If you tell people you’re not drinking at a party, you can expect questions at the very least.

Our culture revolves so heavily around drinking sometimes that it’s almost an affront to others who are drinking to decline. It’s woven into everything: dating is notoriously difficult without drinking; in many professions, drinking is an expected part of networking.

The good news, for anyone who is seeking a healthy relationship with alcohol, is that things are changing.

The new ‘sober curious’ movement embraces a growing number of people who are open to drinking less alcohol. They might end up being fully sober; they might take short-term sobriety breaks; or they might just want to enjoy nights out without making it about drinking. However they do it, they’re drinking less alcohol.

And there’s more and more of them: studies have shown that young people are drinking less than previous generations. As a result, there are more and more societal accommodations out there for sober people in a variety of contexts.

Here are 5 concrete ways society in 2023 is more friendly and supportive to non-drinkers than it has been in the past:

There are more sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages: From Curious Elixirs to Seedlip Drinks, tons of new alcohol-free drinks have hit grocery store shelves. It’s a lot easier to avoid drinking when available alternative beverages are interesting and flavorful. Some companies offer complex, bitter, spicy, adult ready-to-drink mocktails; others make herbaceous substitutes for hard alcohol that can be mixed with juice or soda. It’s really helpful for those who enjoy the ritual of making or consuming a fancy cocktail to be able to indulge without the downsides of drinking alcohol.
You can go out to “bars” and not drink: In cities around the world from Austin to Tokyo, sober bars are opening that offer mocktails conceived with the same creativity and attention to detail as traditional cocktails. Socializing can be so intertwined with drinking that some sober people struggle to spend enough time with their friends. These bars are changing that - offering a place to have fun and hang out without the expectation of drinking.
You can go to music festivals sober and not be alone: Sober Lands is a group dedicated to attending concerts and music festivals sober. They had a booth at Outside Lands in 2023 that was a safe space for sober people to hang out, and offered sobriety meetings. It’s an awesome sign of social acceptance of non-drinkers, even in a setting that’s traditionally booze-heavy.
You can block alcohol ads: Per one of our previous posts, many online platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer ways for users to block alcohol ads that might tempt you to drink. It’s something to consider even if you’re not 100% sober! Who needs the extra temptation?
You can stop yourself from ordering alcohol: You can opt out of having alcohol delivered by Doordash. Opting out means you won’t receive any alcohol-related promotions via email, either. You can find instructions here. Doing so can be a great barrier to excessive drinking, because you’ll have to make more of an effort to obtain alcohol, and may not think of it as often.

Tools and experiences like these make it easier to avoid drinking, even temporarily. It’s encouraging to see so many ways in which society is embracing people who don’t want to drink all the time.

If you’re feeling inspired, think about how you can make life more comfortable and less awkward for the sober people in your life. Start small: even just offering something beside water for non-drinkers at parties can be hugely helpful!

And if you’re looking to cut back or quit drinking, we’d love to help. Drinker’s Helper is an app that provides motivational exercises, an insightful drink tracking system that helps you understand why you drink, and a personalized support group of your peers to help you make needed changes. We’ll help you stick to a weekly limit that reduces your health risks from drinking. Plus, it’s completely anonymous - even we don’t know who our users are, and we will never ask! Start your journey to long-term health today - get the app!