Recent Headlines About Drinking Alcohol (or not drinking alcohol)


Shape, June 2024

I Haven’t Had a Drink in 800 Days — and These Are the Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks I’ve Tried

No booze, no problem. Here are the best NA wines, beers, spirits, and more, according to industry experts.


Yahoo News, June 2024

Your favorite drink can cause breast cancer

But most women in the US aren’t aware of alcohol’s health risks


Abc News, June 2024 (1:42 minute video)

Drinking alcohol while in flight may impact your body, study shows

A new study found that falling asleep after drinking alcohol while in flight may increase your heart rate and drop the body’s oxygen levels. Dr. Jen Ashton explains.

More on this topic from The Indian Express, June 2024: Why You Should Avoid Alcohol on Flights


PR Newswire , June 2024

Non-alcoholic Drinks Market to Reach $2.9 Trillion, Globally, by 2035

One of the major drivers in the non-alcoholic drinks market is a rise in consumers increasingly seeking healthier beverage options free from alcohol and artificial ingredients. Additionally, changing lifestyles, including the rise of mindful drinking and the desire for more balanced consumption habits, are fueling demand for non-alcoholic alternatives.


Newsnation, June 2024

Alcohol deaths up 70% over the past decade:

  • National alcohol death rate has risen 70% in the past decade

  • Rates grew fastest among people aged 26 to 44, AIAN people, women

  • Death rates higher for people in rural areas than those in urban areas


WBUR (Audio 5 minutes), May 2024

How the alcohol industry affects federal health guidance

One more time, for the people in the back: Alcohol is not good for your health. But how did sneaky myths about red wine's alleged health benefits become common knowledge? Critics blame the alcohol lobby, in part.

Here & Now's Scott Tong talks with STAT's Isabella Cueto about all that and more.


deseret News, May 2024

Sober minded

Alcohol is classified as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, placing it among other high-risk carcinogens such as asbestos and harmful radiation. With information like this at hand, it would make sense for anyone of any age to be at least a little scared of alcohol.


US News and World Report, April 2024

Binge Drinking Boosts Heart Risks, Especially for Women

The new findings relied on data from more than 430,000 Californian adults aged 65 and under.

“For women, we find consistently higher [heart] risk even without binge drinking," Rana said in a news release from the American College of Cardiology (ACC)”.


New York Times, April 2024

Should Alcoholic Beverages Have Cancer Warning Labels?

Beginning in 2026, containers of beer, wine and liquor sold in Ireland will be required by law to bear a label in red capital letters with two warnings: “THERE IS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND FATAL CANCERS” and “DRINKING ALCOHOL CAUSES LIVER DISEASE.”


New York Times, April 2024

Complications From Alcohol Use Are Rising in Women.

Demographic shifts can also help explain why women are drinking at higher rates, Dr. Keyes said. Women tend to marry and have children at later ages than in previous decades, so they spend more time in what Dr. Keyes calls a “high-risk period for heavy drinking.”

“People don’t realize the real health consequences these heavy drinking patterns can have,” she added.


Shondaland, 2023

How to Move Forward With an Alcohol-Free Life

More Americans than ever are bidding farewell to booze, for many different reasons. As one writer explains, if you’re curious about starting a sober life, it doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds.

For the last six months, I’ve kept an app called I Am Sober on my phone. It’s a sobriety tracking app that, in the last five years, has sprung up among the countless others (like
Try Dry, Nomo, and Saying When) that help monitor habitual use of drugs and alcohol or provide access to communities of like-minded people who are in need of or curious about sobriety. I Am Sober runs a timer, tracking how long a user has abstained from any one of a number of intoxicating substances. Alcohol has never been a large part of my life, but over the last few years, both during the pandemic lockdown and then during the excitement of restarting daily activities, I’ve noticed a creep. Airport lounges, meeting up with friends, concerts — they all seem to include a drink. Taking a moment to decide if I want to hit the reset button on my app, thus erasing my “streak” of sobriety, has forced me to also consider if I actually want to indulge. And more often than not, the answer is no.


USA TOday, October 2023

Sober October' is here with more n/a options

“With the amount of information that is always available around us, people have become more health conscious and want to have more informed decisions on what they are putting into their body," Maria Meza Martinez, registered dietitian with Florida-based not-for-profit Orlando Health, told USA TODAY in an email exchange.

"For that reason, I believe Sober October and similar challenges have gained so much popularity because people will want to question and gain the knowledge on … the benefits of eliminating alcohol even for just 31 days, such as better sleep, improved immune function, and reducing the risk of some cancers," she said.


CNN, October 2023

Why my Sober October lasted a year

But without alcohol, would I still be fun? Would I lose friends — either because they would no longer want to be friends with me or I’d no longer want to be around them? Socializing and dating, especially within the LGBTQ community, are so centered on drinking — how would I navigate that? I’ve gone weeks and even longer than a month without drinking before. I don’t drink every day, or heavily every time I do — so do I need to abstain entirely?

The answers to those questions are, yes, I would still be fun; no, I did not lose friends; yes, dating is a struggle regardless of drinking; and for the last one, yes, I do need to abstain. If you feel as though you need to quit drinking, even temporarily, I think it’s worth trying.


L.A. Times, September 2023

Alcohol Free Dance Parties Taking Over L.A.

Leading the charge is Gen Z, which is drinking an average of 20% less than millennials, according to a report by Berenberg Research, and more likely to prioritize taste over getting a buzz. With Gen Zers reaching legal drinking age and entering nightlife spaces for the first time, event organizers and the nonalcoholic beverage industry are adjusting to accommodate those habits. Thus far, the shift has proved fruitful: In 2022, the non- and low-alcoholic beverage industry surpassed $11 billion in market value.


The Gazette (colorado), September 2023

Three Years Alcohol Free and Loving it

Not that I’m counting or anything. But I am. Three Augusts ago I decided, in the heat of a pandemic summer, maybe the unlikeliest time to forgo a soothing substance, that I would finally listen to the whisper of my spirit and say bye bye to the booze.


Economist, September 2023

Drugs Used to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder are Underused

Nearly 30m Americans suffer from alcohol-use disorder, meaning that alcohol has a significant and negative impact on their lives. Over 140,000 die from alcohol-related causes each year: alcohol is the fourth-highest cause of preventable death in America. These statistics are especially devastating because for many people the suffering could have been avoided.


Usa today, August 2023

Middle-Aged U.S. Adults Drinking and Using Marijuana at Record Levels

New research from the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel revealed that middle-aged adults ages 35 to 50 are using marijuana and hallucinogens at record levels. Binge drinking had spiked to the "highest prevalence ... ever recorded for this age group," the panel study reported Thursday.


Wall Street Journal, August 2023

Women’s Problem Drinking Is Catching Up to Men’s

“There used to be a large gender gap in alcohol use and alcohol use disorder between men and women,” says Dawn Sugarman, a research psychologist at McLean Hospital and assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. “That is shrinking.”

Over the past couple of decades, problem drinking has risen most among 30- and 40-something women, says Aaron White, senior scientific adviser to the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAAA. Rates of drinking among teen girls has been declining, he says, but go up once women hit their 20s. 

Binge drinking among women has gradually lost its social stigma over several generations to the point where it is almost a rite of passage in college. In recent years, a growing culture of mom drinking escalated during the pandemic, as some mothers juggling remote school and work drank more to cope with stress, and the habit stuck, doctors say.


Entrepreneur , May 2023

Choosing Health over Happy Hour

Adaptogens in Non-Alcoholic Beverages are on the Rise and Here's Why. The "sober curious" are discovering a "healthier happy hour" with stress-reducing and wellness benefits from these non-boozy beverages.

The low-to-no alcohol category surpassed $11B in 2022, up from $8B in 2018 and is predicted to triple by a third in 2026, driven mainly by non-alcoholic products. According to Crunchbase, non-alcoholic beverage startups raised a record $414M in funding last year.


Health.com, April 2021

The Reason Why Women Are Drinking More Than They Ever Have

Between career and financial pressure, the needs of kids and senior parents, and adjusting to empty nests and aging bodies, life can feel like a high-wire act, and sipping something smooth can ease the strain. The trouble is, now that booze has become so linked with relaxing, many of us don’t even think to question our consumption. “Drinking has a tendency to escalate—one glass turns into two and then three,” says psychologist Joseph Nowinski, PhD, author of Almost Alcoholic. “That doesn’t mean you’re an addict, but you should be aware that you’ve moved from low-risk drinking to a level that’s more dangerous.”


Eater Chicago, April 2021

As COVID-19 Disrupts Live Music, a DePaul Bar Boosts Non-Alcoholic Options

He wants his venue to create an environment where customers don’t feel pressure to consume alcohol. He aims to show that no one needs booze to enjoy a concert or a night out with friends.

“I think it’s important to be an advocate for non-drinkers,” he says, citing many nights out where he’s gotten stuck with bad coffee or bitters and soda. 


The New York TIMES, April 2021

Excessive Drinking Rose During the Pandemic. Here Are Ways to Cut Back

As her stress levels soared, so did her alcohol intake. Before the pandemic, Ms. Carbone would have a glass of red wine with dinner most nights. But by May, her intake had climbed substantially. “I noticed I was having a glass of wine as soon as I got home, then a glass with dinner, then we’d sit down to watch TV and I’d have another glass or two,” she said. “By the end of the night I was drinking a bottle.”


FORBES, April 2021

No-Low Alcohol Wines Hit The U.S., Looking To Gain Traction.

The reason for the launch of so many new “Nolo” alcohol brands—from Eins Zwei Zero Riesling and Stella Rosa Peach to Kim Crawford Illuminate and Cupcake Lighthearted—is most likely based on statistics showing impressive sales growth in this category. For example, Nielsen NLSN -1% reported 37% dollar growth in non-alcohol beer, wine and spirits for 2020 compared to 2019, in a recent Beverage Alcohol Webinar. And the IWSR released a new study showing the Nolo category is expected to grow 31% by 2024.


FORBES, April 2021

Is The Online Alcohol Sales Boom Here To Stay?

sbc’s commentary - People are drinking more than ever because Big Alcohol is spending more than ever to get people to drink. Marketing works. Marketing for an addictive substance definitely works.

Alcohol ad spend in 2020 grew steadily throughout the year, outpacing the average of most industries. Facebook, Instagram, Google search, and YouTube are the leading platforms where alcohol brands spend their marketing dollars. They also allocate ad spend to other channels including display ads, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, and regional OTT video platforms.


CNY Central, April 2021

Alcohol-related liver disease on the rise, primarily in young women

"I think more women are drinking like men. They're drinking heavily, they're drinking frequently, they're starting earlier in life." Dr. Mellinger said. "There seems to be a lot more anxiety, depression, mental health in general and we know that seems to be a trend that has risen over the years as well, and that often co-occurs."


Harvard Health, April 2021

Women, alcohol, and COVID-19

Between 2001–02 and 2012–13, there was a 16% increase in the proportion of women who drink alcohol, a 58% increase in women’s heavy drinking (versus 16% in men), and an 84% increase in women’s one-year prevalence of an alcohol use disorder (versus 35% in men).

This is in part due to changing social norms around female alcohol consumption and the alcohol industry’s targeted marketing to women.


Washington Post, April 2021

When a dive bar fan quit drinking, he set out to craft a nonalcoholic beer worth celebrating


“What was supposed to be relaxing was having the opposite effect,” he says. Curious about what he’d feel like if he removed alcohol from his diet, he quickly found the answer: clearer, happier, calmer. He hasn’t had a drink in three years.


Artful living, March 2021

What Happens to a Sober-Curious Movement in a Global Pandemic?

Pre-COVID, the sober-curious movement was gaining traction. It’s part of a booming interest in wellness, which has ballooned into a $4.5-trillion industry with a focus on mindfulness and moderation. And studies show that younger people — millennials and Gen Zers — are imbibing less than previous generations. In fact, Bainbridge says the most memorable conversation she’s had about her book was with a millennial who didn’t understand why she was a non-drinking champion — there was simply no need to justify this among her peers.


GQ, March 2021

The Case for Sober Cocktail Hour

I’ve always loved the Italian ritual of aperitivo, and people who get the entire month of August can’t be wrong about anything relaxation-related, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized how little booze has to do with it.


Forbes, March 2021

Soaring Pandemic Alcohol Sales Cause Concern For Doctors

"Drinking to cope can culminate in a cycle in which the person consumes alcohol to ease discomfort, feels worse when the alcohol wears off, and then drinks again to reduce the misery caused by the alcohol itself," said Koob.


NPR, March 2021

Sharp, 'Off The Charts' Rise In Alcoholic Liver Disease Among Young Women

But Mellinger says she and other doctors are seeing patients who have edged up to higher amounts of drinking in the last year — to a bottle of wine, or 5-6 drinks, a day — which increases the chances of liver disease severe enough to require hospitalization. And binge drinking, even if less frequent, can also be damaging.


Economic Times, March 2021

No booze, more buzz: How bars without alcohol are creating a new wave around the world

"There are a lot of people, this past year more than ever, thinking more critically about what they're drinking and how it's making them feel," he said.

"This type of thing, it's not a fad," he said. "People don't wake up to the negative impact alcohol is having on their life and then change their mind."


Forbes, March 2021

Wilderton Botanical Distillate Offers A Distinctly Northwest Take On NA Spirits

This Portland, Ore., based maker of zero-alcohol spirits joins a ever-expanding segment of the market. But its founder insists on doing things differently than competitors.

Here’s why you should pay attention to the bold-tasting products from this innovative operation.


