interest that might be representative of a more significant trend, there are now smartphone apps and a podcast titled Sober Grind dedicated to exploring sober curiosity in more depth [5].

It’s up to us to pick our poison as they say, but at least now maybe there will be fewer eye rolls if a non-alcoholic beverage is the drink of choice. At the very least, it’s a conversation starter and hopefully allows both drinkers and non-drinkers alike to reflect.

References

  1. Fallert, N., Why you’re likely going to hear more about being “sober curious”, in Vox. 2019, Vox Media. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/3/26/18267092/sober-curious-nonalcoholic-drinks-spirits
  2. Davies, E.L., et al., Motivations for reducing alcohol consumption: An international survey exploring experiences that may lead to a change in drinking habits. Addict Behav, 2017. 75: p. 40-46.
  3. Ng Fat, L., N. Shelton, and N.J.B.P.H. Cable, Investigating the growing trend of non-drinking among young people; analysis of repeated cross-sectional surveys in England 2005–2015. 2018. 18(1): p. 1090.
  4. Frishberg, H., NYC’s sober bar scene is a ‘hip’ oasis for booze-free fun, in New York Post. 2019: New York. https://nypost.com/2019/04/23/nycs-sober-bar-scene-is-a-hip-oasis-for-booze-free-fun/
  5. O’Brien, S.A., People are sick of drinking. Investors are betting on the ‘sober curious’, in CNN Business. 2019: New York. https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/08/tech/alcohol-alternative-sober-curious/index.html

Alcohol and Harm: Breast Cancer

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Before attending our class on Women and Alcohol, I was unfamiliar with the relationship between alcohol and breast cancer. I had some awareness that alcohol was harmful, but did not know about its direct links to cancers. It is interesting to me that I, along with my peers, can recall learning that one glass of red wine may be beneficial to one’s health, but very few women I have asked remember learning about alcohol and its link to cancer.

As it turns out, this factsheet says that researchers have found no association between a small consumption of red wine, but all the research says that there is no doubt that alcohol is significantly associated with certain cancers. Since many of us enjoy drinking some red wine, this may be the reason why we have “tunnel vision” and are only remembering hearing about a positive effect for our behaviors and not the negative effects. I feel like a lot of the time individuals tune out information that they do not like or information that goes against what they regularly do and like to do because it is not something that they want to hear. Most people do not like to hear that something they are doing is not positive and healthy behavior. It is also really hard to make behavior changes so most people do not want to learn that they have to change their behavior.

                                         

I think we need to work harder to create prevention programs that better disseminate these messages. One idea would be to find a way to target the vulnerable population, women. This could be done by creating more ads/commercials on television channels that women frequently watch such as ABC, E and Bravo. Another way to target women would be by requiring alcohol companies to put a warning label on their alcohols about links to breast cancer. Specifically, it would be important to put these warning labels on “women targeted alcohol” such as the low calorie drinks like Truly or Wines. These drinks are commonly drunk by women. Another prevention program idea is to put up factsheets and advertisements in some locations that are commonly frequented by women such as grocery stores or shopping malls. I think that it is important to create advertisements that would attract women and catch their attention. This can be done using bright colors. This is also something that doctors should talk about during primary care and gynecological visits. During my doctor visits, I am asked about my alcohol use, but I have never had a doctor discuss the links between alcohol use and cancers.

 

Sober Curious: A Night Life Alternative

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 Consuming alcohol has almost become synonymous with going out on the weekend with your friends especially if the pre-determined meeting location is a bar. The situation usually plays out by one friend getting there earlier, and ordering a drink from the bar while they wait for the rest of the group. Then the rest of the friends or group arrives, and you all order another round of drinks while you wait for the food, and then maybe one more round of drinks before you all leave for the night and head your separate ways.

Now, one can say that this may be a scenario that can be quite expensive with the group in the example ordering three round of drinks and according to an article entitled “The Recent Evolution of How we Get Tipsy“, that covered an NPR alcohol report, it actually is! This report found that as production of alcohol in America has become more efficient, alcohol prices have declined 39% from 1982 to 2012. During that same time span, the prices of alcohol at bars and restaurants has increased 79%.Prices of Booze At Home and Away That increase of price is coupled with the fact that bars and restaurants are now starting to focus more on the sale on alcohol rather than the sale of food. This led to Americans in 2012 to spend an estimated 40% of their expenses at bars and restaurants on alcohol, in comparison to just 24% in 1982. 

So with Americans spending a majority of their money while eating out on something that is unhealthy, in bars and restaurants where the alcohol is getting more expensive, what happens if you want to escape this culture for a weekend or two but still want to attend a bar-esque atmosphere with your friends?

