Sobriety’s benefits should be embraced

Opinion

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This article was published 08/01/2023 (715 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A newfound interest in sober living among younger generations is driving positive change in restaurants and bars, locally and abroad.

Research over the last few years suggests more young people are abstaining from alcohol than their older counterparts.

A 2019 study of British Gen Zers, aged 16 to 25, showed they are drinking less often, and consuming fewer drinks than older generations. American studies have determined similar results, with a Gallop poll showing that members of Gen Z drink less booze than those aged 35 to 54.

It’s a major contrast from the alcohol-driven social expectations and lifestyles many young people often find themselves facing as they grow up, move away for college or university and encounter their first taste of freedom as a young adult.

It’s a positive shift, to say the least. So much of our Canadian culture is dominated by alcohol even though excessive consumption poses serious risks to our health — both physical and mental. However, it has become so normalized that we hardly bat an eye to its effects until it’s too late.

Alcohol is used by about three-quarters of Canadians, and for many people it is weaved into their lifestyle, according to a report by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) published last August. According to the CCSA, alcohol is a leading preventable cause of death and disability, injuries, accidents and social problems across the country.

Last August, the CCSA also published guidelines for alcohol consumption, which suggested Canadians should stick with a maximum of two drinks per week to reduce their risk of harmful health consequences.

We’ll see later this month if and how the CCSA’s report has influenced Canada’s new guidelines for alcohol consumption, which are expected to be released in the coming weeks. Health Canada’s current recommendations, which were last updated in 2011, say that men should limit their alcohol consumption to 15 drinks per week, and 10 drinks per week for women.

Not only can alcohol consumption contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and digestive problems, but it also has a profound impact on the brain and mental health. Of course, this isn’t new information, but it certainly has garnered fresh attention in recent years.

Since alcohol is a depressant, it can cause feelings of severe anxiety, guilt or shame a day or two after drinking, even if the consumer was “well behaved” during their night out. In popular culture, this has become known as a “shameover” or “hangxiety.” Some young people have credited this as the main reason to quit or reduce drinking.

As a result of the “sober curious” movement — a term used to describe the recent interest in abstaining from booze for personal wellness reasons — restaurants and bars, as well as other social hubs where you can find alcoholic drinks, are having to pivot their offerings to make sober patrons feel more included.

Here in Brandon, the Dock on Princess released a feature menu that starred non-alcoholic beverages, or mocktails, which became so popular the business decided to add some of the items to its permanent menu. As the Dock’s general manager noted to the Sun, restaurants and bars have come a long way in terms of the alternative drinks they serve.

Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia, one resident founded a website called Sober City Halifax, a database of restaurants, cafés and bars that offer decent selections of non-alcoholic drinks and an atmosphere that’s friendly for people who aren’t drinking.

As reported by the CBC, the Sober City Halifax founder, who has been sober herself for nine years, said some people may feel pulled in two directions when they want to be sober but still hang out with their friends who drink, making them choose between their well-being and their social life. But alternative beverages allow people to have the best of both worlds.

These businesses and initiatives are leading the way through a significant cultural transition. The sooner sobriety — whether it’s full or reduced, short- or long-term — becomes more “socially acceptable,” especially among young people who often face pressures within their social circles to drink excessively, the more benefits we will likely begin to see ripple throughout our society.