Medium, March 2021

7 Predictions For The Non-Alcoholic Category In 2021

New beverages, new tools, new challenges, and an ethics decision for an entire segment…
Consumers are beginning to recognize that what’s being presented to them is not elimination, but rather the replacement of a harmful product, with a health-promoting one.

It’s an upgrade.


The New York Times, March 2021

Should Your Cocktail Carry a Cancer Warning?

As pandemic disruptions lead many of us to drink more, experts underscore the link between alcohol and disease.

In recent years, a growing number of medical and public health groups have introduced public awareness campaigns warning people to drink with caution, noting that alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer, behind tobacco and obesity.


The Spirits Business, February 2021

Tanqueray 0.0% joins growing alcohol-free sector

“So our aim is to enhance the experience for those who wish to moderate, or for those who choose not to drink alcohol at all, by providing enjoyable, exciting and interesting taste experiences that are delivered in an inspiring way.”


FORBES, January 2021

Non-Alcoholic Beers Might Be The Next Big Thing In Craft Beer


While the large multi-national brewers have been increasing their NA Beer offerings-Heineken 0.0, Peroni Libra, Guinness Zero, Budweiser Zero-to stand alongside their established offerings—O'Doul's, Sharp's, Becks Non-Alcoholic, Busch NA- one of the more exciting developments has been in the craft beer market.


Goop, February 2021

Why Are People Sober-Curious?

She wasn’t drinking every day; she wasn’t addicted to alcohol. She began to question the role it played in her well-being anyway, drinking less and less often. And then she stopped almost completely.


Alcohol Research Group, February 2021

Campaign Launches to Let Young Women Know Alcohol Causes Brest Cancer

Our campaign is meant to support women, not shame them or blame them. We’d like women to simply know about the risk so they can decide for themselves.”


Glamour, February 2021

Okay, Maybe It’s Time to Quit Drinking

Here’s a hard but necessary truth: If you’re dealing with anxiety, reaching for the nightly wine probably isn’t helping….alcohol use can actually make anxiety and depression worse.


SurvivorNet, February 2021

Should Every Bottle of Alcohol Carry a Cancer Warning? The New Push From Major Public Health Organizations

Moderation is key, says Dr. Yeo. “For women, anything over a half a glass or a glass a day is probably not helping your overall health. For men, they can probably go one to two glasses before they start seeing health effects.”


MedScape, February 2021

Cancer Warning Labels on Alcohol: Calls for Congress to Act

"Such changes have the potential to save lives by ensuring that consumers have a more accurate understanding of the link between alcohol and cancer, which will empower them to better protect their health," it adds, pointing out that fewer than half of Americans identify alcohol as a cancer risk.


Forbes, February 2021

No/Low Alcohol Products Gain Market Share, Even In Pandemic

The strength is the category is fueled by what IWSR describes as “a moderation trend that’s sweeping across key global markets.” Consumers are seeking out reduced alcohol and alcohol-free drinks; brands are rushing to fill what was, until a few years ago, a nearly non-existent category.


Wall Street Journal, February 2021

Giving Up Alcohol in the Era of Covid-19

Drinking is on the rise as a response to stress, but a growing number of people are choosing to give up alcohol before it becomes a problem


The Globe & Mail, February 2021

Canada’s drinking problem: why alcohol is the new cigarette

The vast damage alcohol does to our society, ranging from its health effects to sexual violence to its impact on families and relationships, is hidden in plain sight, says Peter Butt, co-chair of the Canadian low-risk drinking guidelines review and update.

“We just kind of accepted it in the fabric of our day-to-day lives without thinking about it,”


ABC 7 Los Angeles, February 2021

Doctors voice concern over rise in alcohol-related liver disease amid pandemic

At Keck Hospital of USC, admissions for alcoholic hepatitis and liver failure are up 30% in 2020 compared with the year before… Some doctors call it a pandemic within a pandemic.


Forbes, February 2021

Alcohol As A Coping Response: Hyperkatifeia And How It Influences Our Drinking

In fact, pre-pandemic the Americas where the only region of the world where drug use was a top 10 contributor to disability and death, with a three-fold increase in death between 2000-2019. More specifically, alcohol-related deaths doubled from 1999 to 2017.


Punch, February 2021

The World Changed. Did the N/A Movement?

Sales quadrupled last month. “And strangely, while we’ve seen sales dip toward the end of the month in years past, they accelerated at the end of January, signaling that this ‘trend’ is becoming a true and lasting lifestyle for many,’ said founder John Wiseman.


LA times, February 2021

As alcohol abuse rises amid pandemic, hospitals see a wave of deadly liver disease

A trend toward increased disease in people younger than 40 “has been alarming for years,” said Dr. Raymond Chung, a hepatologist at Harvard University... “But what we’re seeing now is truly dramatic”.


Cancer.org, January 2021

US States Vary in How Drinking Alcohol Affects Cancer Diagnoses and Deaths

The study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, found that alcohol accounts for a “considerable proportion” of cancer diagnoses and deaths in all US states.


Medical Express, January 2021

Report shows alcohol consumption linked to portion of cancer incidence and mortality

A new study finds that alcohol consumption accounts for a considerable portion of cancer incidence and mortality in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.


U.S. News, January 2021

Alcohol-Free Options for Dry January and Beyond

While binge drinking increased during the pandemic, that trend seems to be reversing. And there’s a world of flavorful – and even healthy – booze-free drinks to choose from.


FAst company, January 2021

This is what happened when I stopped drinking for a month.

Like a growing number of sober curious Americans, I decided to see what a month without booze would be like.
…62 days ago.


Elle, December 2020

The Year of Drinking Dangerously

A growing number of women are boozing more than ever during COVID—but what we’re seeking in alcohol may never be found at the bottom of a glass.


New york Times, December 2020

‘Vodka in Your Coffee Cup’: When Pandemic Drinking Goes Too Far

“No one is talking about glasses of wine anymore,” said Ms. Duke, who works for a dog grooming app and lives in Manhattan with her two teenage sons. “People are measuring by the bottle,” she continued.


NPR, January 2020

Alcohol Related Deaths Have Doubled

Some of the greatest increases were found among women and people who were middle-aged and older.


Vox, February 2020

Becoming a “mindful drinker” changed my life

The controversial term may be new, but the goal is the same: Drink less. And I do..


The Counter, December 2020

Big Booze wants to keep it that way

There is a frustratingly stubborn gulf between what experts know about alcohol’s cancer risk and the awareness of everyday drinkers.


VOGUE, JANUARY 2020

Why Is Alcohol Becoming More Deadly for Women?

“It’s a little frightening how normalized it’s becoming,” she explains. “[Alcohol consumption] used to be associated with parties or special events. It wasn’t so much a part of everything we did.”


The atlantic, January 2020

America’s favorite poison

Beyond how it tastes and feels, there’s very little good to say about the health impacts of booze. 


HuffPost, February 2020

Why ‘mommy juice’ is total BS

Drinking has been popularized as a form of self-care for exhausted parents. The only problem is, it’s not.


HuffPost, April 2020

2020 Was Going To Be The Year Of The Sober-Curious Movement. Now What?

When this is all over, I believe the sober-curious community will have a lot of new faces in it. People are connecting authentically online, finding ways to meet challenges with a clear and sober mind.


ABC NEWS, September 2020

American adults have sharply increased their consumption of alcohol

Based on the results, experts say they’re concerned about how people may be choosing to ease the pain and isolation wrought by the pandemic.


New York Times, January 2020

Americans are drinking more now than when Prohibition became the law of the land

An analysis of death certificates over nearly two decades contained several troubling findings.


CNN, September 2020

Americans over 30 have been drinking more during the coronavirus pandemic…

Heavy drinking among women increased by 41% -- about one additional day of heavy drinking for one in every five women. 


New York Times, July 2020

Should we be drinking less? (Yes.)

But now a committee of scientists that is helping to update the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is taking a harder stance on alcohol.


GQ Magazine, July 2020

We were around alcohol five to seven nights a week for the last decade-plus…

The Zoom drinks came first. Liquor-store sales shot up 25 percent the first week of April as at-home drinking spiked, and the booze-delivery service Drizly reported a 439 percent increase in orders.


LA Times, January 2020

For most people who drink alcohol, health is not their primary consideration

“Consumption has been going up. Harms [from alcohol] have been going up,” said Dr. Tim Naimi, an alcohol researcher at Boston University. “And there’s not been a policy response to match it.”


MarketWatch, January 2020

The number of Americans drinking themselves to death has more than doubled over the last two decades

So as people have been drinking more alcohol, researchers have seen “significant increases” in alcohol-related harms, according to the new report.


Wall Street Journal, August 2020

Men Urged to Limit Alcohol to One Drink a Day Amid New Concerns

Men should consume no more than one alcoholic drink a day, according to a federal committee’s recommendations for new U.S. dietary guidelines.


US NEWS & World Report, February 2020

Alcohol-Linked Deaths Soaring in U.S., Women Hit Hardest

Americans are drinking themselves to death at ever-increasing rates, with women in particular hitting the bottle hard, a new study shows.

More Alcohol Related Headlines from 2020 and earlier