Well, that is where the phenomena of “Sober curious” or “Sober Sometimes” comes in. NPR did a piece on this new social club that is mostly made up of women in their 30s, and the NPR piece stated that one of the main reasons behind the women joining the club was due to the fact that they “have demanding jobs and simply do not want to feel foggy or hungover anymore.” 

These social clubs usually have bars dedicated to them where people can gather, eat, listen to music, and socialize all while consuming non-alcoholic beverages. This gives individuals a healthy alternative to going to bars that serve alcohol but still allowing them to enjoy all of the other aspects that comes with night life.

                                                                                                                                                                                         

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2019/06/19/sans-bar-052_custom-47bff05db0ee54d4664b7c832ac9c746fef1f77a-s1600-c85.jpg

Source: Julia Robinson for NPR

But, the question begs itself, how effective could this new initiative be, especially in a climate where drinking and going out is seen as the norm?. Well, the first step would to be establish more bars that are strictly dedicated to serving non-alcoholic beverages to its patrons. But to be competitive, these bars need to still offer the same amenities and activities that bars that serve alcohol do which would be good music, good food, and good service. That accompanied with word of mouth of the atmosphere of the bar being just as fun, then the growth for these types of establishments is endless, and will slowly become culturally accepted. But, for the latter to happen, individuals must be educated on the harms of drinking and how even taking a small break, if you choose not to become completely sober, is still a healthier option, and non-alcoholic bars are the way to go. But, if the value is seen in these sober bars, then potentially investments can be made into these types of establishments that will make them bigger and better than ever, and will make these bars an excellent alternative to individuals that want to go out and socialize with friends but do not want to drink.

 

The Culture of Abstaining From Alcohol

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“Abstinence [from alcohol] was found to be associated with a staggering 45 per cent higher risk of dementia compared to those who consumed between one and 14 unites of alcohol a week.”

 -Sean Morrison, Evening Standard

I know what you’re thinking, who did this science experiment? Well, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris along with scientists from the University College London. They followed 9000 men and women with ages ranging between 45-55 over 23 years and found that 45% of those who did not drink developed dementia. Now, the downfalls of this is that their health history was not really controlled for, it is just that they abstained from drinking during the 23 period time period.

But, for the average Joe to google abstaining from alcohol, and retrieve these articles can be detrimental to the culture of abstaining from alcohol. By the way, this is the first image that comes up when you google “abstaining from alcohol.”

So why exactly is there so much pressure in some societies to consume alcohol? Is it really NEEDED to be social? Are we not FUN enough without it? Are you too RELIGIOUS and need to loosen up a little? I have heard it all. No, I am not too religious but my religion has forced me to do my own research. Why is alcohol so specifically forbidden in the Quran? Reading and learning and realizing that I really do not need it to have fun and I have more effective coping mechanisms, I decided abstaining from alcohol was the right choice for me.

So how do we get others to not only abstain from consuming alcohol but also make that idea culturally accepted? Well here are two ways to start:

  1. No Beer, No Botox, No Problem

Seems simple, educate the masses on what alcohol does to you. But the twist is, get them with what they care about most in today’s society: vanity. Vogue recently published an article on how giving up alcohol can transform your skin. “I always joke with my patients, ‘If you want to get older, go ahead and drink!’” says nutritionist Jairo Rodriquez, who gave the Vogue advice on how no drinking means looking more radiant and youthful. More women are also diving into the “sober curious” waters for vanity reasons and blogger Kate of The Sober School writes that the fewer calories, less bloating, beauty rest, and motivation to gym are all reasons why no drinking is really the right choice. Which leads us to tip number 2 for creating a more culturally accepting environment for abstainers.

 

  1. Success Stories Create Success Stories

Kate, a previous heavy drinker, started her blog page, “The Sober School” as a way to motivate herself to continue on that path as well as build a community for like women to join in and feel welcomed, whether you are new to the abstinence life or been sober all your life. Kate writes “I show them [women] how to have fun, relax and be confident without a glass of wine in their hand… and I can help you too” and suggests that there is no need to label yourself as being in recovery. She offers a 6 week course to women in need of help. This welcoming environment creates a culture of acceptance and hopefully a domino effect too. She has a page dedicated to “graduates” of her program and their testimonies, with women both young and old. And Kate’s page isn’t the only blog page out there. Hip Sobriety, UnPickled, Drunky Drunk Girl, and Sober Senorita are just a few of the FEMALE led blog pages. Some are about the process of sobriety and some about the success of sobriety, but all creating awareness in a positive, more inviting way.