I became an accidental non-drinker a few months ago after my second bout of Covid. I abstained while ill and once recovered, didn't feel like drinking again so am rolling with it. In some ways I think the accidentalness is the key - it wasn't a grand decision or declaration, so it has so far felt very easy. Abstinence seems easier than attempting to 'cut back' too - all that 'will I/won't I', and 'but it's only Thursday' thinking, has disappeared.
As for your question, I think it's a combination of age, the ready availability of high quality zero alternatives and cultural shift (the popularity of 'quit lit' books and Instagram accounts, for example). For myself, I have observed that the 50s seems to be a decade when many people start to struggle - either they suffer a lot from just 1 or 2 drinks where they never did before (sleep, hangovers, loss of focus), or heavy drinking they have 'gotten away with' for years suddenly becomes deeply destructive. Being in my second half of my 40s, it seems a good time for this accidental development. We'll see where it leads.
The non-grand-descion part of it seems to be a thing - I think you're right there. The environmental of viable great options is a huge shift enabler for me. Plus, the building of a habit plus the opportunity to reflect on what I miss / don't miss about alcohol. But you're right, a lot of that cost of alcohol is hidden, and / or externalised to others (often the ones we love most, or wider society like ED). I think there interruption of pattern is also a thing. Because without that interruption, where do we have the space to notice the difference?
I stopped drinking on 15th April 2002, because I needed to, my life was pretty messy, I was struggling with alcoholism. I have been sobber ever since. What I have loved this year is my husband choosing to drink zero alcohol beer and enjoying a drink with him rather than seemingly being the person on the outside of my peers and family. I also feel like I have the zero-beer option available to me which it is nice to have as a choice. I would love to see government reducing the cost of the zero options to encourage more to choose the healthier option. Most other zero alcohol options are full of sugar or alternatives. I wonder if some of the alcohol tax could be used to reduce the cost of healthier zero options - the price for water is outrageous and drinking water in a bar still seems to be frowned upon unless you are the designated driver.
Nice solidarity move by your husband! Govt intervention for reducing cost to encourage more take up of healthier options would be a smart move, as well as a good commercial investment. Otherwise, you can bet that overseas commercial options will continue to come in. It's a real opportunity from a commercial point of view for NZ brewers. I have been very pleasantly surprised to see how many zero alcohol options are now available in Japan. I look forward to trying some of those when I'm there shortly.
I became a non-drinker about 15 months ago after some medication did funny things to blood tests related to liver function. Even though I'm no longer taking those meds and my liver tests are back to normal I'm still not drinking, and I don't think I'll go back to it. I'm enjoying the 0% beers and Zeffer make a good cider-y alternative, but I just don't want that fuzzy feeling any more. My mum (in the UK) seems the weirdest about it, asking whether my friends mind... like what? Really?! I think it must be a generational thing, but also a British thing - I'm going back for a visit soon and I'll be interested to see whether they have O% alternatives readily available like they do here (in the cites at least).
Yes, agreed about the British drinking culture - though my close British friends have also been making the transition to less drinking or giving up completely. Apart from the dude who has a very extensive wine cellar that will probably outlive us all. The pricing thing is still an obstacle to many though - they're pretty much equivalent pricing. There's no cheap 'Tui' option for people who would like zero alcohol beer.
I became an accidental non-drinker a few months ago after my second bout of Covid. I abstained while ill and once recovered, didn't feel like drinking again so am rolling with it. In some ways I think the accidentalness is the key - it wasn't a grand decision or declaration, so it has so far felt very easy. Abstinence seems easier than attempting to 'cut back' too - all that 'will I/won't I', and 'but it's only Thursday' thinking, has disappeared.
As for your question, I think it's a combination of age, the ready availability of high quality zero alternatives and cultural shift (the popularity of 'quit lit' books and Instagram accounts, for example). For myself, I have observed that the 50s seems to be a decade when many people start to struggle - either they suffer a lot from just 1 or 2 drinks where they never did before (sleep, hangovers, loss of focus), or heavy drinking they have 'gotten away with' for years suddenly becomes deeply destructive. Being in my second half of my 40s, it seems a good time for this accidental development. We'll see where it leads.
The non-grand-descion part of it seems to be a thing - I think you're right there. The environmental of viable great options is a huge shift enabler for me. Plus, the building of a habit plus the opportunity to reflect on what I miss / don't miss about alcohol. But you're right, a lot of that cost of alcohol is hidden, and / or externalised to others (often the ones we love most, or wider society like ED). I think there interruption of pattern is also a thing. Because without that interruption, where do we have the space to notice the difference?
I stopped drinking on 15th April 2002, because I needed to, my life was pretty messy, I was struggling with alcoholism. I have been sobber ever since. What I have loved this year is my husband choosing to drink zero alcohol beer and enjoying a drink with him rather than seemingly being the person on the outside of my peers and family. I also feel like I have the zero-beer option available to me which it is nice to have as a choice. I would love to see government reducing the cost of the zero options to encourage more to choose the healthier option. Most other zero alcohol options are full of sugar or alternatives. I wonder if some of the alcohol tax could be used to reduce the cost of healthier zero options - the price for water is outrageous and drinking water in a bar still seems to be frowned upon unless you are the designated driver.
Nice solidarity move by your husband! Govt intervention for reducing cost to encourage more take up of healthier options would be a smart move, as well as a good commercial investment. Otherwise, you can bet that overseas commercial options will continue to come in. It's a real opportunity from a commercial point of view for NZ brewers. I have been very pleasantly surprised to see how many zero alcohol options are now available in Japan. I look forward to trying some of those when I'm there shortly.
I became a non-drinker about 15 months ago after some medication did funny things to blood tests related to liver function. Even though I'm no longer taking those meds and my liver tests are back to normal I'm still not drinking, and I don't think I'll go back to it. I'm enjoying the 0% beers and Zeffer make a good cider-y alternative, but I just don't want that fuzzy feeling any more. My mum (in the UK) seems the weirdest about it, asking whether my friends mind... like what? Really?! I think it must be a generational thing, but also a British thing - I'm going back for a visit soon and I'll be interested to see whether they have O% alternatives readily available like they do here (in the cites at least).
Yes, agreed about the British drinking culture - though my close British friends have also been making the transition to less drinking or giving up completely. Apart from the dude who has a very extensive wine cellar that will probably outlive us all. The pricing thing is still an obstacle to many though - they're pretty much equivalent pricing. There's no cheap 'Tui' option for people who would like zero alcohol beer.