Chrissy Teigen did it, you can too: how staying sober has caught on
- Sales of non-alcoholic drinks are rising as people of all ages choose sobriety or reduce their consumption of alcohol
- The newly sober are sharing on social media how they feel happier and healthier
At the beginning of the global pandemic, uncorking a bottle of wine seemed to be the thing to do. A grip on a champagne stem felt like a grip on life, virtual happy hours were all the rage and there were plenty of memes about drinking making the rounds.
But a year into quarantine, Dry January has come and gone, yet evidence suggests sobriety is sticking around. And it’s not just those who struggle with alcoholism who have embraced a sober lifestyle.
There’s a growing group of people becoming sober or significantly cutting back on drinking to improve their health and well-being. Just ask American supermodel and TV personality Chrissy Teigen.
US sales of non-alcoholic drinks continue to rise, according to NielsenIQ. As of late February, sales of non-alcoholic beer were up 39 per cent over last year; sales of non-alcoholic wine were up 34 per cent.
Meanwhile, online marketplace Etsy saw a 205 per cent rise in searches for “sober or dry gifts” from December 1 to February 28, compared to last year, says trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson.